Gossip Girl, the show that, for six seasons, chronicled the modern day troubles, the contemporary love fairytales and the Machiavellian scheming of a group of Upper East Side rich kids finally came to close this week. And, as any self-respecting show known as much for its extravagant and trend-setting fashion as for its increasingly hard-to-believe story lines, it went out with a bang. The season finale was seasoned (sic!) with not one, but two weddings and two amazing and unconventional wedding dresses - pale blue Elie Saab for old-school glamour Blair Waldorf and an over-the-top white and gold Georges Chakra for ultimate IT Girl Serena van der Woodsen. The perfect accessories for that fairytale endings we'd all been holding our fingers crossed for.
Considered a worthy descendant of "Sex and the City" (and it makes sense that the person responsible for all the fabulosity was, before coming on board, the man who assisted the legendary Patricia Field on the SATC costume design), Gossip Girl created fashion trends and influenced an entire generation, bringing high-end designers back to the forefront of young dreams and fashion desires. Jewelled headbands, bow ties, bedhead hair and plaid shirts are all items familiar to the pop landscape these days. They all also have something else in common: their origins on the set of Gossip Girl. Yves Saint Laurent, Louboutin, Chanel and Oscar de la Renta were regular mentions on the show, handbag price tags were usually in the range of the thousands of dollars, designers like Tory Burch and Vera Wang made cameos, while Barney’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman were the equivalent of the normal girl's heartbreak mending go-to: chocolate ice cream. Not to mention Harry Winston, that god of all jewelry and the provider of the legendary engagement ring that Chuck offered Blair.
From the early days of uniform-wearing, fashion-conscious teenage brats to a outrageously chic set of twenty-somethings, we watched these Upper East Side characters develop their personality and style and moving on to become style icons:
Serena, the rebel with the sexy, body-conscious, edgy and modern look;
Blair of the old-money feminine silhouettes and glamour accents;
Chuck, the preppy look perfection;
Dan, with his tormented European artist look;
and Nate, the ultimate East Coast golden boy.
They all changed the fashion world for good. Now that it's over, we can only reminisce the good fashion times we've spent together and, of course, be on the lookout for the next show that will take our breath away. And, perhaps, gear up for a Gossip Girl marathon? :)
