As the man behind some of TVs most talked-about trendsetters, Eric Daman knows his way around a wardrobe closet. The Emmy-winning costume designer hosted an All Access Fashion event near Washington recently, and he caught us up on what its like to create looks for the Carrie Bradshaw character in Sex and the City and Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl.
Q. What can we expect on this season of Gossip Girl? The show returned this week and airs at 9 p.m. Mondays on The CW.
A. Its our last season, and I feel like the fans are going to want it to be as extraordinary as possible, and I want it to be as extraordinary as possible, so were really going to try to push the envelope.
Q. Any fall trends that you have your eye on?
A. I think youre going to see metallics that are a little more in a fall palette, like aubergines and deep, rich ochers and golds that are much-deeper orange.
Q. Anything from the spring shows that stood out to you?
A. Theres a lot of 60s throwback. Theres a lot of black and white – and that mod sense of vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, stripe blocking that you havent seen in awhile (which I love), kind of like (60s model) Peggy Moffitt. Blair Waldorf kind of has a little bit of a mod thing going on every now and then. I think Marc Jacobs really set the tone with it, and then we saw a little bit of it in Italy and a little more in Paris.
Q. Weve heard that headbands are coming back to Gossip Girl. Is that a possibility?
A. I think its important to have it come full circle and make it be what everyone wants it to be. Its an important piece to the series, and its an iconic piece to Blair, and there might be a return of headbands – you have to tune in.
Q. What is your approach to costuming an iconic character, like Carrie in The Carrie Diaries, an upcoming prequel to Sex and the City?
A. Im in a very lucky position that I was a part of Sex and the City and was a part of growing Carrie Bradshaw. Knowing who Carrie was as an adult has been instrumental in me getting to know who she was as a teenager. But in high school, shes not going to be (adult) Carrie Bradshaw. Shes not going to be in Manolos every day.
I think the younger crowd thats coming off of Gossip Girl is going to be looking at it, so were wanting to keep a modern edge. Its not the ugly 80s; its aspirational authenticity. Its not just going to be giant shoulder pads and oversized ugliness; it has to be beautiful and apropos, think amazing Marc Jacobs gloves mixed with an 80s skirt.