Welcome to our podcast, The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
If you’re familiar with some of fashion’s biggest stylists, chances are you know Shiona Turini. In fact, she appeared on our sister show, Second Life, in 2019, where she revealed how she was able to make the transition from major media titles like W Magazine and CR Fashion Book into freelance styling. A name that has become synonymous with impeccable style and creativity in the industry, Turini has a styling expertise and unique vision that quickly gained recognition, including her recent work with Beyoncé on the Renaissance World Tour and the Cowboy Carter transformation.
Turini’s talents extend beyond styling. She is also an accomplished costume designer. Her impressive portfolio includes wardrobing three seasons of HBO’s Insecure, designing the striking looks for Universal Pictures’ Queen & Slim, and, most recently, creating the period-accurate costumes for Apple TV+’s Lady in the Lake, starring Natalie Portman.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Alma Har’el)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Apple)
In Lady in the Lake, Turini’s meticulous research into the fashion of 1960s Baltimore is evident as she delved deep into the era’s styles, ensuring every outfit resonated with authenticity. Her ability to source the perfect coats and garments for key plot points showcases her keen eye for detail and her understanding of how costume design can enhance storytelling.
Shiona Turini’s work continues to inspire and captivate, proving her to be a true visionary in both styling and costume design. Her dedication to her craft and her innovative approach make her an influential figure in the fashion world.
In the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, find out what Turini has been up to—and trust us, it’s major.
For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.
I cannot wait to get into your most recent work on Lady in the Lake, but before we do—can you catch us up on your life a bit?
What a journey it has been—switching from editorial and publishing to production, TV, film, and video, is not very common, and I think it makes me a more diverse stylist and more complex costume designer. I do realize that I can editorialize the ordinary. From Insecure, I did more costume design. I did Queen & Slim, which was my first movie. And last summer, I had a very big project where I was one of the stylists on the Renaissance World Tour, which was incredible because just like Insecure was my first time costume designing, the Formation video was my first time styling a music video. Nike was my first commercial, and the Renaissance World Tour was my first tour—so I tend to do very big firsts. I just jump all in.
(Image credit: Gustavo T. Astudillo)
Now, focusing on Lady in the Lake, how do you then go about building something when it’s drawn from vintage?
I have an incredible shopper on my team, and her eye for vintage is outstanding. So we used a lot of her vintage resources, and they’re not the typical vintage dealers. They’re all around the world—Paris, New York City, and so on. We did a lot of vintage shopping. I spent a lot of time on 1stDibs, eBay, local Baltimore vintage and resale places.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Apple)
We utilized the costume houses a lot. And of course, we created a ton—we would have a lot of references. Even one of our tailors on the show, also born and raised in Baltimore, still had a lot of patterns from the ’60s, so we would sit in the workshop and take a look at the apron patterns, and we made Natalie Portman’s apron in her kitchen scene. We tried to make it as authentic as possible, whether it was vintage fabric, a vintage pattern, or just do a sketch and do it ourselves.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Apple)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Alma Har’el)
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Next, check out our interview with our editors, who share all the swim trends, brands, and accessories they love this season.
