The rise of prestige television—and its wardrobe power players—has transformed costume design into cultural capital. Today’s style icons aren’t just walking red carpets; they’re checking into The White Lotus and brooding through Succession.
When costumes become coveted
In the early 2000s, Carrie Bradshaw’s tutu and Fendi baguette bag sent viewers racing to the nearest boutique. Fast forward two decades, and television is once again the epicenter of fashion inspiration. Only now, there’s an app for that. And a whole lot of analytics to back it up.
Shows like The White Lotus, Emily in Paris, and Euphoria aren’t just winning awards—they’re dictating what viewers are adding to their carts. According to fashion resale platform Depop, searches related to The White Lotus soared by 1700% between February and April 2025, while Emily in Paris saw a 356% spike in September 2024. Whether it’s “loud luxury” or Parisian flair, viewers are watching with their credit cards at the ready.
“Depop’s community thrives on cultural moments, and television shows have become a significant catalyst in shaping fashion trends,” explains Steve Dool, the platform’s senior director of brand and marketing. He credits The White Lotus for sparking a renewed interest in upscale resort wear, with fans eager to emulate the show’s eclectic mix of rich textures and bold silhouettes.
Tech-enabled style obsession
For Katherine Manweiler, a self-described TV and fashion obsessive, the connection between screen and style inspired something more than just a new outfit—it led to the launch of Montage, an app that helps viewers find and shop the clothes they see on their favorite shows.
“One of the biggest breakout hits for us last year was Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” she shares, referring to the Amazon Prime reboot starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. “Our menswear users went wild for Glover’s wardrobe—especially the Fear of God cargo jacket and the Mister Freedom varsity.”
Montage, like other shoppable fashion tools, has tapped into a simple but powerful idea: fans don’t just want to watch characters—they want to wear them. In the golden age of streaming, that desire is being fulfilled with a speed and accuracy that’s never existed before.
The new age of costume design
Behind these screen-to-closet moments are the costume designers themselves—stylists who are increasingly becoming celebrities in their own right. Think Patricia Field of Sex and the City and Emily in Paris, Heidi Bivens of Euphoria, or Alex Bovaird, who crafted the now-iconic looks of The White Lotus. “It’s an honor to have the looks coveted,” says Bovaird. “When I saw online where-to-buy outfits worn by extras, I realized we had reached new levels of aspiration.”
Bovaird credits The White Lotus creator Mike White with giving her the creative freedom to play within the show’s universe. The result? A costume landscape where every print, cut, and accessory becomes part of the story’s visual language—and the viewer’s fashion wish list.
The streaming effect
So why now? What makes this moment different from previous waves of TV-inspired trends? “The volume of high-quality television has exploded in the past 15 years,” Manweiler explains. “Streaming platforms are experimenting with longer, more cinematic episodes that give costume designers space to explore character aesthetics in a much deeper way.”
That deeper exploration pays off in more ways than one. An average episode of Succession, for example, contains over 120 unique pieces of clothing and accessories. That’s a lot of visual data—and a lot of opportunity for fans to fall in love with a look. “It’s one of the easier things for an audience to absorb about a character,” Manweiler notes. “Their style becomes a shorthand for personality, status, even morality.”
Costume designers as cultural mirrors
Of course, this fashion-TV feedback loop isn’t entirely new. In the ’90s, fans were already clamoring for Jennifer Aniston’s laid-back Friends wardrobe. What’s changed is accessibility. Today, apps like Montage and affiliate programs such as ShopMy—recently joined by Meghan Markle herself—offer direct links to outfits the moment they air. “There’s nothing new about wanting to dress like your favorite character,” Manweiler says. “What’s changed is how easy it is now. Shows that weren’t even considered fashionable at the time, like Seinfeld, are getting renewed attention thanks to trends like normcore.”
Modern fashion brands are also catching on. H&M’s capsule collection inspired by The White Lotus is just one example of how retailers are racing to meet demand. For viewers, it’s no longer about copying looks—it’s about joining a cultural moment.
The real winners
While audiences may feel empowered by this fusion of entertainment and fashion, it’s the brands that are truly benefiting. With every spike in search terms comes a wave of purchases, affiliate clicks, and style recaps that translate into real revenue. Yet for costume designers, the cultural impact goes beyond dollars. “We spend weeks thinking about what people wear,” says Bovaird. “It makes sense that we’re influencing trends. Sometimes we’re reflecting the culture—but other times, we’re shaping it.”
In a world oversaturated with fleeting fads and algorithm-driven style, the steady rise of TV fashion feels refreshingly narrative-driven. Whether you’re channeling a Thai resort heiress or a French social media strategist, your closet can now be a story in itself. So the next time you find yourself eyeing a silk caftan, a power suit, or a varsity jacket that looks suspiciously familiar, don’t be surprised—it’s probably your favorite show talking.
