‘The Shards’ Fashion Play: Bringing Back the Dark Glam of ’80s LA

“The Shards” costumes bring back the dark glam of early 1980s L.A., and Igby Rigney is dressing the part in real life. The Makeup Archive is giving Marilyn Monroe’s lipstick, Mary Quant’s false eyelashes and more historical beauty treasures the online museum treatment. Costumes from “The Devil Wears Prada 2” are headed to Christie’s. And beloved French contemporary brand Sézane has found a permanent L.A. home. 

‘The Shards’ Brings Back the Dark Glam of Early ’80s L.A.

When I first saw “Less Than Zero,” the glamorous 1987 neo-noir film based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name, it made quite an impression.

Gorgeous Jami Gertz in her sharp black tailoring and tight short skirts. Andrew McCarthy in his red Corvette driving through the neon night. The swimming pools, cigarettes and so, so much cocaine. It was incredibly seductive, if deeply tragic in its portrayal of addiction. Still, for a teenager in New York City who liked trouble, it made L.A. look like the place I wanted to find it.

So, naturally, I was excited to see “The Shards,” the new thriller streaming on FX and Hulu from executive producer Ryan Murphy, based on Ellis’ 2023 horror novel of the same name. It’s set in the same privileged, cocaine- and cigarette-fueled early-1980s L.A. scene.

It takes place in 1981, centering on five seniors at a prep school (inspired by Buckley School, Ellis’ alma mater) whose lives unravel when a serial killer terrorizes L.A., and it becomes evident that the culprit could be someone in their own friend circle.

Ellis himself figures into the story, with Igby Rigney playing a fictionalized version of the author who becomes suspicious of new student Robert Mallory, played by Homer Gere. And Kaia Gerber is Susan Reynolds, the class president, miss perfect, and the hottest girl in school. 

The show is a bit uneven, but like most everything Murphy touches, it looks great and could very well be fashion-influential, à la “Euphoria.” (Gerber and Gere are covering the September issue of Vogue, cleverly harking back to a 1992 cover featuring their parents, Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere, who were married at the time.)

There’s a lot of disco, Studio 54 and Flippers Roller Boogie Palace in the women’s clothes, with a killer soundtrack to match. And watching the characters drive their gorgeous cars from Westwood Village to Mulholland Drive, stopping at retro L.A. locations like Sherman Oaks Galleria, Hamburger Hamlet and Trumps, is a treat.

“American Gigolo,” the 1980 film starring Homer’s father, Richard, was a stylistic reference for the film’s fashion, costume designer and co-executive producer Lou Eyrich told the L.A. Times.

You can certainly see it in the coiffed men’s hair and neutral-toned drape suits, which are already seeing a revival on men’s fashion runways. To that end, style star-in-the-making Rigney wore a baggy Valentino look for “The Shards” Berlin premiere that felt like a touch of red-carpet method dressing.

Gerber’s looks are quite different than the 1980s shoulder pads and neon colors more commonly associated with the MTV decade. “That was the late ’80s,” she told Vogue magazine. “What’s so fun about our show is that it’s set during a transitional time for fashion. My character has a lot of amazing looks that I personally love, like the jeans I wear. It’s very Lauren Hutton and Brooke Shields; classic all-American looks.” Very Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis, too.

All-American prep is another major reference, with plenty of Ralph Lauren polo ponies (so many, I’m convinced it must be a brand integration), crisp khakis, deck sneakers and Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses. It’s a look that’s always in fashion but is currently seeing a revival at Celine and the reenergized Polo Ralph Lauren.

Banking on interest in the show’s fashion, the marketing team at FX pulled together an 82-page, downloadable “The Shards Guide to Being Hot & Rich,” with features such as “How to Dress the Part,” “The Art of Effortless Beauty” and “A Valley It Girl’s Friday Night.”

