Category: 5. Entertainment

Two years after Stranger Things transformed the Australian actor Dacre Montgomery into an overnight heart-throb at 22, he retreated home to Perth. From there he said no to every role that came his way for four years, bar a season-four cameo and a small part in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.

“I lost my anonymity overnight and it scared the shit out of me,” Montgomery, now 30, says. He speaks fast and taps the table in time with those last words, a brimmed cap sitting low over his face. “That was a big driving force for stepping back.”

We’re in a Sydney bar on a quiet Wednesday in the lead-up to the release of Went Up the Hill – an icy possession drama set in New Zealand’s Southern Alps by the Australian writer-director Samuel van Grinsven. It stars Montgomery alongside Phantom Thread’s Vicky Krieps as a pair of strangers whose relationship grows increasingly antic as they mourn a mutual relative.

It’s the first of a series of anticipated films starring Montgomery, including a remake of the 70s mondo horror Faces of Death, alongside Barbie Ferreira and Charli xcx, as well as Gus van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire, a true-crime thriller about the 1977 kidnapping of a mortgage broker that premiered at Venice to glowing reviews. It’s a sharp reversal from a few years ago, when his frustrated Hollywood agent dropped him.

“I needed to stop and recalibrate,” he says. “I also [knew] that I wanted more and I had more to give.”

Montgomery’s ascent didn’t allow for contemplation. He landed his first major role – leading 2017’s unsuccessful Power Rangers film reboot – before he finished his acting degree at the prestigious Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts.

Though a four-film deal disappeared after Power Rangers’ meagre box office take, it didn’t matter. Months later hundreds of millions of Netflix subscribers tuned into Stranger Things’ second season starring Montgomery as Billy Hargrove, Hawkins’ mulleted bad boy lifeguard and eventual literal demon.

Brooding, handsome and evil, Montgomery’s live-wire performance captured a passionate fanbase – the type that meant he could get a quarter of a million likes on a low-res Instagram post of a blue-black gradient shared to more than 7 million followers. The attention was overwhelming but Montgomery also questioned where his career was heading.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love commercial films,” he says. “But I grew up watching auteur films. I wanted characters that challenged me to the greatest extent.”

In the wake of Stranger Things, those characters didn’t come. “So I waited. And waited. And waited.”

With commercial and endorsement work steady, Montgomery experimented. He released a beat-inspired poetry podcast and book, both titled DKMH (after his full name, Dacre Kaye Montgomery-Harvey), and directed a handful of high-concept short films, ranging from sci-fi to viscerally violent works about motherhood.

But he credits his return to Went Up the Hill, in which he plays Jack, a young queer man who arrives in New Zealand to attend the funeral of his estranged abusive mother, Elizabeth, and meets her wife, Jill (Krieps), for the first time. They cloister themselves in Elizabeth’s house as her spirit possesses each of their bodies. The presence is welcome but menacing, as Jack and Jill try to understand her abuse without falling victim to it again.

Montgomery was instantly drawn to the acting challenge of a “three-hander told by two people”, as well as the script’s exploration of inherited trauma.

“My mum had really bad postnatal depression when I was born,” he says. “I think a lot of my anxieties come from that. So it feels a part of me, in a weird way.

“And then, in some ways, my anxiety is the fire that fuels my ambition or my work ethic. It’s part of me, her trauma.”

Van Grinsven says Montgomery was cast because of his “dangerous” onscreen presence. It’s the same intensity he exudes his viral Stranger Things audition, in which he dances shirtless to Come on Eileen between scenes, though comments focus more on his intense stare – also the subject of many TikTok videos.

“He feels like he could explode at any moment,” Van Grinsven says. “And coupled with how beautifully raw and sensitive he is as a real person, that together felt really interesting to me in a film [about] the abused welcoming an abuser into their body.”

Shot on location at Flock Hill Lodge, a five-star resort overlooking Lake Pearson that hadn’t yet opened, the cast and crew were incredibly isolated – and cold. Pulling from New Zealand’s rich cinema of unease, the mountainous landscape is as haunted as the lodge, a gorgeous outpost of concrete, glass and wood creaking in the wind.

“I liken it to The Shining, right?” Montgomery says. “I would have nightmares all night, so I didn’t sleep the whole production … We were all going crazy.”

