Who Has the Best Dynasty Wardrobe? Get the Scoop on the Show's Over-the-Top Fashion

Costume designer Meredith Markworth-Pollack and the cast of the CW series sound off on their favorite looks

By Lauren Piester Nov 01, 2017 3:00 PMTags
Watch: "Dynasty" Cast Spill on the Show's Fashion

If you're looking for fashion on TV, look no further than the CW's Dynasty.

Based on the high-fashion 80s soap of the same name and featuring a family with oodles of money, it's a whole new world of couture for women and men, with suits most could only dream of and breakfast attire that only the most money can buy. 

We visited the set of the new series and even took a little tour of the costume department, courtesy of costume designer Meredith Markworth-Pollack, to find out exactly how to dress like a Carrington, and which character might have hit the wardrobe jackpot. 

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The Importance of Fashion

You can't underestimate the importance of looking good, especially when you're constantly fighting for power in a billion dollar business. So style on Dynasty is just as important as anything else. 

"These are people for whom style is an expression of their place in the world," explains James Mackay, who plays son Stephen Carrington. "So even kind of a casual outfit has that little bit of Dynasty flair."

"I'm Not Afraid of a Shoulder Pad"

While there's a lot of Dynasty fashion that's being left in the '80s, Markworth-Pollack isn't scared to go big. 

"We have this connotation of shoulderpads from the 80s because they were like the size of our head," she says. "It's a little more refined [now]. It's a little more structured, and I love a good shoulder pad. But I think from the original, I wanted to pay my respects to it and acknowledge in the way that I can. We're planting little easter eggs, but we're not trying to recreate it in any way."

Something Old, Something New

While the costume department does have a sizable budget, not everything can be brand new designer duds. Markworth-Pollack uses a good mix of new and vintage or consignment store finds in her costumes. 

"If I have the opportunity, I'll do vintage or consignment over like, I mean, not over some high end designer piece, but over like fast fashion," she says. "Even for secondary characters, I'll just shop ‘em at the consignment stores because I try and be a little bit sustainable in that sense. And you're just finding those pieces that are so much more intriguing and so special." 

Pantsuits Galore

In a few cases, new Dynasty didn't have to stray far to pay tribute to old Dynasty.

"One thing I love that Nolan Miller did, who was the costume designer, was his use of separates for the women, especially on Krystle. There were so many great nude and cream silk blouse pantsets," Markworth-Pollack said, explaining that when she was first looking at paying homage to the original show, she worried about what she easily find, especially when it came to pantsuits. "I was surprised, like it happened to be out there in the stores. Oh lucky me, it's actually a trend right now, same with women's suiting, which I love. It should be fun, and I think that Nolan really captured the flamboyantnes of it, the glamour of it, and I want to make sure we capture that, but in our own 2017 way."

Here Comes the Bride

Cristal's Brandon Maxwell wedding pantsuit caught Markworth-Pollack's eye because of one particular feature: the shoulder pads. 

"A jumpsuit with a shoulderpad? This is genius! For me too, that was a nice moment where like, you can be femme, and you know, she was going to wear a dress and then her plan changed. But you can be femme and rock a pantsuit or a jumpsuit like at your wedding. I know she's not the first person to do that, but I think set against this kind of older money conservative wealth of like Blake Carrington's world, it was like, oh, she's just coming out and being herself." 

Dressing Up for Breakfast

Gillies says that when she donned this look, which included a caftan, a turban, and feather heels, just to eat breakfast, she thought "This is Dynasty. Now we're here." 

Markworth-Pollack says loungewear is a "big thing" for the show. 

"When you have tons of money, you don't have to like, leave your house at 8 a.m. every day. You're gonna have a moment in your loungewear, so we gave her that [caftan] and that turban, and she was teasing me. She was like, 'You should have seen it. I was like, for no reason, just like lifting my arm.' The director was like, 'what are you doing?' And she's like, 'Well I'm showing this off.'" 

Going 80s...

That 80s party in episode three was a particularly fun one, because it allowed the show to pay even more obvious tribute to its source material, and gave Markworth-Pollack the chance to do some creating of her own, like with Fallon's look. 

 

...With a Modern Twist

No one had to go back in time to find Cristal's dress, a sparkly Juan Carlos Obando number. 

"It's contemporary but it has an 80s feel," Markworth-Pollack said. "I love all things 80s, but I'm glad we're not doing an 80s show though. I'm glad it's contemporary and I can do little nods to it, because it feels a little more fresh. 

Sometimes Subtle

The Carrington patriarch may have more money than he knows what to do with, but it's not always obvious just looking at him. 

"He can be a little more subtle at times, a little more showing his wealth in moments," Markworth-Pollack says. "I love him in a good banker's shirt and a pinstriped suit. I love that look." 

Cristal vs. Fallon

Cristal and Fallon's clothes match their business rivalry, with Cristal in a soft palette with a lot of pinks and blushes and neutrals and Fallon wearing lots of colors and sharper, bolder pieces. 

Both Nathalie Kelley and Liz Gillies say their personal style aligns more with Cristal, but you can't knock some of the incredible clothes Fallon gets to wear. 

The Best Wardrobe of All

Adegoke claims to have the best wardrobe on the show as Jeff Colby, and Markworth-Pollack doesn't disagree. 

"I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but he does," she says. "He's also like, a tech billionaire on the show, so he has to like, be…he has it. He's pretty much head to toe Gucci almost all the time. We stray every now and then and then we come back to Gucci. It's great. And there's a lot of men. It's a badass feminist show in a lot of ways, but also, we're not ignoring the men. The men are definitely a big part of it. They each have their own style, and we have fun. They're very bold and very different from one another.

Not So Fast?

"I would say Sam is a close second," Gillies says, but she claims the numbers on her looks are just a little too impressive to ignore. Remember that time earlier in this gallery when she wore a caftan and a turban to breakfast? It's hard to compete with that! 

For those wanting to actually emulate the fashion of Dynasty, Markworth-Pollack says that's something that's "very important" to her. 

"Even at the budget I have, I was complaining that I don't have money, but compared to what most people have, I have so much money to spend on the show," she says. "But I'm such a fan of vintage, thrift, consignment. Like, OK, you can't spend 3Gs on a Gucci dress or suit, got to the thrift store. Don't be afraid of used clothing. I think that there's a lot of looks you'll be able to recreate on your own." 

Be sure to watch the video above for more! 

Dynasty airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on the CW. 

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