Season 7, Episode 14: Road Block - December 20, 2011

What I love about reading a script like Road Block is getting to create the fashion looks of two very different families. The Myers, rich, entitled and oblivious and The Gates, middle class, hard working and parents that loved and grieved their daughter. Just by shopping at very different stores and with very different budgets in mind I defined these two families to the letter.

Gail Myer's played to perfection by Elizabeth Perkins embodied the Hancock Park matron from her Cartier watch ( a knock off) displayed in an extreme close up to her yards of gold and diamonds and ropes of blush pearls to her exquisite fashions, mostly from Saks and Neimans, with labels like Valentino Red, her hit and run outfit was a black and white tweed jacket with a ruffled peplum and a black Laxia dress, black Manolo Blahnik pumps of course, the next day when Flynn and Provenza showed up at the Myers manse Gail was turned out in a black leather ruffled motorcycle jacket from Ellie Tahari and a red Chanel quilted satchel ( a knock off). The mere use of sunglasses by Tom Ford as a drop dead prop as Gail entered the elevator allowed Brenda to see through the facade as a liar, that cape collared oyster wool coat, by Ellie Tahari and a dusty pommegranit cashmere sweater by Michael Kors and those Mikkimoto knock off triple strand of pearls, wow! Hancock Park personified! And the purse, one of many, her huge black Birkin bag (a knock off) and finally when Brenda and Pope ganged up on Gail the little gold silk shirtwaist dress and yards of Van Cleef and Arpel gold and diamond necklaces (knock offs) what a way to be arrested. Kelly Myers, the daughter was 17 year old trendy in a Love Squared chiffon blouse, Juicy Couture cotton black and brown striped jacket and True Religion Jeans was the total opposite of--

Gracey Ann Gates, the humble, gentle hit and run victim who was worried about what her Dad would think about her riding her scooter. I dressed her in a little denim jacket by I Love Ronson from JC Penney, the jacket, we had to have 6 of them for the crash stunt, had a fluffy shearling collar and I bedazzled the hell out of the jacet with pink rick rack, daisy appliques and rows of eyelet, so sweet. Her parents, farmers or rancher's from Colorado, I dressed like people I know from South Eastern Colorado. Their fashion sense is not as over the top designer as the Myers, but more for function than fashion. So, off to JC Penney I went and got that great brick and brown plaid wool coat with a hood and toggles and American Living jeans and floral top for the "plane trip" to L.A. Mrs. Gates was played by Loanne Bishop who I adored as Rose Kelly on General Hospital during the whole Luke and Laura frenzy and she actually was raised in Colorado!!!! Mr. Gates arrived in the "big city" wearing Levis, Justin boots and a Levi leather bomber jacket with a shearling collar like his late daughter's denim jacket. A nice little touch of family continuity.

The other family involved in Road Block was of course our Major Crimes family led by Brenda Leigh Johnson. SInce it was December in the script and we shot this in early September and of course there was a heat wave, none of our squad wore coats, and as I write this in late December it's a cold blustery night and that's the pip of shooting a show in L.A. in September for December!!! Brenda wore her "Christmas red" Irene suit with horizontal stripes, the full suit looking spectacular against Gail Myers and appropriate with the Gates. Looking motherly in a Pure cashmere tangerine cardigan and American Living rust and orange leopard print satin skirt to go to the crime scene with the Gates and of course on this warm September day BLJ needed her sun hat, (unlike today's December overcast day) and then to nail Gail BLJ pulled from her ever expanding closet a favorite blue slubby silk Irene jacket and wore it over a navy and gold animal print American Living jersey dress.

I love creating multi-layered characters identified through their fashion sense, speaking volumes thanks to the written word from our writers, interpreted by the costume designer and the genius of the casting directors brought to life by stellar actors that were featured in this explosive episode--Road Block.