It appears to be a riff on Lisa Birnbach’s seminal 1980 work “The Preppy Handbook,” which would be brilliant if it were funnier. It also doesn’t mention a single brand name, not even Ralph Lauren, which is a head-scratcher. Why do an 82-page style guide if you’re not going to guide?

Makeup Archive Dedicated to the Historic Legacy of Beauty Products

Celebrity makeup artist and social media famous beauty historian Erin Parsons has launched a new project called The Makeup Archive.

The 501 (k) non-profit organization and online (for now) museum is dedicated to the historic legacy of makeup from the 1700s to today, featuring everything from 1940s era Mavis Liquid Hose leg makeup and a Souvenir Marine Officer hat compact, to 1960s Mary Quant Every Day Lashes false eyelashes and Revlon Couturine lipstick dolls, to a 1990s-era Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth Arden lipstick case and Chanel Vamp lipstick.

The items are displayed like beautiful objets d’art, with informational labels about their provenance, and are a lot of fun to look through, even if the website is a little clunky. Related ephemera, such as vintage beauty advertisements and books, are also catalogued.

Parsons, whose career has spanned working with Pat McGrath and Gigi Hadid as well as serving as Maybelline’s global makeup artist, traces her love of beauty back to Marilyn Monroe. There are several items that belonged to the fashion icon, including a Rouge Pot by French brand Dorin and a Max Factor Hollywood lipstick. 

I chatted with Parsons about the origins of the archive, its mission and what we should all be collecting at Sephora now that will stand the test of time later.

WrapStyle: How did you come up with the idea for the Makeup Archive and how long did it take to get it launched?

EP: Honestly I was collecting without a cause, I was truly obsessed with beauty history, finding objects worn by celebs of the past or figuring out how ancient makeup was created. I had collected so much that it was bordering on hoarding so my husband said why don’t we archive this so you know exactly what you have.

Once we started we realized there really was no dedication to beauty history in this way. We decided to create a non-profit organization to further the education, preservation and research into everything beauty history, mainly for now makeup related. 

Why is it needed in our culture, and do you think it will ever take physical form as a museum?

The beauty industry is something like a $700 billion industry which is insane and yet we don’t know what came before. Most products are recycled (for instance the eyelash curler has not really changed since its launch in I believe 1924). I personally think it’s important to look at the past in order to create something unique for the future. In the world of beauty there is no real technological change. I hope that this archive inspires but also helps to create something completely new. Our goal is to create an actual public space, whether it’s the archive where one can research or a museum where one can look upon the objects and learn from the past. We are hoping and trying to create the makeup museum in New York City. 

When did you start collecting and what was your very first piece?

EP: My first piece ever was a Maybelline cake mascara. I believe it was 10 years ago as I was Maybelline’s global makeup artist at the time. I thought hmm … Maybelline came out in 1916 so what did the product look like? I went on eBay and couldn’t believe I found a piece of their history fully intact. Well that started a firestorm. I have so much Maybelline in my collection. But then I wanted to know what lipstick did Marilyn Monroe use? This really has become a never ending quest. Years later, I have thousands of objects from beauty history’s past. 

I read that the Marilyn Monroe lipstick is your most valuable piece. Why did you want to own it and what is your continuing fascination with Marilyn from a makeup point of view?

EP: Marilyn is such a makeup icon! Through artifice she created this legendary look that we can all associate with her. I wanted to know what was the red lip she wore? In the end because of Technicolor and the way certain tones and hues translated on screen I found out her red was orange! This piece is so valuable to me because it was Marilyn who got me interested in makeup from my childhood. She is the reason I understood that makeup can create a character. From this I became a makeup artist which helped me afford all of these incredible objects.  

Tell me about some other rare pieces.

