When the Gossip Girl reboot premiered earlier this summer no one knew exactly what to expect, but one thing was for certain: Viewers couldn’t wait for the fashion. 11 years prior, the original series gave audiences a sneak peek into “the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite” and their closets, thanks to Eric Daman, the show’s costume designer.
While the HBO Max reboot of the drama spotlights a much more diverse, socially conscious, gender fluid, and truer representation of New York’s youth than its predecessor, it continues to use costuming to drive the conversation.
“[Gossip Girl] has given a platform for marginalized groups in society. For me, it has definitely shined a huge light on the LGBTQ community, Black Lives Matter, gender identities, and sexual preferences. It has broadened that conversation and exposed the preconceived notions of what someone should be,” Thomas Doherty, who plays Max Wolf on the HBO Max show, told Vanity Fair.
As Max, the show’s resident hedonistic heartthrob, Doherty is often clad in pieces from Thom Browne, Bode, and Paco Rabanne—all designers who have challenged the traditional definition of masculinity in their collections, a concept that has inspired the actor off-screen.
“During quarantine I had a lot more time to play around—with clothes, different colors, and painting my nails. It felt incredibly liberating. It makes you question your preconceived notion of who you are and what you actually like—not what you have been conditioned to like,” said Doherty.
As for what he’s wearing when the cameras aren’t rolling? “Right now [I’m] into the pearls, ’50s fitted shirts, and high-waisted trousers with a boots—socks are also a game changer. The Thom Browne vibe is definitely something I love, it is the epitome of what I like to wear,” Doherty said.
For the launch of their pre-fall collection styled by Donte McGuine, which includes a range of suiting, skirts, and overcoats, Doherty has partnered with Thom Browne to continue to redefine the masculine image.
