How the funny and feminist fashion in 'Palm Royale' further the storytelling

When Kristen Wiig steps out of a vintage Rolls-Royce in the opening scene of Season 2 of "Palm Royale," she's sporting a tall, yellow, fringed hat, gold platform sandals and sunny bell bottoms, with fabric petals that sway with every determined step.

- 

Left: Kaia Gerber in a scene. Right: Leslie Bibb in a scene from 'Palm Royale'. Alison Janney in a scene from 'Palm Royale'.

(Photo: Associated Press Photo: Associated Press)

It's the first clue that the costumes on the female-driven comedy are taking center stage. The Apple TV show made a splash in its first season with the starry cast, high production values and ubiquitous grasshopper cocktail. Wiig's character, Maxine, tries to break into Palm Beach high society in 1969 and bumps heads with costars Carol Burnett, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb and Laura Dern. But also playing a starring role are the vintage designer frocks that reflect each character.

For Season 2, which premiered this week, Emmy-winning costume designer Alix Friedberg says she and her team coordinated "thousands" of looks that reflect the characters' jet-setting style. She says 50-60% of the brightly coloured and graphic print costumes are original vintage designer pieces, sourced by shoppers and costume designers.

"The looks are so iconic. Sometimes Kristen will walk in in something, and it brings tears to my eyes," Kaia Gerber - who plays Mitzi - told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

If not original vintage, Friedberg's team builds the costumes, and if a character has to wear an outfit in multiple scenes or in big dance numbers, the team may create duplicates to preserve continuity. Friedberg says she was lucky to find so many vendors with vintage designer pieces in great condition.