Costume designer Lou Eyrich‘s work in in Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans is lavish. Not only in their extravagance or richness, but for the drama. Capote and the Swans’ polished and stylish presentations to high society play as fallible masks. There’s a strength and fragility to the Capote Vs. The Swans costume designer’s work.
The costume designer is also Ryan Murphy‘s frequent producer. The two met on Murphy’s first television series, Popular, which hit the air in 1999. Since then, Eyrich has continued to help paint the storyteller’s maverick characters. “Ryan loves strong independent characters,” Eyrich told Immersive Media, “but also the underdogs who come out on top as the strong independent characters.”
Recently, the Capote Vs. The Swans costume designer spoke with Immersive Media about her collaborations with Murphy, designing for Capote and the Swans, and what she misses from ’60s fashion.
What was your first impression of Ryan Murphy? What drew you to his work?
I had never done TV before and I was an assistant designer, not a designer. But in that first meeting when he opened up the script for the first time and he led the meetings, I remember sitting in the back of the room, who is this man? I was excited that by the way he captivated a room, excited them about the project, talked line by line about what their hair would be like, and, like, “I want her in a blue fur cap and matching blue cape.” I didn’t know what our future would be 24 years later by any means. But I remember being blown away by him and really excited to work with him. And then after we finished Popular, he invited me along for the ride and all of his shows.
When you first started reading his scripts for Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans, what were some of your initial instincts for how you wanted to fulfill that vision?
Ryan has been talking about The Swans for 20 years. Babe Paley, Slim Keith, and C.Z. Guest have been on my inspiration boards for many of our shows through the years. So, when I found out we were going to do Feud [season] two and that was the storyline, first of all, I wasn’t surprised and second of all, I called him and said, “I want to do this one.” I don’t design that much for him anymore. I mostly get all his shows up and running and move ’em all along because there are just too many to design. But I really wanted to do this one. And then when I heard that Robbie Bates was writing the script and with Ryan and that Gus Van Sant was directing, I’m like, I’m in.
Before I read it, my feelings about it were familiar. I had a lot of the books already and I felt like this was really an exciting thing to do so much about it. The fact that it was the end of an era and it moved into a whole kind of, to me, downhill turn on fashion. It keeps going up and down, but going from all that amazing elegance and appearance into the whole disco studio, Studio 54 and punk rock drugs, it really was the end of an era as it forayed into this whole other part of our history. I was excited to tell that story.
One of the main reasons you wanted to do it was director Gus Van Sant. How was your experience with him?
First meeting with Gus, I showed up and we both had a lot of the same books and a lot of the same feelings. And his concern was, again, how to portray this time period on a budget and especially the importance of jewelry and how there was perfection and glamor and elegance, this flawless appearance, perfectly curated lifestyles and how as a team we were all going to really portray that on a not so big budget.
Money is always a challenge for costume designers. Which elements of Feud did you really need to stretch the dollar and get creative with achieving this level of glamor on a budget?
A big part is working really carefully with hair and makeup, because with the right hairdo and the right makeup, we can take something that’s maybe not real designer and can elevate it. Big jewelry is a big one. We were lucky because we got to partner with a couple of jewelry companies; it was really important to Ryan as well that we used big signature jewelry that looked very expensive. So, we got to work with Verdura and Belperron. Three of the Swans are documented wearing Vendura and Belperron, but also having things made by them. Bill Paley had several pieces of jewelry made for Babe there. They opened their doors and completely educated me, showed me their archives, and that was a big thing that helped take a simple outfit and put a gorgeous ring, earrings and a bracelet on.
And then also just simple things like the outfit might not be much, but add an Hermès scarf and that on the head or around the neck or on the handbag instantly elevates. It was just finding out how to mix the highs and lows, which is something we learn as we go along is you can pack the punch with the outfit, but the shoe doesn’t often show on TV because it’s just the much tighter shots. Don’t spend the money on the really expensive shoe, but to me, the shoe can sell an outfit. So, I like to have both, but that is, for me, the trick is just on TV, so much is from up here [showing the upper body and face], so just making sure you pack your punch with what’s up here. Also, tailoring anything can look great if you really tailor it right.
Like you said, the Swans do not leave the home without looking spectacular. But I really like the contrast on this show of when you see them at home, that’s the real person you’re seeing. How did you want to show that contrast become their manicured personas and reality?