Montgomery struggled to shake the film until its premiere last September at Toronto international film festival. “I just bawled my eyes out the whole film, because there’s so much of me and Vicky in there. I felt like I shed it that night. I was like, ‘I’m done. I never have to watch the film again.’”

From there, the floodgates opened. In addition to his upcoming acting credits, Montgomery is also aiming to shoot his directorial feature debut The Engagement Party this year in Western Australia.

Penned by Went Up the Hill’s co-writer Jory Anast, it’s a relationship drama about two couples on a remote holiday who are forced to examine a murky shared memory. “I’m brimming with ideas, and a lot of the heads of department we have on board are like, ‘Woah, you’re intense. You’re a lot,” he says, laughing. “I’m like, ‘What are you gonna do?’”

Stuart Craig, a UK production designer and art director who won Oscars for his work on The English Patient, Dangerous Liaisons and Gandhi, died September 7. He was 83.

Craig’s passing was confirmed via the British Film Designers Guild, which posted a message from BFDG member Neil Lamont on Facebook.

“It is with great sadness that I report that my friend and mentor, Production Designer Stuart Craig, passed away last night, 7th September 2025 aged 83, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease,” wrote Lamont. “Stuart was the UK’s and, most probably, cinemas most-revered film designer … a true giant!”

Craig’s early credits include The Elephant Man, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Cry Freedom, Chaplin and The Secret Garden. He won his first Oscar in 1983 for Gandhi, and his second in 1989 for Dangerous Liaisons.

In 1997, he won his third Oscar for The English Patient, where he met Lamont.

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“Stuart and I first worked together on The English Patient, flying to Tunis to join him was one of the most important days of my career,” he wrote. “Straight out of the airport, on a recce of a local derelict, ruined building, 40 degrees, nervous, and I probably did one of the poorest surveys ever on a location. It turned out that we, subsequently, found better places. The experiences I had on this film, not only allowed me to see Stuart’s talent, his beautiful sketches, pencil drawings and vision, but also the way which he conducted himself in all walks of life, in the studio, the car, restaurants. A true gentleman, with grace, kindness and humility.”

Craig would go on to serve as production designer on all of the Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts trilogy.

“I bet that anyone you ask, ‘which designer would you like to work with the most,’ the answer 100% would be Stuart Craig,” wrote Lamont. “Anyone who met him will remember their encounter forever.”

Stuart Craig, a U.K. production designer and art director who won Oscars for his work on The English Patient, Dangerous Liaisons and Gandhi, died Sept. 7. He was 83.

Craig’s passing was confirmed via the British Film Designers Guild, which posted a message from BFDG member Neil Lamont on Facebook.

“It is with great sadness that I report that my friend and mentor, Production Designer Stuart Craig, passed away last night, 7th September 2025 aged 83, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease,” wrote Lamont. “Stuart was the UK’s and, most probably, cinemas most-revered film designer … a true giant!”

Craig’s early credits include The Elephant Man, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Cry Freedom, Chaplin and The Secret Garden. He won his first Oscar in 1983 for Gandhi, and his second in 1989 for Dangerous Liaisons.

In 1997, he won his third Oscar for The English Patient, where he met Lamont.

“Stuart and I first worked together on The English Patient, flying to Tunis to join him was one of the most important days of my career,” he wrote. “Straight out of the airport, on a recce of a local derelict, ruined building, 40 degrees, nervous, and I probably did one of the poorest surveys ever on a location. It turned out that we, subsequently, found better places. The experiences I had on this film, not only allowed me to see Stuarts talent, his beautiful sketches, pencil drawings and vision, but also the way which he conducted himself in all walks of life, in the studio, the car, restaurants. A true gentleman, with grace, kindness and humility.”

Craig would go on to serve as production designer on all of the Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts trilogy.

“I bet that anyone you ask, ‘which designer would you like to work with the most,’ the answer 100% would be Stuart Craig,” wrote Lamont. “Anyone who met him will remember their encounter forever.”

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Award-winning talent meets award-winning appliances in De-Longhi’s cinematic new campaign with Brad Pitt at the forefront.

At the campaign’s center is a short film directed by Academy Award-winner Taika Waititi, with Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio serving as its comedic narrator. The minute-long video sees the F1 star’s morning routine, relaxed and effortless thanks to De’Longhi’s one-touch, fully automatic espresso machines, namely, the Rivelia and the Eletta Explore.

