Television and fashion have not always been the coziest bedfellows. Not so long ago, before the big TV boom of the 2000s, the main link between television and fashion was through a small cross-section of well-dressed divas on soap operas (thanks, Dame Joan Collins). You wouldn’t catch designers gleefully lending their pieces to characters on the small screen, nor would you turn to those characters for your own outfit inspiration.
But as our appetite for endless high-quality television continues to grow, so do the series budgets and the prestige of the industry’s costume designers. The outfits from popular series influence the way we dress more than ever before. From Succession’s stranglehold on style discourse (quiet luxury was certainly a contender for trend of the year, right?) to the glitzy, ostentatious roster of protagonists of The White Lotus, to the direct documentation of fashion history through series like The Super Models , TV and fashion have never been so close. And 2024 promises to be the closest they’ll ever get.
From shows about the lives of real designers – including Christian Dior and Cristóbal Balenciaga, to television that’s a feast for the eyes, here’s the best of 2024’s stylish TV selection.
Cristobal Balenciaga
This Disney+ Original drama series charts the “life and legacy” of the Spanish designer, whose forward-thinking fashion brand remains as relevant today as it was during his tenure. Born in 1895, Balenciaga built a successful career outfitting Spain’s royal family and aristocracy, a fact that may surprise those with an average knowledge of the current brand in all its otherworldly glory. The show opens just before Cristóbal Balenciaga decided to get a little crazy with it, after opening his first Parisian couture house in 1937.
As the show’s official description notes: “‘Cristóbal Balenciaga’ begins as the designer presents his first Parisian Haute Couture collection in 1937. He has left behind a successful career in his ateliers in Madrid and San Sebastian, leading the Spanish elite and aristocracy. The designs that set the trend in Spain don’t quite work in the sophisticated fashion empire that Paris has become, where Chanel, Dior and Givenchy are the benchmark of haute couture. Guided by his obsession for control over all aspects of his life, Cristóbal Balenciaga will define his style and ultimately become one of the most important designers of all time.”
You can expect some beautiful recreations of original Balenciaga couture clothes, as well as some very well-dressed side characters (a young Audrey Hepburn will make an appearance).
The series will debut exclusively on Disney+ on January 19, 2024.
Palm Royale
If you’ve been missing the ladies of Big Little Lies lately, fear not: Not only are they returning for a third season, but Laura Dern (aka PayPal’s most stylish fictional board member) is also appearing in the new Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, available in March. Set in the 1960s, Palm Royale describes itself as a “true underdog story,” following Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) as she tries to break into Palm Beach’s high society. Other cast members include Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb and model Kaia Gerber looking impossibly retro as manicurists for the Palm Beach elite.
There is an abundance of huge blowouts, colorful caftans and brightly colored eye shadows. It turns out it was all put together by Alix Friedberg, the costume designer responsible for – you guessed it – Big Little Lies. And if Palm Royale’s looks have any influence on the chic chunky knits and luxurious fabrics worn by the Monterey Five, we better take notes.
The first three episodes of “Palm Royale” will debut on Apple TV+ on March 20, 2024, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 8.
The new look
Cristóbal Balenciaga’s on-screen version will be kept in good company by a new version of his old friend (and rival) Christian Dior in the drama series The New Look, also out in February. The couple was born on the same day, so it’s actually quite fitting.
Apple TV+ describes The New Look as an “emotionally suspenseful” series that “reveals the harrowing story of how fashion icon Christian Dior and his contemporaries, including Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain and Cristóbal Balenciaga, endured the horrors of World War II and the modern world.” launched fashion.
Dior is played by Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn and helmed by Juliette Binoche and John Malkovich, who play fellow designers Coco Chanel and couturier Lucien Lelong. Also joining the cast are Glenn Close, former Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Carmel Snow, and Maisie Williams, who will play Catherine, the sister of Christian Dior’s French resistance fighter.
Mr and Mrs Smit
Anyone who has seen one episode of Atlanta knows that Donald Glover is capable of making stylish television, and anyone who watched last season three of Atlanta knows that Donald Glover, when working with an actual budget, is capable of to create a stylish television. Real stylish television.
So it’s safe to say we’re excited about what’s to come from the new TV series adaptation of Mr & Mrs Smith, based on the 2004 blockbuster of the same name that united Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (and, um, Brad divided) Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.) Glover co-creates and leads the series alongside Maya Erskine, but there are also some pretty big cameos from the likes of Paul Dano, Michaela Coel and John Turturro.
The footage released so far shows Glover in a pair of chic, if slightly bloody, white turtlenecks and Erskine dragging a body into the bath while wearing a crimson ball gown. We’re ready to get obsessed.
Capote vs. The Swans
Capote vs. Formerly known as Capote’s Women, The Swans is the second series in Ryan Murphy’s ‘Feud’ anthology, following his 2017 version that explored the bitter rift between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Murphy has received quite a bit of financial backing thanks to his extremely successful previous works, including American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and Dahmer.
Thanks to a $300 million deal with Netflix, Murphy provides the budget, and the cast provides the glamour. Demi Moore, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Molly Ringwald and Calista Flockhart are all set to star, with Tom Hollander playing the man himself.
The story focuses on Capote’s friendships with numerous glamorous socialites, whom he called his “swans.” The socialites included Lee Radziwill, Jackie Kennedy’s younger sister, and Barbara “Babe” Paley, who was married to the founder of CBS. Like Palm Royale, the style will be 60s, with a hint of early 70s – the hair is coiffed and the Park Avenue outfits opulent.
The limited series will premiere on FX in the US on January 31 and is expected to arrive on Disney+ in the new year.