Here’s how some of the show’s signature looks are being made over.
Wedding Wear
THEN The first time Krystle marries the oil tycoon Blake Carrington, she has on a modest two-piece ivory skirt suit, with her new stepdaughter, Fallon, standing beside her in a long-sleeved black and white gown: part disco, part funeral. The next time Krystle marries Blake (multiple weddings to the same person are not uncommon on “Dynasty”) she wears a pale blue gown with petal-like epaulets and a matching beribboned hat, one of many that “Dynasty” women donned on the show for important occasions.
NOW Cristal (a new spelling for the new show) is in a sexy white pantsuit reminiscent of the tailored separates Bianca Perez-Mora Macias wore to marry Mick Jagger. Fallon’s dress is black and white again, which Ms. Markworth-Pollack calls one of her “Easter eggs for the die-hards,” little surprises that she and the creators are scattering to please fans. This time, though, both women’s arms are bared — the Michelle Obama influence? — and part of their midriffs too.
Hats are not likely to come back, but you might see the occasional turban for no apparent reason. “At the end of the day, ‘Dynasty’ is so campy,” Ms. Markworth-Pollack said.
Who’s the Boss?
THEN John Forsythe’s Blake Carrington stuck to traditional suits, often gray, navy or pinstriped, with perhaps the occasional cozy cardigan for mulling things over in the library, maybe a plaid shirt for relaxing on the private jet. His hair seemed to be Brylcreemed and one suspected he smelled of Pinaud Clubman.
NOW Not yet of credible grandpa age, Grant Show’s Blake dresses commandingly but casually, as titans of industry have since the tech revolution of the 1990s. “There are nods to the original pinstripes, with great earth tones,” Ms. Markworth-Pollack said. “With him, it was a little bit of Steve McQueen and a little bit of Gatsby.”
The Male Peacock
THEN The rank-and-file men of “Dynasty” were impeccably well-groomed but wore nothing particularly memorable. They had uniforms: shorts for tennis, Polo shirts for polo, tuxedos for galas and (snore) pajamas for sleep.
NOW Men are the new women, with the billionaire tech titan Jeff Colby in flowered dress shirts, turtlenecks and leather jackets. “What I’ve noticed in Atlanta is that the men’s style, it’s out of control, it’s so good,” Ms. Markworth-Pollack said of the show’s setting. “There’s a lot of men in hip-hop, athletes and wealthy men with such a detailed aesthetic.”
We Love the ’80s
THEN Fashion was more centralized and hierarchical, and even women who scoffed at “Dynasty” were likely to be trying the bold colors and big hair that Mr. Miller preferred. “It was all about empowerment: making a statement and putting yourself out there,” Ms. Markworth-Pollack said.
NOW The industry is a hodgepodge, decades are no longer demarcated and the show’s costume designer is drawing from a range of labels including Balmain, Gucci and Alexandre Vauthier. “For every high there’s a low, but our lows aren’t that low.” Ms. Markworth-Pollack said. “I’ve used jeans on Cristal. Yeah, they’re like $400 jeans, but still.”
The Fur Won’t Fly
THEN Mink stoles and full-on Blackglama coats were de rigueur.
NOW The creators and the costume designer decided together to be cruelty-free. “There are so many interesting faux furs,” Ms. Markworth-Pollack said. Like women, baby, “they’ve come a long way.”
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