We look at how the award-winning TV show won over fashion’s most powerful houses.
“Fashion is about fantasy,” said former Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz, and when it comes to fantastical inspiration it doesn’t get much better than Game of Thrones.
Since the series based on George R. R. Martin’s epic novels first graced the small screen eight years ago, it has gained a frenzy of fandom – Entertainment Weekly estimates there will be 20 million live viewers around the world tuning in to the first episode of season eight.
As always, FQ is interested in the sartorial spin, so we take a look at how this pop culture phenomenon has made its way into our wardrobes.
Elie Saab’s leading ladies
The inspiration behind Elie Saab’s Spring/Summer 2018 showcase was said to be medieval. But its golden headband accessories and desert-coloured dresses seemed to hark back to a young Daenerys, while the regal gold stitching and black suits were the perfect creative counterpart (Cersei, House of Lannister, of course).
With Game of Thrones’ record big budgets (reportedly US$10 million per episode and US$100 million for each season), a haute couture garment is not off the cards for the power players. While it’s true every costume is custom-made for each character—even the extras—they are hand-aged by a crew dedicated to beating and soaking the garments to ensure they look lived in. We can’t say the same for Elie Saab.
At Gucci, the night is dark and full of terrors
It was a striking moment when a model stepped out on the Gucci fall/winter 2018/19 runway holding a replica sleeping baby dragon. When GOT fandom was at fever pitch, many were quick to see a link between this mythical creature and the Mother of Dragons.
Creative director Alessandro Michele is known to cut and paste together a string of eclectic references for his widely creative shows. A head-to-toe red velvet look seemed to be calling Red Priestess Melisandre, however, it would be too on-the-nose to suggest other models carrying clone severed heads would be inspired by Ned Stark.
Watch the Game of Thrones actors during their first audition:
Adidas sneaker geeks
Adidas is a bit more direct with their Game of Thrones aspirations, partnering with the HBO series to release six Ultra Boost sneakers this March to jump on some of the hype. Pictured here are the House Targaryen and House Stark shoe.
Urban Decay for the throne
Modern makeup brand Urban Decay has teamed up with Game of Thrones a number of times to create a whimsical palette. They’ve gone all out for the final season with a range of products inspired by its favourite places in Westeros and the strong women of the Seven Kingdoms. It’s a limited edition promotion available globally this month.
Valentino’s power cape
In 2015, a sleek white cape dress became fashion shorthand for power dressing. While the look was first noted on Gwyneth Paltrow, wearing a Tom Ford number to the Academy Awards in 2012, it’s had many iterations since. Solange chose a Kenzo take for her wedding dress in 2014 and Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga all chose the Valentino version to wear to events around 2015. The same year, Daenerys Targaryen wore her striking white cape dress in season five. To know who was inspired first is a case of the dragon or the egg…
Game of Thrones airs Mondays on SoHo at 1pm, encore at 8.30pm and later in the evening on Neon.
