It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to name The Idol the most talked-about present on tv in the intervening time. It appears everybody has an opinion on the HBO sequence’ graphic intercourse scenes, Abel Tesfaye’s rat tail, and Sam Levinson’s artistic decisions. The Idol was not made for the faint of coronary heart, and a sordid feeling seeps into each scene and stylistic choice, from the intrusive digicam angles to the teeny-tiny tops Lily-Rose Depp’s pop star character Jocelyn plucks from her closet for a day of lounging round the home. All of it performs into the seedy, extremely sexualized universe Tesfaye and Levinson have created, however in line with the present’s costume designer, Natasha Newman-Thomas, it’s not all male gaze and underneath boob. Jocelyn’s wardrobe decisions truly illustrate a power in her character and a reclamation of her physicality.

“The costumes Jocelyn wears undoubtedly inform a narrative of her energy and the way she’s harnessing her sexuality,” Newman-Thomas tells W over Zoom. In the primary episode of the sequence, we study Jocelyn has been the sufferer of revenge porn when a graphic selfie of the pop star leaks on-line. It’s not solely Jocelyn’s indifference towards the incident (“I imply, I really feel prefer it could possibly be quite a bit worse,” she says with a shrug earlier than heading to her in-house sauna), but in addition the best way she presents herself that proves she has a agency grasp on herself as a sexual individual. She bops round her home in just there bralettes and impossibly low-rise denims that invoke a minimum of bodily confidence. “In case you’ve obtained it, flaunt it,” says Newman-Thomas, who labored with Depp to verify her consolation stage earlier than dressing the character. “There’s an vitality to Jocelyn that she could be very comfy in her physique and displaying that quantity of pores and skin, and that’s mirrored within the wardrobe.”

Jocelyn spends an excellent period of time in episode one carrying a silky purple gown, each when capturing her album cowl within the present’s first scene and when entertaining Tesfaye’s character Tedros afterward at her residence. At first, the piece looks as if your primary boudoir gown, however when she turns round, a very open again permits for an added aspect of shock. For Newman-Thomas, this particular design was an necessary one. “It’s a part of the seduction,” the costume designer says. “We wished the again to be simply as horny because the entrance, which could be very Jocelyn to consider.” Newman-Thomas designed the piece and labored with Muto-Little in Los Angeles to have it made. “They’ve a really deep understanding of development, which was good as a result of architecturally, a backless gown is a tough factor to make.”

The reveal of the open again comes as Jocelyn leads Tedros down the corridor of her stunning mansion. It’s one of many few moments within the sequence when the pop star exacts any energy over the membership proprietor. Later, although, that very same gown is used towards her, choking Jocelyn throughout one of many present’s graphic intercourse scenes in a second when energy dynamics are very blurred.

The gown isn’t the one piece of clothes in Jocelyn’s wardrobe that turns from an emblem of energy to an instrument of ache. In episode two, we see the pop star don a metallic pink bodysuit to movie the music video for her comeback single, “World Class Sinner.” The piece, created in collaboration with Los Angeles-based designer Nusi Quero, incorporates a resin bralette, corseted bodice, and beaded panties—a stupendous and highly effective, but seemingly painful, mixture. As Jocelyn data her intricate dance routine time and again, her stage of discomfort will increase till she’s unable to proceed.

“We wished to create one thing that will truly play into the scene and have that restrictive high quality,” Newman-Thomas says. And sure, the bodysuit was simply as uncomfortable in actual life. “Nusi works primarily in picture and doesn’t actually have a background in stage or dance. So there was a bit little bit of actuality mirrored within the artwork.” Newman-Thomas calls Depp “a trooper” for performing within the bodysuit, regardless of the restrictions. “It was undoubtedly a problem, however I feel that fed into the scene and heightened the purpose we have been making an attempt to get throughout.”

Many have qualms about numerous facets of The Idol, nevertheless it appears one of many public’s largest hang-ups is separating Tesfaye’s extraordinarily widespread musical persona, The Weeknd, from the creepy, parasite-like character he performs on the present. Fortunately, an analogous subject hasn’t occurred in terms of Depp and her portrayal of Jocelyn—and Newman-Thomas is a minimum of partially to thank for that. Depp herself has turn into one-to-watch on the planet of style over the previous decade or so, particularly as one in all Karl Lagerfeld’s many muses; to this present day, she remains to be loyal to Chanel. When it got here to dressing her pop star alter ego, nonetheless, Newman-Thomas wished to verify a distinction was made between the actress and the character she portrays. Whereas the actress wears the French model virtually completely, the one Chanel second on the present to this point has come within the type of a pair of sun shades her character wears within the first episode. Like Depp, nonetheless, Jocelyn appears to have an affinity for classic, as she’s seen carrying archival items all through the sequence.

“In episode three, there’s a fairly iconic Margiela piece,” Newman-Thomas teases. Discerning eyes may even be capable of level out Nicolas Ghesquière-era Balenciaga sneakers, and a few classic Prada as properly. Newman-Thomas’s favourite classic second, nonetheless, was a fast one, showing when Jocelyn exhibits her staff the “World Class Sinner” remix in episode two. The pop star bumps and grinds to her moan-filled observe in a pair of unique Alexander McQueen bumster denims. “I used to be actually enthusiastic about that discover as a result of these are very, very uncommon.”

And whereas the low-rise denims paired with a super-crop prime created one other now-signature risqué Jocelyn second, these might quickly turn into a relic of the previous. Because the season continues, we are going to see Tesfaye’s Tedros proceed to sink his claws into Jocelyn as he takes over management of her life, together with her wardrobe. Newman-Thomas wouldn’t reveal precisely how Jocelyn’s look will change underneath Tedros’s tutelage, however she hinted that the pop star would possibly transfer on from skin-baring items. “There’s a brand new sense of maturity that comes with that transformation,” she says. “I’ll simply depart it at that for now.”