After its Venice Film Festival premiere, the global ad campaign titled “The Perfetto Instruction for Use,” was released across De-Longhi’s social platforms on Sept. 8. “Taika brought the humor, De’Longhi brought the ritual. Together, that was perfetto,” said Pitt, who had his debut campaign with the brand in 2021.

Cut to 2025, the New Zealand-set video and accompanying imagery focus on two of De’Longhi’s fully automatic, one-touch espresso machines. First up, the newly launched, exceptionally compact Rivelia Espresso Machine is equipped with Bean Switch technology, allowing users to explore different coffee varieties in seconds. Its 18+ preset recipes include lattes, cappuccinos, coffee, flat whites, iced coffee, espresso and so on. The machine retails for $1,499.95 and comes in four finishes: black, gray, beige and white. The latter two colors are online exclusives.

For even more beverage possibilities, the best-selling Eletta Explore Espresso Machine, offers over 50 one-touch recipes. It even made an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things 2024 List: “I know, this one’s a splurge,” she wrote, “but it grinds coffee beans, makes lattes, cappuccinos, espressos, cold brews, and more than 50 other recipes. And for certain caffeine-aholics, the math might mean it pays for itself within a year.”

The Eletta Explore is also the only fully automatic espresso machine with both hot and cold foam technology. It retails for $1,999.95 and comes in one colorway: silver.

Related: SharkNinja Unveils F1 Movie-Inspired Versions of Its Best-Selling Cleaning, Hair and Kitchen Tech

See De-Longhi’s full lineup of Brad Pitt-endorsed automatic espresso machines, manual espresso machines, drip coffee makers and more at delonghi.com, and catch the campaign video now on YouTube and Instagram.

The great Albert Brooks film Defending Your Life, from 1991, imagines a bureaucratic heaven that prepares the recently departed for their next phase of existence. The movie is a wry look at the petty foibles of life, the fears and neuroses that can impede a person’s path to fulfillment and enlightenment. There’s a romance involved, but the film is more about the individual. 

The new film Eternity puts the romance right at the center. Directed by Dating Amber helmer David Freyne from a Black List script by Pat Cunnane, Eternity sets two marriages at odds with one another in the afterlife. Larry (Miles Teller) has just died (as an old man) and arrives at a train depot-esque limbo, where he is told he will have to choose what kind of forever he’d like for himself. Will it be an unending day at the beach? A million lifetimes spent as a libertine in Queer World? (Sounds interesting!) Maybe a trip to the political eden of Marxist World — though we’re told that one’s all booked up. 

While he’s deciding, his wife Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) also dies and the two are reunited in this busy waystation between mortality and immortality. It’s a happy occasion but for one major flaw: Also waiting for Joan is her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), a dashing war pilot who was killed in Korea only two years into their marriage. He’s been holding out for Joan all the while, biding his time as a bartender at Elysium’s version of Grand Central. Which throws a serious wrench into Larry’s plan to mostly just continue on as normal with his wife of 65 years. 

The premise is so cute it’s surprising a movie hasn’t done it already. Eternity mines its compelling conceit for both peppery comedy and bleary sentiment. It is asking a rather complex question, too, one that many couples looking back at their life together may not want to confront: Is this the best it could have been, or was it just good enough? There is Joan’s first love, this tall drink of youthful passion and excitement, waiting to pick up where they left off. And then there’s trusty, maybe boring old Larry, with whom Joan raised a thriving family. Can decades of quotidian contentment really hold a candle to the mad blush of first love? Joan, and I suppose we in the audience, will have to decide.

Eternity ably keeps the audience guessing which way she’ll go, inviting in a few minor complications to tilt the scales one way or another, but mostly depicting a wholly credible ambivalence. Both are solid options in their own ways, and picking one would no doubt harm the other. The film grows the teensiest bit repetitive as Joan agonizes over her options, but the stakes are high enough and the film’s imagination lively enough that we don’t mind a few delays. It’s also easy to forgive the film’s rather lax sense of rules; while the world-building could be more thorough, we also wouldn’t want Eternity bogged down in too many details.

Olsen plays Joan’s indecision with winsome fluster, at first breathy and trembling but eventually finding her resolve. Many jokes are made about Turner’s matinee-idol looks, and he graciously accepts the attention while successfully working to define Luke as an actual flawed human being (or former human being). Teller plays a good second-fiddle, gradually building the case for Larry’s unassuming appeal. The trio’s nimble performances are given sprightly support by Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early as consultants trying to guide their clients to the best possible hereafter. 

