Even though “I Love LA” is set in 2025, costume designer Christina Flannery made sure the show was full of Y2K fashion moments, from runways to pop culture touchstones. “I wanted to carve out a space where every single character had their own autonomy but still, in a way, could be slightly cohesive,” Flannery told WWD in a recent interview. The Costume Designer Guild Awards nominee chatted with WWD about crafting the wardrobe for the series, references for the show and, of course, that Balenciaga bag.
“I’d come off of [‘The Righteous] Gemstones’ so I was very, like, more is more is more is more,” Flannery said. Following the extravagance and theatricality of “Gemstones,” the costume designer dove deep into the early 2000s for “I Love LA,” the Rachel Sennott-created HBO series about a friend group of 20-somethings navigating careers, relationships and chronically online culture in Los Angeles.
Rachel Sennott in ‘I Love LA.’
Kenny Laubbacher/HBO
Sennott writes, directs and stars in the series as Maia, a young executive hellbent on success. “She’s working in a place with a millennial culture — that girlboss, Sophia Amoruso kind of vibe,” Flannery said of the character, turning to late ’90s and early 2000s styles from Betsey Johnson, Prada and Miu Miu for Maia’s wardrobe.
“I felt like the ‘90s was the last time when fashion was distinct and carved out,” Flannery said. “It feels like going into the 2000s we kind of just started doing whatever and mixing and matching. I felt like putting Maia into that ‘90s Claire Danes, Reese Witherspoon, ‘Cruel Intentions’ — that vibe was kind of the go-to for her.”
Tallulah, played by Odessa A’zion, is Maia’s foil, bringing a New York City “It girl” quality to the ensemble cast. “Tallulah, to me, and Odessa, feels almost like one of those people who skip and fell into being a social media personality but not something that was an intentional choice,” the costume designer said, citing a more “anarchist” approach for the character’s wardrobe — especially the Balenciaga bag she totes around.
Odessa A’zion in ‘I Love LA.’
Kenny Laubbacher/HBO
In the first few episodes of the series, Tallulah’s Balenciaga bag is a narrative prop. Stolen from another influencer, the accessory carries a storyline and acts as an extension of A’zion’s rebellious character. Thanks to Sennott’s role as a close friend of the Spanish luxury fashion house, Balenciaga “was so helpful on the show” and for Flannery.
“It is hard just being a costume designer and not being a stylist where you can have [more] access,” Flannery said. “We’re asking you, ‘Hey, we’re going to pull this and can we have it for, like, three months, please God let us.’ Then you also have to hope that it comes out and it’s still relevant.”
With a series like “I Love LA,” Flannery is working on the costuming months — “sometimes a year” — before the season debuts. “It is very scary to hope that you don’t put something out that will put a time stamp on it,” Flannery said. “That’s the goal with leaning more into the archive or vintage things like that.”
(L-R) True Whitaker, Jordan Firstman and Odessa A’zion in ‘I Love LA.’
Kenny Laubbacher/HBO
With the time she’s given, though, Flannery crafts a visual aid to the internal journeys characters like Maia and Tallulah navigate during the first season. “The biggest evolution you see for them is kind of going into episode seven,” Flannery said, spotlighting the characters’ visual black swan/ white swan dynamic. “It’s such a really stark difference.”
By the season finale, Flannery’s “Sex and the City” inspiration comes to the fore, featuring a black Yves Saint Laurent number, worn by Sennott, and even a costume swap where Maia wears one of Tallulah’s dresses.
“When you are at that age, you just blow everything up around you and then this new thing emerges,” Flannery said. “That’s kind of where I felt we were going with the wardrobe.”
Rachel Sennott, left, and Odessa A’zion in ‘I Love LA.’
Contemporary costume design can carry the misconceived assumption that wardrobe choices come easily or don’t require much planning. But for Flannery, working in the modern era means the costumes could “stretch out to all corners and dip into every kind of pool. I think that’s something people tend to forget when they think about costuming, that they think it’s just a T-shirt and jeans. It can literally be anything that you want it to be. Any concept,” Flannery said.
Admittedly, Flannery “would be gagged to put an 1800s corset with a pair of Joe’s Jeans from 2010. That’s what’s so fun about contemporary,” the costume designer said, adding, “we can do anything with it.”
