Looking For Alaska's Costume Designer Told Us All About Those Vintage Tees and Beat-Up Vans

Updated on 11/10/2019 at 11:00 AM

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So, you want to dress like Alaska Young? So did I, after watching the Hulu series Looking For Alaska, which is based on John Green's original novel and adapted for TV by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Bringing the characters to life took help — lots of it from costume designer Matthew Simonelli, who recognized the powerful influence fashion references could have in the storyline. "After I read the book and then the scripts, I had some initial thoughts on where I might like to take the characters. I worked closely with Sarah Adina Smith, Josh Schwartz, and Stephanie Savage to carve out individuality with each character's clothes, while considering our casting to really breathe life into these characters," Matthew told me.

When it came to Kristine Froseth, who plays Alaska in the show, a lot of her pieces were thrifted. Though the story's set in the early 2000s, Alaska dresses straight out of the '70s in bell-bottom jeans, tiny halter tops, and flowing bohemian dresses and kimonos. Her looks made me want to shop vintage all day, every day, but she's not the only one with bold fashion sense. Takumi's street-cool looks were just as noteworthy to me, and all the kids wore old, beat-up sneakers that appeared to be so naturally lived-in, I had to ask Matthew where they were from. "I found all of Denny Love's (aka The Colonel) online, Kristine's Vans were new and we really beat them up, and Charlie's (aka Miles) came from secondhand stores." he said.

Matthew's inspiration stemmed from the setting of the miniseries. "The green of the Louisiana highways and the school grounds with the pops colors from the wildflowers [inspired me]. I really liked the old images of musicians in their youth, like Nick Cave, Mick Jagger, and Ian McCulloch, who were these oddballs in high school that later became the coolest guys in the business." It's pretty easy to see that translate when you watch the show, if you haven't already. Ahead, scroll down to read exclusive quotes about what it was like to dress the group, then shop some of the clothes that you can still score online.

Kristine Froseth as Alaska Young in Looking For Alaska

"For the character of Alaska, I really leaned on my friend Marco over at Amarcord Vintage. He has this gorgeous collection of vintage that seemed just perfect for her. I really cast a wide net of shopping on this — many things came from eBay and a ton from thrift stores! I wanted Alaska to have a sophisticated thrift shop appeal compared to the other kids at Culver. She doesn't have much money and has been thrifting all of her clothes since she was a kid. I think she watched Almost Famous, and a switch was thrown. 'Oh, maybe I can do this!' She has her favorite pair of bell-bottoms from Ritual vintage, which she wears most of the season. Alaska has an eye for special pieces, and a fearlessness about standing out. I looked at a lot of images of Debbie Harry, Gloria Steinem, and Stevie Nicks."

Kristine Froseth as Alaska Young in Looking For Alaska

Denny Love as The Colonel in Looking For Alaska

"I spent the most time thinking about Denny Love's The Colonel. I wanted to really create depth in that character through the clothing choices and give Denny as much as I could to work with. He is such a complex character! I really agonized over finding just the right patterned shirts to mix with shorts and pants that seemed just off enough. Thrown together in a mishmash but also somewhat casually considered. He has something to prove with very little resources."

Denny Love as The Colonel in Looking For Alaska

The Culver Creek High School sweats are from Soffe.

Denny Love as The Colonel in Looking For Alaska

Jay Lee as Takumi in Looking For Alaska

"Takumi was my real opportunity to let a little light in sartorially. He is very tapped into art and music, and though his family has money, he is still an outsider in his own right. Much like Alaska, he follows the beat of his own drum and stands up for what he believes in passionately. I used a mix of great Japanese designers, both new and old, like Comme Des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto, infused with some of Vivienne Westwood punk rock sensibilities. Then I'd spice things up with vintage pieces from Billionaire Boys Club and Adidas. I thought it was really important to give him a little texture taste-wise."

Jay Lee as Takumi in Looking For Alaska

Ron Cephas Jones as Dr. Hyde in Looking For Alaska

"Truthfully, I really loved Dr. Hyde's wardrobe. Together, Ron and I created a very expressive character who dressed practically but artfully. Finding his jewelry, playing with texture and color, and exploring shapes were all part of finding Dr. Hyde. I adored that character."

Ron Cephas Jones as Dr. Hyde in Looking For Alaska

Charlie Plummer as Miles Halter and Ron Cephas Jones as Dr. Hyde in Looking For Alaska

Charlie Plummer as Miles Halter in Looking For Alaska

Sofia Vassilieva as Lara Buterskaya and Charlie Plummer as Miles Halter in Looking For Alaska

Landry Bender as Sara in Looking For Alaska

Alaska's Striped Halter Top in Looking For Alaska

Brandy Melville Laura Halter Top ($14)

Brandy Melville Laura Halter Top

From

$14

Alaska's Orange Pants in Looking For Alaska

Shop Similar: Levi's Ribcage Cord Flare Jeans ($98)

Levi's Ribcage Cord Flare Jeans

From

$98

Takumi's Graphic T-Shirt in Looking For Alaska

Vivienne Westwood Square Destroy$ Map T-Shirt ($165)

Vivienne Westwood Square Destroy$ Map T-Shirt

From

$165

Alaska's Denim Shorts in Looking For Alaska

Levi's 501 High Waist Cutoff Denim Shorts ($70)

Levi's 501 High Waist Cutoff Denim Shorts

From

$70

Alaska's Vans Sneakers in Looking For Alaska

Vans Old Skool Sneaker ($60)

Vans Old Skool Sneaker

From

$60

Alaska's Kimono in Looking For Alaska

Free People Nightbird Burnout Kimono ($88)

Free People Nightbird Burnout Kimono

From

$88

The Colonel's Vintage T-Shirt in Looking For Alaska

Saint Halloween Shirt ($28)

Saint Halloween Shirt

From

$28

Takumi's Wu-Tang T-Shirt in Looking For Alaska

Bravado Men's Wu-Tang Clan Distressed Logo T-Shirt ($20)

Bravado Men's Wu-Tang Clan Distressed Logo T-Shirt

From

$20

Takumi's Lil Wayne T-Shirt in Looking For Alaska

Tnttee Lil Wayne: Tha Carter Shirt 856 ($20, originally $24)

Tnttee Lil Wayne: Tha Carter Shirt 856

From

$20

Alaska's High-Rise Jeans in Looking For Alaska

Similar: Alice McCall Bluesy Jeans ($260)

Alice McCall Bluesy Jeans

From

$260

Alaska's La Salle University Vintage Varsity Jacket in Looking For Alaska

The varsity jacket isn't available, but apparently it was a favorite look among the cast on set. When I asked Matthew if any actors took home pieces from their wardrobes, he said "They lock the wardrobe down at the end of production. Everything is accounted for and kept under lock and key. I was definitely asked though. Some hot picks were Sara's multi-colored Louis Vuitton handbag, Takumi's floral pants from Vivienne Westood, Alaska's vintage varsity jacket, and The Colonel's Nikes from episode 1."