Kate Hudson’s Power Suits Highlight Femininity as Her Superpower

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“If you’re a girl boss in Los Angeles, in modern times. What would you wear?”

The costume designer, Salvador Perez Jr., posed the query “Running Point” when assembling the outfits for the Netflix series.

In this TV series, Kate Hudson portrays Isla Gordon, a freshly appointed president for a fictional LA basketball squad named the Waves. The humor in the show is crafted by Mindy Kaling, Elaine Ko, David Stassen, and Ike Barinholtz, which bears a loose resemblance to the Los Angeles Lakers and is motivated by the team’s owner, Jeanie Buss.

In their discussions with Kaling, Buss opts for a minimalist style and avoids formal attire. Similarly, Perez preferred to steer clear of the “corporate boys’ town” fashion. However, Hudson, who is a fashion enthusiast and works with stylist Sophie Lopez, presented an opportunity to highlight femininity. They decided to accentuate Kaling’s femininity, as she carries clothing gracefully, rather than conceal it. Thus, they aimed to make her femininity a powerful aspect of her character, not something to be hidden.

With this, Perez and Lopez joined forces to assemble Isla’s clothing collection. Initially, when the audience encounters her, Isla is primarily known for her charity work and isn’t given much credence.

According to Perez, instead of buying new clothes, she selects outfits from her current wardrobe when she gets appointed as the CEO of Waves.

One of the initial ensembles she dons is a tweed suit from Generation Love. Moreover, she accessorizes this suit with a fitted corset top. As Perez puts it, “She’s essentially playing dress-up with her wardrobe.

As a cinephile stepping into the Waves stadium for the very first time, I donned a vibrant pink Seroya suit, an outfit that, while not entirely fitting in with the corporate attire surrounding me, represented my newfound maturity and adult identity. Perez’s observation for this scene was spot on: “It’s not corporate, but it’s a suit. It’s her way of saying ‘I’m a grown-up, and these are my grown-up clothes.’

Perez intentionally incorporated blue and orange into Isla’s appearance, representing the team colors. Previously, Cameron “Cam” Gordon’s (Justin Theroux) office was home to a president who had a dark and gray aesthetic, with the space itself being beige. Perez explains, “I wanted her to stand out as a vibrant burst of color amidst that monochrome setting.”

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Perez chose to incorporate the team colors, blue and orange, into Isla’s appearance. Prior to this, Cameron “Cam” Gordon’s (Justin Theroux) office was filled with a dark and gray atmosphere, and the space itself was beige. Perez says, “I wanted her to be a striking splash of color in contrast to that dull environment.”

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Perez decided to use blue and orange as part of Isla’s design, symbolizing the team colors. Earlier, Cameron “Cam” Gordon’s (Justin Theroux) office was dominated by a dark and gray scheme, with the room itself being beige. Perez expresses, “I wanted her to serve as an eye-catching burst of color against that drab backdrop.

As Isla gains authority and respect, her image undergoes a transformation that mirrors this change. Gabriela Hearst and Favorite Daughter were top picks for Isla’s professional ensemble. Perez remarks, “I believe as she was expanding her wardrobe, she moved towards more corporate styles, but always with Isla’s unique touch.” He further notes, “There was a lot of use of vinyl and leather, because Isla didn’t alter her identity, she was simply adapting to the corporate world in her distinctive way.

For instance, when Isla attends the owner’s conference, Perez chooses another Norma Kamali pinstripe suit for her. As Perez explains, “Although it’s a dress with a deep neckline and coat, in her circle of influence, it’s all about the pinstripes.”

This version maintains the original meaning while using more conversational language to make it sound more natural and easy to read.

At the climax of the season, I chose a delicate pink ensemble by Sasuphi for Isla – a suit that was personally one of my favorite designs. As it turned out to be Kate’s final major performance, the outfit seemed fitting and absolutely stunning on her. We made sure to include it in the lineup. To complement the suit, I selected a blouse from the same designer, featuring a striking double collar and elegant cuffs peeking out of the jacket. It was as if Isla had grown into the role of CEO and wore the outfit with an effortless grace.

For quite some time, Perez and Kaling’s mutual understanding and partnership had been well-established, which proved crucial when it came to dressing Isla. Everyone concurred that a Birkin bag was an essential accessory for Isla. However, Perez found himself financially unable to obtain one. So, he reached out to Mindy, who kindly offered him the opportunity to browse through her wardrobe. As a result, Perez selected some bags from Mindy’s collection, including the Birkin, with a chuckle.

As for Buss’ reaction, Perez said the Lakers boss thanked him “for making me look good.”

As a devoted cinephile, let me share my perspective: My greatest hurdle wasn’t about Isla, it was more about the team costumes and the Waves girls. “We were tasked with creating and printing all those uniforms,” Perez explains, “And it took us an eternity to get them just right.

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2025-05-27 21:46