Rebecca Bunch’s Everywoman Fashion on ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’
TV Show: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Costume Designer: Melina Root
Costumes: Rebecca Bunch’s everywoman fashion
TV characters can interesting because they live fabulous lives, or just because they are relatable, and because they dress like the people watching them. Even though Rachel Bloom’s lead on this musical comedy is prone to breaking out in song or dance, she still looks like she’s actually working and living in West Covina, Calif.
“It was dictated by the [character’s] job and her body type and the arc of her story,” says costume designer Root, adding that it helped that the pilot of the CW series was originally shot for Showtime. “Most contemporary costuming, the goal is to be aspirational. You will hear that word at Disney and ABC and most of the networks want that. Showtime…was different,” she says, noting the open mindedness to keeping it real. “And when we moved to CW, we kept that idea.”
Root adds that, since her lead is a lawyer with a “very loose sense of identity” (most of these songs take place in her mind), and “doesn’t really know how to express herself through her clothes,” a lot of the looks are “haphazard.” Even though the character has the funds to shop online for more expensive items, she’s still a product of her environment.
“If you go to West Covina, there’s one mall and there’s no Banana Republic in it,” Root says. “We try to remain true to that community.”