It’s all quite clever and sweet, even as a great current of sadness runs under just about every conversation in the film. Freyne does a lot with a modest budget, finding smart ways to show us fantastical things — memories playing out as if dioramas at the Natural History Museum, a vast expo hall filled with stalls advertising various paradises — on an economical scale. The film’s conclusions may be a tad trad and predictable (are marriage and family really all there is?), but there is also some value in its more abstract lessons — an urging to balance the practical and the irrational in matters of the heart, to approach life with a kind of ever-fluid understanding that all things are relative.

Maybe the most endearing aspect of the film, though, is that it exists at all. Are we truly, finally arriving in the promised land, where standalone, commercial works of wit and invention like this can exist again? The high-concept, broadly appealing movie with no franchise potential has long been an endangered species. And yet Eternity is one of several films that roughly fit that bill to premiere at Toronto this year. One dares to hope that Hollywood, for all its current ills, may finally be turning a corner, reverting back to when new ideas were held at a premium. Or I’ve simply died and this is the humble little great-beyond I’ve chosen for myself. Either way, it’s happy news.

More than half a century has passed since the BBC aired 13 episodes of the story of a somnolent pink-and-white striped cat which cemented Bagpuss’s place in the annals of TV history. Now Bagpuss, “the most important, the most beautiful, the most magical saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world” has been dusted off to star in a new film.

The original show was primarily stop-motion with some paper cutout and conventional animation work, while the big screen reboot will combine live action and animation, with a projected release date of 2027.

Voted the the all-time favourite children’s programme in 1999, the show was made by the Clangers co-creators Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate, and filmed in the former’s barn in Blean, Kent.

Firmin’s daughter, Emily, played a little girl of the same name who runs a shop for lost property which focuses on repair, rather than resale. Each episode featured a new item being brought in and then inspected by Bagpuss and fellow shop residents including Madeleine the rag doll, Gabriel the toad, and a woodpecker called Professor Yaffle based on Bertrand Russell.

The series also featured a huge number of specially written songs, largely derived from folk tunes, and has since proved especially popular with musicians. The 2003 Radiohead single There Three has the subtitle “The Boney King of Nowhere”, which was a song from Bagpuss.

While the series was set in the Victorian era – with a sepia-tinted photograph in the opening credits giving way to colour as the toys come alive – the film will be set in the modern day.

According to Birmingham-based production company Threewise Entertainment, which is developing the film, the story will involve Bagpuss and friends awakening to find themselves in contemporary Britain, where they continue their work mending broken items.

It will be, says the company, a “quest that blends heartfelt storytelling, comedy and music, while staying true to the spirit of the classic series”. The estates of both creators are involved in the reboot, with Emily Firmin saying:

“Bagpuss was an integral part of my childhood. To me he wasn’t just a character on the screen, he was a friend who taught me about kindness, care and imagination.

“To see our most magical cat return now is incredibly moving and I’m thrilled that new fans will have the chance to discover him, and that his magic will live on and be shared with the next generation.”

In 2009, Daniel Postgate, Oliver’s son and a Bafta-winning writer in his own right, blocked a proposed CGI TV return for the cat, saying he did not want a “lightweight” remake and adding that he felt CGI had “a slightly lurid quality, even at the best of times”.

Threewise said that the film was developed with and approved by Daniel Postgate before his death in June.

Other classics of British children’s TV to have made the leap to the big screen include Postman Pat, Wallace & Gromit, Fireman Sam and Thomas the Tank Engine.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – JULY 11: Bad Bunny performs onstage during Night One of Bad Bunny: “No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui” Residencia En El Choli at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on July 11, 2025 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Sometimes, there is no place like home.

When Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio—better known to the world as Bad Bunny—announced his San Juan residency “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” (“I Don’t Want to Leave Here”), fans instantly knew it would be more than just a string of 30 concerts; it would be a cultural event.

What they didn’t know? The residency would also be an economic windfall for Puerto Rico, attracting tourists from around the world and injecting nearly $200 million into the island’s economy during a time of year when it typically struggles to attract visitors.

While concerts have become a proven driver of tourism, as demonstrated recently by Taylor Swift’s Era Tour and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. But Bad Bunny’s residency was unique in its setting.

Instead of a global circuit, he asked fans to come to him.

