The first episode of HBO's The Idol has premiered and, to nobody's surprise, the reviews aren't great.
Plagued with controversies and drama before it ever graced screens, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye's foray into film has been received with mixed reactions. Comments like "super fucking boring" and "The writing sucked, plot felt empty and The Weeknd’s AliExpress wig got me fucked up" give a good insight into the explicit, angry reviews you can find online.
But, there's no need to kick a mega-budget television series while it's down — there was one small saving grace. The outfits.
While we expect the mood behind the scenes to be pretty low at the moment, one member of the team should not be feeling down.
Natasha Newman-Thomas, head of costume design, take a bow — the outfits in the first episode were pretty top tier (if you turn a blind eye to "The Weeknd’s AliExpress wig," of course).
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In fact, one of our biggest criticisms is that there are not enough clothes. Previously described as "twisted torture porn," the show's painfully forced sexual plot has so far involved people getting naked left, right, and center.
When they are fully clothed, however, there are some strong 'fits being pulled off.
You've got Troye Sivan channeling his inner Nolita Dirtbag with a fluffy bomber jacket and washed-out black pants, the type of dapper look that can get you into the Jonas Brother's ice cream squad.
Then, taking on a vastly different style, there's Moses Sumney's 70-esque, glossy shirt and suit pants, accessorized by his bleached blonde hair.
Plus, if you're a fan of tailoring, The Weeknd and Dan Levy's characters have sharply tailored suits and overcoats to swoon over (although The Weeknd's character has also shown an affinity for vintage sportswear thus far).
The "sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood," — that's HBO's words, not mine — might have gotten off to a bad start when it comes to reviews, but the outfits could just about be enough to make me watch episode 2.
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The series creator Sam Levinson already proved he knows how to create a stylish series with Euphoria, Fezco's character being a particular favorite in the Highsnobiety offices, and The Idol is hitting similar levels of sartorial excellence.
It's just a shame that the show, so far, isn't proving to hit the same levels as Euphoria in other aspects.
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