On 'Grace and Frankie,' Style Is Ageless

Costume designer Allyson Fanger on ushering in a new way of thinking about how older women can — or should — dress on screen.

By
Mekita Rivas

Jan 26, 2018

Netflix

I’m a little ashamed to admit that I only recently discovered "Grace and Frankie." The Netflix comedy, which debuted in 2015, follows the antics of enemies who become roommates after their husbands reveal that they’ve fallen in love with each other. But I didn’t tune in until after this holiday season when I needed a pick-me-up — something light, easily digestible, and funny as hell.

Stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are extraordinary and hilarious as women dealing with what it's like to start over in life’s third act. Their performances (and the performances of their ex-husbands, played by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) are supplemented by a lush (and wealthy) Southern California world that evokes a Nancy Meyers romcom. Their life is beautifully curated with high-design kitchens and private, in-home art studios to die for. The clothes they wear are both flawlessly chosen not only to have Fonda and Tomlin looking their best, but to provide consistent insights and hints as to who these characters are as women.

Grace is classic, polished, and errs on the conservative side. Frankie, meanwhile, is more wild and free, with an eclectic wardrobe full of vintage finds and hand-painted gems. The costume design shines through as one of the best aspects of "Grace and Frankie," and intentionally or not, the show has ushered in a new way of thinking about how older women can — or should — dress on screen. With season four now streaming, we caught up with "Grace and Frankie"'s Emmy-nominated costume designer Allyson Fanger to chat about her go-to brands, fan favorites, and how dressing women of a certain age has evolved over time.

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda as Frankie and Grace.

Netflix

Shondaland: Why did you want to work on "Grace and Frankie?"

Allyson Fanger: I’ve known [co-creator and executive producer] Marta Kauffman for years. When she started talking about the show, I was immediately interested. As I saw these characters being written and spoken about, I got really excited about making them unique and powerful and older, which felt like a big opportunity. I’ve never seen that done on television.

SL: Did you face any challenges going into the show from a design or styling standpoint?

I got really excited about making these women unique and powerful and older.

AF: Yeah, I mean they’re icons — I was intimidated. Like oh my God, it’s Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin! I had never met them, and it can be intimidating to work with people like that. But by the end of the second fitting in the first episode, it was all good. Lily was a little nervous because [Frankie’s] look is not her look at all. But the first season came out and we received all this positive feedback. After that my job [became] extremely easy.

SL: Fonda and Tomlin have fairly distinct personal styles. How have they influenced your designs and choices?

AF: They come from the old school. They respect the art that goes into doing my work. They completely see from the character’s perspective. They give it up to the character, to the art, and to the overall conception of the writer and of [myself]. I definitely collaborate with them because I want them to feel right within the look for the scene. We go through and talk about every scene, what they’re feeling, and what they did the day before or that morning that plays into their character. So we collaborate on that level.

SL: What are some of your go-to brands and designers?

AF: For Grace, I often use St. John Knits, Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera, Brooks Brothers, and Margaret O'Leary for the best beach cashmere. She’s just got all this fantastic cashmere. Her stuff is gorgeous. I love it — so classy. And for Frankie, I’m all over the place. I do a lot of vintage for Frankie. I go to a vintage popup thing here in Los Angeles where every vendor comes from all over the nation. I do a big shop there for her. Her designers are Harari for fancy looks, Alembika, and Bryn Walker. A lot of her jewelry is handmade by Adina Mills.

SL: Do you design any custom pieces for Grace or Frankie?

I feel like people grow more confident in their individuality with age.

AF: In the spirit of individuality and style, I began making printed shirts for Grace at the end of season one that have become increasingly popular with fans, so I’ve continued to make more each season. In the billboards that are up, Grace is wearing a lemon shirt. I sourced that fabric from a woman who’s actually a painter who also prints on fabric. She contacted me on Instagram, and now I’m collaborating with her in the coming season for more of her prints. I love that stuff. That’s the way to find the unexpected, right? I also make special, one-of-a-kind pieces for Frankie whenever the occasion arrives. Another detail of her creative expression that we added way back in season one are her clogs that "she painted herself" while in her studio. The items I’ve specially made for the show have been enormously popular with fans. I often get inquiries on where to find these pieces and how to "get the look," and these inquiries come from woman of all ages.

SL: Speaking of age, how do you think dressing older women on television changed throughout time? Did you look to other places in pop culture history for inspiration, or were you trying to create a new legacy with Grace and Frankie?

AF: Option B: Create a new legacy, absolutely. I didn’t look toward other television references. Honestly, I just wanted a strong, new opinion, which was what I was seeing in the real world with people like Iris Apfel and Linda Rodin. I feel like people grow more confident in their individuality with age. I think there was a time when older women just kind of started to not care as much or not put forth the effort. That’s the "typical" older woman: granny in the rocking chair wearing your sweater and your housecoat and whatever, right? That doesn't happen anymore. Women are still so vibrant well into their later years. Look at Jane and Lily. No one’s retiring to the rocking chair anymore ... and people are living longer and living big lives. I just wanted to reflect that, and that was part of the script. They don’t live "older," so I don’t think they dress older. They dress great, you know? They dress great for any age. You could put those outfits on a woman in her 20s or 30s. It crosses over and defies the age barriers.

SL: So your aim is to create a legacy with the show — what does that look like to you?

AF: Grace and Frankie’s age only adds to how special they are. It doesn’t cause them to be set aside or marginalized as older women or as supporting characters of a younger cast. At no point do either of them give up their unique style to adhere to "older lady" clothing. For them, that would be giving up their identities to fade into obscurity, to become ordinary, regular, predictable, or — at the very worst — completely thoughtless when it comes to personal expression through wardrobe choices. The opposite of empowered is to sit back and fall into a herd of peach-colored cable knit cardigans. My ladies are nowhere near that universe.

SL: How does Grace and Frankie fit into the larger canon of female-led shows on television?

AF: When I began to formulate my vision for the characters of Grace and Frankie, what stood out to me — and what I drew from as inspiration for their personal expression through costume — was the very essence of their characters and their pasts up until the point when we first meet them. I wanted to help to illustrate their journey — from the devastation they feel in the first episode to the empowered, brave, and bold warriors that they become throughout the series. Grace and Frankie are the seminal characters, and they have a very hilarious and heartwarming story to tell in every episode. It all revolves around them. I honestly can't remember a show with such strong female central characters over 50. It's a sign of the times, I believe.

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