A man photographs a woman in front of a Puerto Rican flag mural in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 13, 2025. The day before Bad Bunny kicked off his blockbuster residency that’s expected to bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the island while showcasing its rich culture, he posted a simple message: Shop Local. The ethos is core to his 30-show concert series in San Juan which, after nine performaces exclusive to residents, will open up to fans from elsewhere — what many Boricuas, as Puerto Ricans are known, are hoping will serve as an exercise in responsible tourism. (Photo by Ricardo ARDUENGO / AFP)

AFP via Getty Images

A Residency Rooted in Pride

Bad Bunny has never hidden his love for Puerto Rico. Throughout the lyrics in his music, his interviews, and his activism, he consistently puts his home island at the center of his identity. This year, when he kicked off his thirty-show residency on July 15, it was no different. Spread across multiple nights in San Juan, the shows blended old hits with new tracks from his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Each performance was an unapologetic celebration of Puerto Rican music, culture, and style.

Unlike one-off or two-night stadium shows in which the stars, performers, and crew rush into and out of a city, a residency invites fans to come to the artist. By anchoring himself in San Juan, Bad Bunny gave his supporters from around the world a new and compelling reason to book flights, hotels, and dinners—all while reinforcing his connection to his hometown and showcasing Puerto Rico’s global relevance as a cultural hub.

It is estimated that more than 600,000 visitors—many coming from the mainland United States, Europe, and Latin America— have attended or are expected to attend the San Juan shows, which come to a close on September 14. According to Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s nonprofit tourism board, this influx of fans will have created almost $200 million in direct economic impact. That spending covers everything from the 48,000 hotel stays at a time when bookings are light ahead of hurricane season, restaurant meals and dining, take-home souvenirs, ground and air transportation, and even salsa dancing lessons.

For an island whose economy has long wrestled with the effects and aftershocks of natural disasters, fiscal crises, and inconsistent tourism, this is a very significant boost. One of the most Important details is that the residency was planned during a traditionally slow season for Puerto Rican tourism, meaning the additional revenue filled what would otherwise have been a gap in economic activity.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – JULY 11: Bad Bunny performs onstage during Night One of Bad Bunny: “No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui” Residencia En El Choli at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on July 11, 2025 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

More Than Just Concert Tickets

By leveraging his celebrity to spotlight Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny effectively rebranded the island—not just as a vacation spot, but as a global stage for music and creativity, mirroring what Las Vegas has long since perfected: using star-powered residencies to keep visitors flying in. But in Puerto Rico, the resonance is deeper. Bad Bunny is not an outside star being paid to boost a city’s profile; he is a native son returning home, channeling his success into tangible impact for his community by turning fandom into an economic stimulus, and in doing so, setting a new bar for how artists can invest in their communities.

Puerto Rico’s real win lies in how the residency reimagined what it means to use celebrity power for cultural and economic transformation.

A woman wears a bunny rabbit mask before the start of the first show of Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny’s 30-date concert residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 11, 2025. (Photo by Ricardo ARDUENGO / AFP) (Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Visitors who flew in for the shows often stayed for days, extending their trips into complete vacations. Beaches, museums, nightlife districts, and small businesses all saw surges in traffic. Restaurants in San Juan reported weeks of full bookings. Airbnbs and hotels enjoyed occupancy rates that rivaled peak holiday periods. Even local artisans and street vendors benefited.

As governments and tourism boards worldwide search for ways to stimulate their economies, the lesson from Bad Bunny’s residency is clear: cultural capital is economic capital. When an artist’s brand aligns with a place’s identity, the results can be transformative.

Now that the lights are set to dim, the question remains if word-of-mouth and social media buzz can position the island as a destination of choice for international travelers in the future, showing that Puerto Rico is, and can continue to be, a destination of world-class events with global impact.

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Thanks to costume designer, Alex Bovaird, each season of The White Lotus’s wardrobe has been as buzzy as the show’s storylines. So, it comes with little surprise that she was nominated at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

“It’s a nice icing on the cake to be nominated by your peers,” says the four-time Emmy-nominated costume designer whose credits include Nope from Jordan Peele, Steve McQueen’s Shame and True Detective: Night Country with Jodie Foster.

In addition to outfitting a large ensemble cast and sourcing pieces from labels like Johnny Was, Luna Flo, Tara Matthews and Ciao Lucia, Bovaird collaborated with French fashion label Jacquemus on a handful of custom designs for the series.