It was actually something we kept talking about, because all the photos back then are paparazzi photos of them on the street when they’re fully dressed. There’s very few of any of them at home. Even then it’s an editorial shoot. Same with Capote. Tom and I talked about it at length, so many times, he wanted to just really feel casual at home and especially when he was drunk and writing and falling down in the apartment.
All of the photos we have that we could get our hands on of Capote were taken by photographers. He was looking good and sitting in a chair, and Tom’s like, “No, I want to be slovenly and clothes falling off of me.”
For the ladies, it was kind of what people call now, the quiet luxury. It really was like cashmere or even just still had elegance in the class. If they don’t put on a T-shirt and jeans, then we don’t have pictures of any of them wearing jeans, except Lee Radziwill later in the late ’70s.
With Bette and Joan, you were showing a similar time period in Los Angeles. What were some differences in terms of where fashion and style was in Hollywood versus New York?
So for our version of it anyway, for Hollywood, we went much more colorful, much more technic color, a lot of vivid blues and greens and things that pop marigolds and the more playful and dramatic. Whereas for the socialites, for the New York glamorous socialites, we went much more muted, pale and muted and sophisticated, and not showboating, not frilly, and not a lot of black.
We kept black just for Lee, mostly except for the funeral and stuff like that. But it was much less colorful and showboating than Bette and Joan. But the similarities were hats in the ’50s, ’60s, they always had hats on, always had gloves on and signature jewelry. What would tie them together? Other than that, we definitely have different color palettes and are much more reserved. Reserved and what would be the word polished and practical than Bette and Joan.
Ryan Murphy said there are two scenes where they have to wear hats. Which scenes were they and why did they have to be wearing them?
Okay, one was the funeral. Then the other episode was when C.Z. and Capote go to the hat store. It’s her favorite hat store and it’s closing down. He is, like, “Nobody’s wearing hats anymore.” And so, what Ryan wanted to bring home the point that the socialites was a dying lifestyle.
They also went to Bergdorf to buy gloves, but the glove counter was gone. Babe and C.Z. are like, “What happened to the gloves?” The young 20-something says, “Well, nobody wears gloves anymore.” And so, it was that end of that era, the hats were gone, the gloves were gone. Ryan wanted to pump up the episodes prior to that to make sure they had their hats on and had gloves on to show that the transition.
Did you and the two make Capote’s hats or buy them?
We copied a lot of his historical hats. A friend found for us the full catalog when they auctioned off Truman Capote’s Estate. It had incredible photos of all his clothes and his hats. There’s a hat maker in New York where we had almost all of ’em custom made.
When you work on these period shows, do you miss anything in particular from the past?
I miss the glamor. I miss that. Not necessarily dressing like them but being put together. I mean, I do dress like that at times, but I get lazy and put on the old comfy sweatshirt. I feel in New York people dress more. When I’m walking down the street, I’ll just be, God, that woman looks gorgeous.
The street style in New York is so different from here in California. It’s beachy, comfy, and everybody wears their gym clothes straight out of the gym into Air One. Everybody works out and looks great, except me. I’m not making fun of ’em. I honor their dedication, but here, definitely leggings as pants, but not in New York.
I wanted to ask you about The Costume Designers Guild getting what they deserve from AMPTP. You’re in a unique position of as both a costume designer and producer. What changes do you want to see in the industry for your fellow crew?
First of all, I’d love to see the industry get back on its feet and do more work. A lot of my friends are out of work and haven’t been able to find a design job; it’s bad. For that, I hope that turns around tomorrow and everybody can get back to work.
Definitely to pay equity for everybody, it’s right now, it’s really all over the place. It’s huge gaps and jumps, and I feel it is changing. The voices are being heard, but now, the timing is just bad. But I do have hope that it’ll get back up and running. My hope is everybody gets paid what they deserve, because it’s a really underrated position.
People don’t really understand what we do, although I do think that costume designers over the last five, 10 years have become much more in the spotlight. I think that’s an amazing thing. Many of us designers know that we’re often the first person to meet the actor. The actor meets us first before anybody, and we set the tone and we help them find their character. I think a lot of people don’t really know what we do. So for me, I like that people like you are taking time to ask us good questions.
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans is available to stream on Hulu.
