Eric Daman, costume designer for the Gossip Girl reboot, revealed that he used the platform to give minority communities a voice, as the show features gender-neutral outfits.
When it was revealed that the Gossip Girl reboot would not be bringing back the iconic cast of the nosy Upper East Side students, fans prepared to be disappointed in the reboot.
However, the reboot not only managed to amaze the fans, but it also features gender-neutral outfits.
Costume designer, Eric Daman revealed on Thursday, 8 July 2021, that he used the platform to give a voice to minority communities.
CW previously ran a television adaption of the books, which aired for six seasons between 2007 and 2012. The storyline is originally based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s novels of the same name.
The show was set in the Upper East Side of New York, and followed an omniscient blogger that writes about the secrets of a group of teenagers.
A lot has changed since the first class of Gossip Girl graduated. Gossip now spreads on TikTok and Facebook, and even though it is still narrated by the same narrator, Kristin Bell, there is a significant twist this time around.
According to Variety, there are a lot of visual Easter eggs hidden throughout the show’s costumes. Daman revealed that he wanted to create a more gender-neutral look for the uniforms.
He described that while the costumes are fitting to the characters, he wanted to push boundaries for what is considered “gendered clothing.”
Daman stated that he fell into an Instagram rabbit hole, while preparing for the show. Stars such as Sofia Richie, Adut Akech and Kendall Jenner inspired some of the outfits he designed for the characters.
Some believe that the use of gender-neutral uniforms for the new group of New York teens are fitting, while others wonder why the color of uniforms matter.
Viewers need to consider the definition of gender-neutral, which is “something that is not associated with either men or women.”
This fits in the age we live in today, where people can be part of the LGBTQI+ community. People can also choose if they fall into a binary or non-binary form of identification.
This representation is truly meaningful for those who wish to dismantle heteronormative beliefs.