When it comes to the show’s sartorial aesthetic, Bovaird says she and The White Lotus’s creator, Mike White, have a shorthand after knowing one another for a decade. “We barely talk these days,” she says. “I just know what he wants. Obviously, we have meetings where I show him some visuals and mood boards, and we go through each character and what he expects and needs. But he is so focused on directing the show when it happens that he appreciates pushing some of the decisions to me. Every day, I show him what’s coming up just so there’s no surprises. He loves to underscore his characters with strong accents in the costume. He’s not afraid to make bold choices, but he’s also not afraid to tell me when he thinks something’s too much. It’s a good balance.”

Bovaird also co-designed a self-described “D.I.Y. punk” t-shirt with her longtime friend, East Village-based artist Scooter LaForge, for the third season. Worn by Aimee Lou Wood’s character, the design was inspired by Bovaird’s memory of attending a “Full Moon” all-night beach party in Thailand years ago.

“When I went to Thailand in the 90s, I went to a Full Moon party,” Bovaird recalls. “It was cool — not commercial at all. It was beautiful and life-changing, and then when we went back to do the show, I was disheartened to see that everything’s gotten huge and commercialized. … [Nowadays], they have these luminous big neon t-shirts that say ‘Full Moon Party,’ and they’re sold everywhere all over the island. I thought, ‘Well, if [The White Lotus characters] go to the Full Moon party, they would buy these t-shirts, but I’m going to make my own.’”

Bovaird and LaForge made five different potential designs, but ultimately the character wore one that read: “bombed out me box.” Of its meaning, Bovaird explains, “When I was there in the 90s, I met somebody, and they were reading Trainspotting, and they kept saying, ‘I’m bombed out me box’ in a Scottish accent. It’s a funny little phrase that doesn’t mean anything to anyone except me, and funnily enough, this person that I met in the 90s saw The White Lotus. He jumped up and down when he saw that t-shirt and was like, ‘It’s got to be the same Alex,’ because we’d traveled for a little bit together. So, that was cute. [I like adding] little personal touches, and I related to Aimee’s character — traveling around and being an expat. It’s a nice synergy.”

The outpouring of support for the design inspired the launch of her and LaForge’s clothing line, Full Moon Time. “I’m in love with the old club days of the 90s and this idea of community without cell phones,” Bovaird says of her t-shirt collection, which retails for $70 and features original digitized artwork at fullmoontime.com. “I’m drawn to subcultures, like in American Honey, [director Andrea Arnold’s film I costume-designed in 2016]. The idea was to make t-shirts to celebrate gathering, communal dancing, certain clubs or party nights. [It’s] the idea of times gone by. We did one for the Glastonbury Festival, and we hope to do more.” She adds, “I just love a graphic t-shirt. You can wear it with a blazer or with a silk skirt. It’s expressive but also sophisticated.”

Earlier this year, Bovaird completed two films, Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime with Robert Pattinson and Savage House with Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy as well as the Matthew Rhys-fronted series Widow’s Bay for Apple TV+. But The White Lotus remains her most challenging project to date. “It looks like a lot of fun to work in another country, and it is, but it’s harder than it needs to be,” she says. “Each White Lotus has been incredibly challenging. I just finished a show for Apple TV+ in Massachusetts, and my crew were like, ‘That was the hardest TV show we’ve ever worked on, and I was like, ‘That’s one-tenth as exhausting as a White Lotus.’”

We asked Bovaird to share details on her favorite looks and brands featured on “The White Lotus” in addition to her personal wardrobe hacks and favorite items for fall.

JOHNNY WAS Katia Floral Print Silk Chiffon Blouse $298

“I love that brand,” Bovaird says of Johnny Was, which was worn by Natasha Rothwell and Jennifer Coolidge’s characters. “There’s certain brands that we have built on through each season. I feel like I keep going back to [that brand] because they seem very White Lotus. They’re joyful and colorful and some of their stuff is a little bit mad. It’s walking the line of eclectic, but well done. I found them [while I was] in Hawaii because they have a shop there. They’re a great go-to for putting in your suitcase for a tropical holiday. You can put something by them on for dinner with some jewelry or you could throw it on to go down to the pool — depending on what your vibe is.”

