Even if you haven’t seen it, you’ve definitely heard about it: Euphoria, the HBO drama series that follows the lives of high school students as they navigate a minefield of addiction, identity, social media, love and friendship in today’s increasingly unstable world. Both the show’s make-up designer Doniella Davy and lead manicurist Natalie Minerva continue to inspire Euphoria lovers with their iconic rhinestone looks and influential use of colour.

Meanwhile, costume designer Heidi Bivens’ transformative work on the show is redefining fashion for younger generations. “Heidi is doing the styling and we pull our inspiration from that,” Minerva states. Bivens is well known for storytelling through fashion, providing individual styles and aesthetics for each character and meticulously cultivating their wardrobe to reflect their storyline.

Although Euphoria will certainly not appeal to all tastes, it’s fair to say that there is one scene in particular from season two that has caught everyone’s attention – the moment we see Maddy (played by Alexa Demie) babysitting for vintage fashion collector Samantha (played by Minka Kelly). Living out every fashion lover’s dream, Maddy decides to play dress up in a walk-in wardrobe filled with everything from Norman Norell, Valentino, Chanel, Thierry Mugler and Halston.

Each iconic vintage gown was provided for the show by real life vintage fashion collector Brynn Jones, owner of Aralda Vintage who says, “More and more people are falling in love with vintage and to have some of the best stylists in the world approaching me is incredible. It’s emblematic of how vintage is very current again.”

Thierry Mugler’s Vampire dress

The definition of an icon, Manfred Thierry Mugler was a flamboyant and architecturally ingenious designer who constantly pushed the boundaries of fashion. He has dressed some of the world’s most famous figures – Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Diana Ross, Kim Cattrall and Cindy Crawford. According to costume designer Heidi Bivens, the gown represents the strength of Maddy, whose storyline had been rather traumatic.

It was between the 80s and 90s when Mugler became recognised internationally for his theatrical, hyper-feminine approach to haute couture. From the Harley Davidson corset he created for his spring summer 1992 collection,  his The Birth of Venus gown – later worn by Cardi B to the Grammy’s in 2019 – to Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala “wet dress”, Thierry Mugler never failed to push the boundaries in fashion with his masterful craftsmanship and creative genius.

Pictured below: Alexa Demie wearing Thierry Mugler’s iconic Vampire dress.

Halston’s iconic kaftan

Two words: minimal elegance. This is likely the best way to describe Halston as well as Euphoria’s Samantha, so it’s only natural she would have a Halston kaftan in her vintage collection.

Pictured below: Alexa Demie wearing Halston’s iconic kaftan.

Although this kaftan dress didn’t feature in the final cut of Euphoria’s vintage dress-up scene it was on set and worn by Demie. This elegant 1970s gold jersey kaftan dress features a deep V-neckline with Grecian gathers and a fitted waist; the back has a small keyhole opening behind a knotted tie. Roy Halston Frowick began designing womenswear in 1968 and is best known for his minimal, elegant approach to couture fashion, using materials that flow freely and complement the natural curvature of the female form.

Norman Norell’s Mermaid gown

Norman Norell, born Norman David Levinson in 1900, has been called the “dean of American fashion” and is best remembered for redefining sophistication and glamour, so it is no surprise that his iconic Mermaid gown makes a few appearances throughout this episode.

By taking the Nor from Norman, the L from Levinson and “adding an extra L for luck”, the name Norman Norell would later be credited with appropriating the quality and workmanship of French couture, becoming the first American designer to have his own name on a dress label. His form-fitting sequin sheath dresses represented elegance, wealth and style in the 1960s – and continue to do so today.

Pictured below:Alexa Demie wearing Norman Norell’s iconic Mermaid dress.

The gown which featured in Euphoria was a part of the Norman Norell fall winter 1965 collection. The dress has a mock neckline with a defined waist and flowing skirt, that’s made using a base of knitted silk jersey. The base was then covered with a dazzling pavé of hand-applied sequins that were dyed repeatedly to match the jersey. Each of the tiny, reflective discs were sewn on with its own unique stitch pattern, resulting in a garment that reflected the maximum amount of light. Norell never compromised on quality – in fact he would not allow any manufacturing changes to be made once he had approved a design. This is one of the many reasons why to this day gowns designed by Norman Norell are a symbol of casual elegance and exemplary quality.

The Dior sequin gown

The French fashion house is well known globally for its timeless feminine designs and luxurious craftsmanship – two factors seen in this iconic vintage Dior gold sequin gown. From models and actresses to vintage fashion collectors everyone wants Dior in their wardrobe, and who can blame them?

Since being founded in 1946, Dior’s lavish haute-couture gowns have been worn by the most glamorous stars of the time, from Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and Princess Diana to Anna Wintour, Michelle Obama and Rihanna. Dior has never failed to provide its wearers with sophisticated luxury. Given Euphoria’s ‘it girl’ Maddy is aspiring for a life of glitz and glamour it is no wonder that Bivens chose to dress her in this vintage Dior.