Gossip Girl fans, buckle up, as new photographs from the set of the highly anticipated reboot have offered a sneak peak at how the iconic wardrobes of the original characters will be reimagined for the modern era.
The HBO reboot, due for a 2021 release, will be set eight years after the conclusion of the original, which ended in 2012.
Viewers will be introduced to a new group of private school students who will also come under the Gossip Girl radar – but this time in the age of social media.
Gossip Girl is based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s books of the same name and premiered in 2007, bringing worldwide fame to its stars Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick and Taylor Momsen.
But it wasn’t just the dramatic storyline and glossy New York City setting that made Gossip Girl the cult series it became. It was the fashion.
Thanks to award-winning costume designer Eric Daman, who previously worked alongside Patricia Field on Sex and the City, the teen drama became renowned for its sartorial prowess.
Serena Van Der Woodsen was famed for her effortless, laissez-fare take on designer garb, while Blair Waldorf turned plaid and headbands into a trademark look.
Fans of the show will be delighted to hear that the reboot appears to be taking fashion no less seriously this time around, with Daman having also confirmed his involvement in April.
"The casting is looking really awesome and it's surreal to be invited to be a part of it," Daman told Fashionista. "I think it's gonna be exciting — it's definitely going to be a challenge, which I love."
Judging by the newly released photographs, which show the new cast reclining on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (a landmark meeting place for Serena and Blair in the original series), Daman has updated the show’s preppy aesthetic for the Generation Z era.
Gone are the headbands, kitsch co-ords and knee-high socks. The photos of the new cast, which includes fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, show them sporting an array of contemporary trends, including knee-high boots, cycling shorts, and flatform heels.
And in the place of sky-high stilettos, there are even some trainers, with a teaser for the show released earlier this year showing a character wearing Golden Goose trainers.
Some of the signature tropes are still there - think unbuttoned collared shirts, loose-fit ties, and plaid suits - but all have been given a contemporary twist.
This is partly helped by the fact that the hair and makeup looks are very different from those sported in the original series, too.
In the place of perfectly coiffed curls and blow-drys, we now have candyfloss buzzcuts and braids. Unlike the original CW series, the Gossip Girl reboot will also feature a primary cast made up of men and women of colour, something that was noticeably lacking before.
If the photos of the cast are anything to go by, the new series of Gossip Girls could be even more iconic than the last.
