Rags and Riches

Television's über-wealthy communicate their status through looks both flashy and deceptively casual

- By Rebecca Ford

THE WHITE LOTUS

HBO

When Daphne (Meghann Fahy) whisks Harper (Aubrey Plaza) off on an unexpected overnight stay in a villa in Noto, the pair hit the shops wearing showstopping looks that costume designer Alex Bovaird describes as fittingly romantic and sexy. "It is Daphne's little fantasy and she's always playful," says Bovaird of the blue and white striped Prada two-piece Daphne wears once they arrive. The constant tension between them also plays out in what they wear. "Daphne dresses a lot more what somebody with money should wear," says Bovaird, adding that Harper, in her tastes, is "much cooler than Daphne. And she's a little bit uptight." Her vintage Moschino dress, then, is "a perfect little summer holiday retro look, but it's also very stiff." Both women wear designer clothes and accessories, like an Hermès bag, Cartier watch, and the Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses lately favored by the ultrarich. "They're both thinking about what they're wearing from head to toe," Bovaird says. "In real life, people who've had money for a long time maybe don't wear flashy things-but in the movie world they do."

LOOT

Apple TV+