Business of Design 

The Euphoria Cast’s Fashion-World Takeover

The show's viral Y2K-era styles and whimsical makeup designs are defining the current fashion zeitgeist, putting the spotlight on edgy independent labels and endearing the young Euphoria stars to the industry's preeminent brands in the process.

Fashion But Make it Euphoria: Season two of the wildly successful HBO Gen Z drama, which wrapped in February, was a coming-out party for the show’s cast, viewership, and cultural impact. Collectively, the stars of the teen series have amassed more than 180 million Instagram followers and materialized into a marketing powerhouse. 

The Euphoria High aesthetic—cat-eye glitter makeup, dainty cut-out dresses, ‘90s-style sets, retro skater comfort—has captured the fashion world’s consciousness, boosting the profile of cult independent brands such as the edgy Australian label I.Am.Gia, a favorite of Kendall Jenner; Instagram-centric Omighty, known for sassy embroidered tees and loud prints; and Naked Wolfe, a Spice Girls-chic footwear brand out of Hong Kong whose sky-high platform boots and trendy chunky sneakers have earned influential fans like Ariana Grande and Hailey Bieber. (Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie, flaunts a pair of the Mercy Heels in the seventh episode of season two.) 

Cassie also inspired the tonal palettes and feminine silhouettes in the Fall/Winter 2022 collection of JoosTricot, L.A.–based writer and stylist Natalie Joos’s sustainable body-con knitwear line. Meanwhile, Miu Miu’s Spring 2022 collection caught attention with pleated micro-mini skirts and belly-exposing cardigan crop tops that would be right at home in the halls of East Highland High School. Miu Miu, along with luxury names including Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli, appears in season two as part of a noticeable shift toward upscale labels. 

Cat Eyes: Euphoria’s vibrant, fantastical makeup styles are one of its defining attributes, spawning a new era of maximalism glam. Australian-born South Asian makeup artist Rowi Singh went viral on TikTok thanks to her series of Euphoria-themed looks featuring bright eyeliner and bejeweled motifs. Her facial accessories company, Embellish By Rowi, has been shouted out by the likes of FKA Twigs. The high-fidelity beauty movement has proven so popular that the show’s in-house makeup artist, Doniella Davy, debuted a range of face stickers with Face Lace and is set to unveil her own beauty line, Half Magic, in May. On the website, its “layered” formulas are teased as designed for “space cowboys, glitter queens, and neon boys next door.”

(FROM LEFT) Miu Miu’s Spring 2022 collection. Euphoria's Cassie wearing Naked Wolfe's Mercy Heels. The character's style also influenced JoosTricot's Free Brittney collection. Euphoria's Maddy donning a set from I.Am.Gia. (SECOND ROW, FROM LEFT) Angus Cloud starring in a campaign for Ralph Lauren Fragrances. Zendaya as the face of Valentino. JoosTricot's Y2K-inspired style. Couple Angus Cloud and Maude Apatow attending a Thom Browne event during NYFW. (THIRD ROW, FROM LEFT) Makeup artist Rowi Singh showing off the Euphoria High aesthetic. More looks from JoosTricot. Hunter Schafer's Prada campaign. Sydney Sweeney stars in an ad for Savage Fenty.

Fresh Faces: Beyond shaping the look and feel of the contemporary fashion zeitgeist, Euphoria’s cast members have become darlings of big-name luxury houses. Zendaya (Valentino, Bulgari), Barbie Ferreira (YSL Beauty), Hunter Schafer (Prada), Sydney Sweeney (Savage Fenty, Tory Burch), Angus Cloud (Ralph Lauren Fragrances), Jacob Elordi (Boss, Calvin Klein), and Maude Apatow (Ami) have all starred in major campaigns and were a ubiquitous sight during this year’s fashion month. Launched congruently in January with season two, Schafer’s Prada ads garnered $16 million in earned media that month alone.          

Quotable: “Hopefully the show is inspiring not just young people, but people in their 30s and 40s, and whoever wants to try a Maddy cat-eye or wear something a little more risqué than they normally would,” says costume designer Heidi Biven, whose work on the show has garnered two Emmy nominations. 

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