That’s right Gladiators, you can now dress like Olivia Pope. The series’ talented costume designer Lyn Paolo teamed up with Scandal actress Kerry Washington and The Limited’s Head of Design Elliot Staples to create a line inspired by Olivia’s covet-worthy wardrobe. The wine isn’t included, we’re afraid.
Image: Getty
How on earth does Lyn have the time to work on this collaboration with her busy schedule? She just launched a capsule collection of signature gloves with Dorothy Gaspar, is a brand ambassador for Platinum Guild International and also spent the summer in London filming the new John Wells’ movie Adam Jones with Sienna Miller, Emma Thompson and Bradley Cooper.
Nevertheless, in between all of her commitments, we managed to grab a few seconds of her precious time to chat with her about the new Scandal collab. Guys, it’s been handled.
theFashionSpot: What inspired you to work on the Scandal collection at The Limited?
Lyn Paolo: We designed this for the fans of the show and The Limited team understood the aesthetic completely. This has truly been a collaborative experience for us and the whole adventure has been fun, exciting and honestly just a joy!
tFS: Tell us about the collection — what’s the main inspiration?
LP: Our inspiration came from the fans — our amazing Gladiators — who were asking for a way to look like Olivia Pope. It is also a nod to Shonda Rhimes, who put the words on the page, to fans of fashion and to women everywhere who are inspired to pursue their passions and look good whilst doing it.
tFS: Do you have a favourite piece from the collection?
LP: It is really hard to select just one favourite piece, as the quality, elegance and design of the whole line speak for themselves!! However, everyone knows how fond I am of the odd cape!
Images: Scandal The Limited
tFS: Which items do you believe every woman should have inside her wardrobe?
LP: I feel that depends upon the woman and I hate to generalize, but for me, it is always about my shoes and my outerwear. So, I guess that I would say a wonderful coat. Especially for our East Coast fans, as after all, you could have anything or nothing under there, but with a great coat, you are suddenly beautifully dressed!
tFS: We like pieces that transcend the seasons, so, if we could only buy one piece from this collection, what should it be?
LP: Olivia Pope is a modern day powerful woman. She is too busy to follow trends and looks for key pieces to incorporate into her wardrobe — just look at her amazing outerwear collection. She is always on the move, so it’s important to have something like a statement coat that carries across the seasons. For me, in this collection, it is the cape, you can wear it summer or winter.
tFS: What’s the biggest difference between working as the costume designer on Scandal and helping to create The Limited’s collection?
LP: On the show, we have established a signature style for Olivia Pope, but it is a style defined by Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and the amazing writing team. This experience is different in that we’re designing a collection for our fans. We are all so excited, and hope that the line will allow our Gladiators to enjoy yet another aspect of the amazing show.
Images: Scandal The Limited
tFS: We’re just coming out of our Fashion Week frenzy across the globe, how much does it inspire your work?
LP: I take my cue from many different areas; street style, Fashion Week and everywhere else that I look on a daily basis. I don’t rely upon just one singular site or show for inspiration. I can find it sitting in my front garden or simply looking at nature!
tFS: What trends are you most looking forward to seeing in Spring 2015, and will we see a follow-up collection at The Limited incorporating these?
LP: I’m loving the new fuller/shorter culotte-style pants, and we will have to wait and see where life takes us on The Limited line…a holiday and spring collection have already been announced!
tFS: And finally, if you could work on any other show, what would it be?
LP: I love where I am right now, but I would love to do another fantasy/period piece.
The collection is available now at The Limited (international shipping available).