CLIO PEPPIATT Rio Mini Dress $3,025

“Clio Peppiatt used to work for Alexander McQueen,” Bovaird says. “Then she started her own line. She is brilliant at capturing the eccentricity and the adventure of The White Lotus. She makes these beautiful dresses encrusted in stones. We used one of the dresses on Lucia in season two. It’s Lucia’s dream dress that she sees in the window, and she ends up buying with Dominic’s money. Lucia and Mia both wear dresses by Clio Peppiatt. They’re these magical outfits, and they caused quite a stir at the time. Clio Peppiatt continues to make really cool party dresses. If you’re looking for something to give you extra confidence and sparkle and make a statement, [they’re great]. They feel comfy, too, because they’re made out of a stretch material.”

GUCCI Canvas Bucket Hat $700

“It’s the sort of thing that I feel a celebrity would wear,” Bovaird says. “Or someone that felt like a celebrity. It’s quite bold. Actually, we saw a picture of Madonna wearing it. It’s a ballsy hat. Even though you can hide under it, it’s very, ‘Look at me.’ We like a little flashy. It’s also such a great shape to stay out of the sun. I think logoed accessories are fun, personally. If you’re [in] head-to-toe logos, that’s a little much, but a little accent is playful. It’s a classic but also a little bit baller kind of accessory, and [it is] good for [Michelle Monaghan’s character] Jacqueline, who is a little bit full of herself at times.”

MY BEACHY SIDE Serene Crochet One-Shoulder Cover-Up $390

“There is this group of women artisans in Turkey who make everything by hand,” she says of My Beachy Side. “I like their legacy of sustainability and charity. A vast portion of the show takes place in and around a beach and on an island. I’m always looking for that kind of vibe, and they always deliver. They have these meshy pieces that are a cute way to cover up but still be not covered up. They look like fishing nets. I was drawn to that. Chloe [who is played by Charlotte Le Bon] wears a fishing net [look by the brand], and she’s ‘caught a big fish.’ We like our poetic nods [on the show].”

FULL MOON TIME “Sawadee Kaaaaaa” Shirt $70

“This Full Moon shirt is my favorite,” she says. “Whenever I wear it people stop me on the street and ask me where I got it from. They love it. It’s nice to bring some joy into your morning coffee [run] or wherever you feel like wearing this. I wear mine super oversized. I get an extra large and then put it with a skirt and boots. I’m championing the 90s as usual. It’s Thai for hello but it also means, ‘I recognize the spirit in you,’ and so it’s more of a spiritual greeting. But it’s used every day as a hello. It’s sort of their equivalent of namaste.”

CIAO LUCIA Neroni Dress $395

“This particular collection was tailor made for Sarah Catherine [Hook],” she says. “She has a doll-like quality as Piper, and they were a little bit prissy and have a vintage quality. They look like they’re inspired by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. They’re demure but not too covered up – like pretty little tennis dresses or a two-piece that has a vintage pattern. They were all over my mood board for Piper. And then when Sarah Catherine was cast — she is such an embodiment of their aesthetic.”

LUNA FLO Necklace

“She crafts these beautiful pieces,” Bovaird says of Luna Flo. “A lot of them are gold, and gold has become expensive. So, this one is silver with a little bit of gold and some turquoise. She always does symbols. We like symbols and signifiers and clues in The White Lotus. Particularly with season three, we were doing [a lot] about spirituality and religion. She does a lot of icons, and I’m into the idea of jewelry being a reminder because it’s always on you. This one’s great, and [I love] the idea that we need to soar like birds. This one’s not actually on the show, but I use a lot of Luna Flow on the show. This was my first piece I ever got.”

OAS Elowen Swim Shorts $110 and Catina Swim Shorts $110

“They are a resortwear company based in Sweden,” Bovaird says. “I love the owner, [Oliver Lundgren]. He’s super nice. It’s one of my favorite White Lotus brands. We used them on season one. They had these terry cloth shirts. Resort wear has taken the world by storm and now terry cloth shirts are everywhere, but it was one of the first times [I’d seen them]. I found them out in Hawaii. Anything with texture is nice on camera, and I’ve used them ever since. I love their shorts. Short shorts for men are in style now. Everyone’s daring to go a little 80s with their short shorts — especially in Palm Springs or L.A. More people need to know about this brand.”

