Television and fashion have not always been the cosiest bedfellows. Not long ago, before the great TV boom of the 2000s, television's main link to fashion was via a small cross-section of well-dressed divas on soap operas (thank you, Dame Joan Collins). You wouldn't catch designers gleefully lending out their pieces to characters on the small screen, nor would you turn to said characters for your own outfit inspiration.
But now, as our appetite for endless high quality TV only grows, so do series budgets and the prestige of the sector's costume designers. The outfits seen on hit series are influencing the way we dress more than ever before. From Succession's chokehold over the style discourse (quiet luxury was surely a contender for trend of the year, no?) to The White Lotus' glitzy, gaudy roster of main characters, to the direct documentation of fashion history via series like The Super Models, TV and fashion have never been closer. And 2024 promises to make them the closest yet.
From shows chronicling the lives of actual designers - including Christian Dior and Cristóbal Balenciaga, to television that's just a total feast for the eyes, here's the best of 2024's stylish TV roster.
Cristóbal Balenciaga
This Disney+ Original drama series will chart the "life and legacy" of the Spanish designer, whose cutting edge fashion brand remains as relevant today as it was during his tenure. Balenciaga, who was born in 1895, built a successful career outfitting the Spanish royal family and aristocracy, a fact that may surprise those with an average knowledge of the current brand in all its alien glory. The show begins just before Cristóbal Balenciaga decided to get a bit freaky with it, after opening his first Paris couture house in 1937.
As the show's official description details: "'Cristóbal Balenciaga' begins as the designer presents his first Parisian Haute Couture collection in 1937. He has left behind a successful career in his ateliers in Madrid and San Sebastian dressing the Spanish elite and aristocracy. However, the designs that had set the trend in Spain don’t quite work in the sophisticated fashion empire that Paris has become, where Chanel, Dior and Givenchy are the benchmark of Haute Couture. Guided by his obsession for control in all aspects of his life, Cristóbal Balenciaga will define his style and eventually become one of the most important designers of all time."
You can expect some delightful reconstructions of original Balenciaga couture garments, as well as some very well dressed side characters (a young Audrey Hepburn will be making an appearance).
The series will debut January 19, 2024 exclusively on Disney+.
Palm Royale
If you've been missing the ladies of Big Little Lies as of late, fear not - not only are they returning for a third season, but also Laura Dern (aka PayPal's most stylish fictional board member) is featuring in new Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, out this March. Set in the 1960s, Palm Royale describes itself as a "a true underdog story," following Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) as she endeavors to break into Palm Beach high society . Other cast members include Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb and model Kaia Gerber looking impossibly retro as a manicurist to the Palm Beach elite.
There's an abundance of huge blowouts, colourful kaftans and brightly coloured eyeshadow. As it turns out, it's all curated by Alix Friedberg, the costume designer responsible for - you guessed it - Big Little Lies. And if the looks of Palm Royale have anything near the influence of the chic chunky knitwear and luxurious fabrics worn by the Monterey Five, we better start taking notes.
The first three episodes of “Palm Royale'' debut on Apple TV+ on 20 March 2024, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through 8 May.
The New Look
Cristóbal Balenciaga's on-screen iteration will be kept in good company by a reimagining of his old friend (and rival) Christian Dior in drama series The New Look, also set for release this February. The pair were born on the same day, so it's actually rather fitting.
Apple TV+ describes The New Look as an "emotionally thrilling" series which "reveals the shocking story of how fashion icon Christian Dior and his contemporaries including Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain and Cristóbal Balenciaga navigated the horrors of World War II and launched modern fashion.
Dior will be played by Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn and accompanied by Juliette Binoche and John Malkovich, who play fellow designers Coco Chanel and couturier Lucien Lelong. Also joining the cast is Glenn Close, as former Harper's Bazaar Editor-in-Chief Carmel Snow, as well as Maisie Williams, who will portray Christian Dior's French Resistance fighter sister, Catherine.
Mr & Mrs Smith
Anyone who has watched a single episode of Atlanta knows that Donald Glover is capable of making stylish television, and anyone who has watched past season three of Atlanta knows that Donald Glover, when working with an actual budget, is capable of making really stylish television.
So it's safe to say that we're excited for what will come from the new TV series adaptation of Mr & Mrs Smith, based on the swish 2004 blockbuster of the same name that united Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (and, er, divided Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.) Glover is a co-creator and series lead alongside Maya Erskine, but there's also some pretty massive cameos from the likes of Paul Dano, Michaela Coel and John Turturro.
Images released thus far show Glover in some chic - if slightly bloodied - white turtlenecks and Erskine dragging a body into a bath while wearing a crimson ballgown. We're set to be obsessed.
Capote Vs. The Swans
Capote Vs. The Swans, previously known as Capote's Women, is the second series in Ryan Murphy's "Feud" anthology, following his 2017 iteration exploring the bitter divide between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Murphy has secured quite the financial backing as a result of his ultra-successful previous works, which include American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Dahmer.
Off the back of a $300m deal with Netflix, Murphy is bringing the budget - and the cast is bringing the glamour. Demi Moore, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Molly Ringwald and Calista Flockhart are all set to star, with Tom Hollander playing the man himself.
The story focuses on Capote's friendships with numerous glamorous socialites, whom he referred to as his “swans.” Said socialites included Lee Radziwill, the younger sister of Jackie Kennedy, and Barbara “Babe” Paley, who was married to the founder of CBS. Like Palm Royale, the style will be 60s, with a dash of early 70s - the hair is coiffed and the Park Avenue outfits lavish.