EP: The boîte à mouches. These are truly rare and an obsession. (Editor note: In French, boîte à mouches translates to “fly box,” and historically, refers to a small, decorative cosmetic case used in the 17th and 18th centuries to hold artificial beauty marks made of silk or velvet worn on the face). They were makeup compacts holding a tiny brush known as a vergette plus two compartments that held rouge and I believe loose powder. They are called this because historians believe they held beauty marks but I’m not so sure. You can barely fit your finger in to grab a “fly” or mouche so I truly question this. In portraits of Madame de Pompadour she is using one of these to apply her rouge. In my opinion it was the world’s first compact yet it was not called such.

I love complete boxes of color harmony like the Richard Hudnut pieces. They have items for your hair and skin and eyes to match. I also love figural compacts like the Schuco monkey, turtle and dog and these are quite rare as they are from the 1920s. 

What guides your acquisition strategy?

EP: In the beginning I collected almost anything I could find but then I looked for mint condition in the box, especially with ephemera attached. Sometimes I’ll buy something used just so I can swatch the color. This often ends up in my videos. 

What is one makeup item on the market today that you think is so influential that it will be collectible in 30 years?

EP: Specialty lipstick packaging. I think of the Dior Rouge Premier line. The case is incredibly crafted and special. I bought one and then they kindly gifted me one so I plan to do a giveaway online. It’s just as beautiful as the vintage pieces. I hope to see more special containers with refills available like it in the future. 

‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Clothes, Accessories Go Under the Gavel

The most anticipated fashion movie of the year might turn out to be the most anticipated auction of the year.

Auction house Christie’s New York is putting clothing and accessories featured in “The Devil Wears Prada 2” up for bid in an online auction running Sept. 1-15. The sale includes screen-worn pieces such as the colorful Gabriela Hearst dress worn by Anne Hathaway (spoiler alert: stain and all), a Dries Van Noten tassel jacket worn by Meryl Streep and a Dior suit worn by Emily Blunt.

The auction is the brainchild of the movie’s titular devil, Meryl Streep, who spearheaded a similar charity auction after the first film. Proceeds from this sale will benefit two organizations: the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the latter of which is a nod to the endangered-media plot line of the film. 

The online auction can be accessed for bidding at Christies.com starting Sept. 1. If you’d prefer to browse before you bid, you can do that, too — provided you’re in New York from Sept. 8-13, when the pieces will be featured in a free, public exhibition at Christie’s New York at 20 Rockefeller Plaza.

Other film-related items that could become part of your own fashion closet, if the auction gods find favor with you, include a pair of red Valentino Rockstud pumps worn by Streep in a trailer for the movie and signed by the actor; a three-piece Dolce & Gabbana suit with cheetah neck scarf worn onscreen by Stanley Tucci during the designers’ Spring/Summer 2026 fashion show in Milan; and the black velvet-and-feathered Bad Binch TongTong by Terrence Zhou maxi dress worn by Lady Gaga in the “Runway” music video with artist Doechii.

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2: The Auction” opening Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. EDT at christies.com

Sézane Finds Its Forever L.A. Home

Following successful pop-ups in the area over the last couple of years that were extended due to their popularity, beloved contemporary French brand Sézane has opened a permanent store at Brentwood Country Mart.

The compact boutique, with glossy lacquer, striped upholstery and antique mirrors, has a tight edit of pieces from the brand’s just-dropped fall collection, including a cool khaki-green bomber jacket that looks far more expensive than its $670 price tag; a romantic embroidered blouse with a ruffled neckline; suede wedges; the ever-popular Sézane bucket bags; and limited-edition Paris-L.A. T-shirts.

Sézane Brentwood joins the brand’s growing list of U.S. locations, including boutiques in San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C., as well as long-term pop-ups in Austin, Atlanta, Boston, Nashville, Charleston, Dallas and Williamsburg.

To celebrate the opening, Sézane’s traveling retail concept, En Route, will also arrive in Los Angeles with a custom Airstream-turned-mobile boutique that will stop at the Brentwood Farmers Market on Sunday, Aug. 16, and the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday, Aug. 23.

Sézane Brentwood, 225 26th Street, Santa Monica, CA. Sezane.com.

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