TARA MATTHEWS Swimsuit

“Tara Matthews reached out to me,” Bovaird explains. “She does bespoke bathing suits. We wanted to create something special for all the different women on The White Lotus — the idea being I’d have enough time to do that and get all the measurements and make these perfect bikinis and swimsuits. Tara can give you a virtual fitting and make a bikini or a swimsuit perfect for you and your body type. We never got enough time to do it, so she ended up sending me some samples, and they are the best thing ever. You feel very sexy wearing them.”

H&M Boots $169

“I love a knee boot,” says Bovaird, who collaborated earlier this year with H&M on a limited-edition resort collection inspired by the show. “I work a lot on my feet, so I either wear sneakers or sometimes I’ll wear boots. I used to live in New York, and I’d wear a boots so often that, on my projects, they used to call me ‘Boots’ because they could hear me coming. When you fit an actor, sometimes they’ll say the key to the character is in the shoes. For me, wearing a good pair of boots makes me feel strong and powerful. You can throw them on with anything, and it gives a twist to your outfit. H&M are turning a corner at the moment. Their design is off the chain. Sometimes I’ll buy myself an expensive pair of boots and they don’t [hold up], and I regret it. It’s nice to have an affordable pair that you can try.”

SWATCH Teal Watch $120

“In an attempt to leave my phone at home, I’ve become addicted to wearing this Swatch Watch,” she says. “It’s not too fancy. Sometimes I wear nice jewelry, and I don’t want to wear a fancy watch and nice jewelry. I like to mix it up. I’ve got bunch of Swatch watches, and they’re comfy and utilitarian in all these different colors. It just reminds me of before we had phones, and it gives me an opportunity to not look at my phone for the time.”

BROOKS BROTHERS Blazer $598

“I love men’s tailoring, and I find men’s price points sometimes more affordable,” Bovaird  says. “You can get a nice blazer that’s a little more affordable than one for cut for a woman. Brooks Brothers is timeless. I love mixing Brooks Brothers with something more punkie, girly or indie. And men’s tailoring is a little boxier on me, and I like that powerful silhouette. You can throw the  blazer on a dress or something streamlined with boots. Sometimes I don’t feel like I’ve grown into my uniform, and I still look like an eclectic college girl. So if I’m feeling like I need to look more professional because I’m having a meeting or something, I’ll put a blazer on. Or if I’ve got a fitting and I’ve never met [them], I’ll put a blazer on, and that seems to make people think I’m professional.”

EMINENCE Hydrating Mist $39

“I love this product,” she says. “Skincare is the new makeup. I’m fortunate enough to work with great makeup artists and on The White Lotus her name is Bex [Hickey]. Her thing is all about glowing skin and skin prep. I don’t do the ten different products to get perfect skin. But this one feels good. You put it on before you apply other products. It’s part of my routine that I love.”

CARTIER Tote $2900

“I know it’s a big thing for a lot of people to carry one of these shopper bags,” she says. “I never really got into it because it’s not really me. But I got a Cartier bag, and I highly recommend it for if people are thinking of investing in a tote bag but maybe didn’t want [for it to be covered] in logos. I never would have thought one of these shopper bags was vital to my existence, but I can’t live without it now. It’s got this Mary Poppins quality, where it seems endless. Everything goes in there – my computer, a scarf, pens, my iPad and notebook. It’s good for a costume designer or anyone that’s in and out of an office with a laptop. My sister-in-law always carries Goyard bags. Actually, I borrowed her Goyard bag for season one and gave it to one of the characters.”

THE GREAT Vintage Army Jacket $425

According to social media, says Bovaird, “it’s like, ‘Oh, this summer’s all about the flip-flop.’ I’m like, ‘Isn’t every summer all about the flip-flop?’ But I did see that the army jacket is making a comeback. I wasn’t sure that it had ever gone away, but I do have several [of them]. It’s one of those pieces that is transitional. When you’re a costume designer working in hot and cold [locations], and you’re on the truck, you’re on the set, shopping, in London, on the plane — an army jacket is a good piece to blend in to other things. It’s cool, but it’s versatile and practical.”

BANANA REPUBLIC Embossed Leather Skinny Belt $80

Bovaird’s top wardrobe hack that saves the day in a pinch? A great belt. “I’m a big believer in borrowing from the opposite gender’s prescribed clothing, especially when you’re thrifting,” she says. “A belt comes in handy [to fine tune looks]. It’s another piece to invest in. If you want to splurge — a nice leather Hermes belt. Or Banana Republic.”