Regardless of your age, one thing that can be universally agreed on is the fact that fashion is one of the best forms of self-expression. With one outfit, you can convey myriad messages about who you are as a person. In television and film, style is particularly important in establishing a character’s personality. This is especially true for Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, which is currently in its third season on Bravo.
I recently caught up with Lisa Edelstein, star of GG2D; Cynthia Summers, costume designer for GG2D; Meryl Poster, executive producer of GG2D; and Ramy Sharp, founder and creative director at Ramy Brook; to discuss all the details of the show’s fashion and their latest collaboration with Ramy Sharp.
Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce focuses on Abby McCarthy (Edelstein), the successful author of a self-help book series whose life dramatically changes throughout the show. Over the course of Seasons 1 and 2, Abby finds herself trying to balance her life as a mother, while also navigating the dating scene as a newly-divorced woman. Of course, she also gets by with a little help from her friends.
At the onset of the show, fashion choices were important to help distinguish all the female characters. Though Abby’s style has somewhat changed from Season 1 to Season 3, her look is still the epitome of a modern woman, with classic fits and plenty of A-line outfits.
“Our show is set in L.A., so that dictates a lot,” Cynthia shares. “That dictates silhouette and color, if nothing else. Because she was a stay-at-home mom and she was working at home, she needed to have a wardrobe that she could move around in and go from one situation to another.”
With the West Coast setting, Abby’s initial style consisted of a few basic necessities. “She really needed the day-to-night wardrobe, so that really dictated the jeans. Then, we'd pair it with a great pair of heels, a fun T-shirt, or shirt or top that would go with the L.A. vibe, and then a jacket and a bag,” Cynthia says. “It's clearly evolved from there, but that's where we started.”
One of the most refreshing aspects of GG2D is the variety of women, body types and clothing styles that are represented. Aside from Abby’s modern apparel, the other women on the show have signature styles of their own. Phoebe (Beau Garrett), who is free-spirited, encompasses a bohemian style. Jo (Alanna Ubach) has an edgy, rocker look. And Delia (Necar Zadegan) often wears chic clothing.
“It keeps things fresh and interesting,” says Cynthia. “Last season, Season 2, Retta joined us—the Barbara character—so that added a whole new demographic for me. That kept it exciting, and it was really interesting for me because I got to reach out to a lot of different fashion designers that I hadn't tapped into for the series.”
For Lisa, Cythnia’s role in the show goes far beyond picking appropriate clothing and accessories for each woman. “She really meets the most frightened part of the women that walk in the room, and has to find a way to nurture and celebrate the things that we all love about our bodies,” Lisa explains. “The position that someone like Cynthia is in is very vital to the health of the show.”
“I think our show is great because we cover so many different looks and different styles of women and different bodies, and I think that's the point—to celebrate your body and your shape and what you want to put out into the world,” Cynthia adds. “Don't try to be like Lisa, or someone else, unless that's you. We should always aspire to who we are and I think that's really important. Don't lose that.”
To Lisa, clothing is not just a mode of self-expression—it’s a major part of the viewing experience. “It's really important. It's part of the visual aspect of storytelling,” she says. “There are all different parts of the storytelling that go into making a movie or television show, and how you move through space and what you put on your body is such a clue.”
Considering fashion’s prominence in GG2D, it was only natural that the show teamed up with a designer—aka Ramy Sharp—to create a line of clothing inspired by the show.
“I hadn't met her before, but I've used her tops especially on several projects for the last three years, so it was kind of a reaching out from my side to see if we could do something together, because I had been using so much of her pieces on the show, and in particular, on Lisa,” Cynthia explains. “It was kind of an organic situation. It was meant to be.”
Ramy’s collection includes a variety of stylish pieces, from flowing tops to pantsuits—which are perfect for Abby’s day-to-day activities. As an avid fan of GG2D, Ramy was thrilled to play a role in the show’s fashion. “What's so exciting about the show is that we can celebrate women in every aspect of their lives and that's what our clothes [do],” she says.
Some of the pieces included in the collection actually appear in Season 3 of GG2D, airing Wednesdays at 10/9c, and viewers can purchase their favorites from Bloomingdale’s. Brb, buying the stunning red Lulu jumpsuit.
The result of Cynthia’s styling and GG2D’s storyline is a show that women can connect with—whether it’s on a style or a relationship level.
“It's about a human struggle that we can all relate to and I think ultimately, that's really where the heart of the show is and it's sort of made prettier with [this] beautiful clothing,” says Lisa.
“When I look at everybody on the show, we have very different body types, and I think the most important thing is to have an ease with what you have, and never let fashion dictate who you are,” she adds. “Find clothes that make you feel the best you.”