Ginny & Georgia
Netflix
When Ginny & Georgia, a mother-daughter drama starring Brianne Howey (Georgia) and Antonia Gentry (Ginny) that takes place in a picturesque New England town and has been called “Gilmore Girls with a twist,” premiered on Netflix nearly two years ago, fans couldn’t get enough of the love triangles, teen angst and Britney Spears cosplay (IYKYK). One thing that flew under the radar: the show’s style, which was low-key perfection. (Georgia’s blazer collection would make Olivia Pope jealous and Jordan Catalano wishes he was cool enough to wear a purple unicorn tee shirt like Wellsbury High heartthrob Marcus who’s played by Felix Mallard.)
But in season two, which premiered on Jan. 5, the fashion played a more prominent role, thanks in part to the incredible wedding dress worn by Georgia when she says “I do” to hottie mayor Paul Randolph (Scott Porter) in the finale.
“Georgia, of course, needed to be in the most dramatic, stunning gown of all time,” says the show’s creator and executive producer Sarah Lampert of the over-the-top design. “After all, you’re only a bride a couple of times.” (Again, IYKYK.)
Ginny & Georgia, Season 2, Netflix
Netflix
Lampert and executive producer and showrunner Debra J. Fisher decided that the inspiration for Georgia’s bridal look should be Cinderella (the title of the episode is “I’m No Cinderella”).
“This was Georgia’s fairy tale wedding. After more than one marriage, Georgia would never wear a white gown,” explains Fisher of opting for a non-traditional blue hue (she also shares that they had 25 meetings about the dress).
RELATED: Ginny & Georgia Season 2: Everything to Know
Costume designer Julia Patkos set out to find a blue gown fitting for a Disney princess. She connected with Canadian designer Ines Di Santo after seeing the ombre blue “Calypso” dress Di Santo created for her Spring 2022 Couture collection, which Patkos said reminded her of the gown Lily James wears in the 2015 Cinderella movie.
Ginny & Georgia, Season 2, Netflix
Netflix
When the gown, which features three shades of blue Italian tulle, an embellished bodice, detachable arm cuffs and a 15-foot cathedral-length train, arrived on set, Patkos says the whole production office ran in and “we opened it together like it was Christmas.” The creation, which took about 150 hours to construct, was so massive that “it took up the entire fitting room and four people had to hold it up to move it,” she says.
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The size of the dress also presented logistical challenges when it came to shooting. The location of the wedding scene had to be changed to a larger space with an aisle that could accommodate the width of the skirt and train. Says Lampert, “We had a full crane shot just to capture the dress. And of course, Georgia needed a costume change for the reception. Not just because we couldn’t fit the cameras around the other dress when she was dancing, but also because no way would Georgia have only one wedding dress!”
RELATED: Ginny & Georgia Creator Says Season 2 Cliffhanger ‘Was Always the Plan’ and Teases ‘Conflict’ in Season 3
To complement the gown’s regal look, Patkos designed a custom white cape-inspired by Jackie Kennedy, for Georgia to wear over her dress while traveling to the wedding via a horse-drawn carriage.
Ginny & Georgia, Season 2, Netflix
Netflix
On the other end of the style spectrum, maid of honor, Ginny, wore a sleek white jacquard suit from Zara. “We wanted to step away from a traditional, cutesy bridesmaid look,” says Patkos.
Adds Lampert: “Ginny was in white because creatively, that felt like a Georgia idea. To Georgia, part of this wedding is about providing for Ginny, so it’s not just a wedding for Georgia, but a promise to her kids as well. But also, Georgia likes to make an entrance, and what better way to do that as a bride then let Ginny wear white and then dazzle in blue? Even though it was Georgia’s idea to put her in white, I believe she would have wanted Ginny to pick out her own outfit. What Julia found was perfect: really elegant, fashion forward, and something I imagined Antonia would maybe wear in real life. I wanted it to feel as chic as she is.”
RELATED: Wednesday Costume Designer Colleen Atwood Details the Stories Behind the Characters’ Iconic Looks
And while the wedding served up the most over-the-top style moments (not to mention an epic cliffhanger including the bride’s arrest for murder) from the season, the mother-daughter duo hit their respective style strides this season.
For Georgia that means leaning into the “sexy, yet professional, unpredictable and surprising,” style she began curating in the first season, says Patkos. Lampert adds, “We have a Georgia Pinterest board, and it’s almost exclusively made up of Blake Lively. Georgia is dressing for the life she wants — she wants to fit into Wellsbury and be the mayoress.”
Ginny & Georgia. Brianne Howey as Georgia in episode 204 of Ginny & Georgia. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
Ginny’s style, on the other hand, is still evolving. “Her arc was about dealing with her pain, finding her voice and wanting to stand out a bit more with her looks and taking bigger swings and chances,” says Fisher.
RELATED: Emily in Paris Costume Designer Marylin Fitoussi Reveals Season 3 Wardrobe Has 14,000 Pieces Listed!
To reflect Ginny’s emotional journey, Patkos gave her a “grungy, rebellious look” for the first few episodes, but as she gains more confidence, she moves into an “emo period” featuring lots of shorts, cool tights, boots and graphic print T-shirts. By the end of the season, she’s experimenting with a trendy vibe that’s “unique, like a younger version of her mom.”
Ginny & Georgia, Season 2, Netflix
Netflix
Another style standout: Maxine “Max” Baker (Sara Waisglass), Ginny’s frenemy whose wild wardrobe choices have drawn comparisons to Portia’s chaotic looks from White Lotus Season 2.
“Her style is eclectic and unpredictable,” says Patkos who dresses the character in Free People, For Love and Lemons, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Rock ‘N Karma. “There’s so much going on with every outfit. It’s not just a look, it’s a story she’s telling that day.”
Ginny & Georgia, Season 2, Netflix
Netflix
Fans will have to wait to find out the fate of the characters (as for what’s to come in season three, Lampert tells PEOPLE “all of the dominoes have been set up as far back as season one”) but if the last 10 episodes are any indication, there’s one thing we know for sure: the fashion alone will give us plenty to talk about.
