How she landed her role – and excelled – in the iconic limited series.
“I read the book “Daisy Jones & The Six” in one sitting and knew immediately that I had to do the show. I grew up in LA and was going to clubs at a very young age, so I felt like I knew the world. Also, having traveled as a stylist for the Bangles for a year, I felt I had an insider’s perspective to the music side of the story. I made my own extensive visual history of the entire book which was very documentary-based, and presented this book in my interview – I think our producers were very impressed. I think I nailed the exact tone of how they saw the show and they trusted me after that.”
Denise Wingate, wearing Free People to the “Daisy Jones & The Six” premiere. Photo: Lacey Terrell/Prime
Because we had a longer than usual prep period, I went way deep down the rabbit hole with research, assembling an extensive archive of images from every conceivable source I could find. Along with individual character, mood, and palette boards, I also made a visual breakdown of the entire book and had it mounted to the walls of the fitting room.
There are so many different fashion inspirations from that period: classic rock, boho, hippie looks, glam rock, and psychedelic vibes. I sourced things online and hit the flea markets every single weekend for a year looking for amazing pieces. I also incorporated some great pieces from the 20’s and 30’s, since people in the 70’s wore vintage clothing from that period as well. This really was a kind of a dream project, considering how those periods meshed so well, and how I was able to synthesize these different looks.
70’s movies and documentaries served as an incredible wealth of visual resource material, and I was constantly taking pictures and screen grabs every time I spotted something that I knew would work. I was relentless — mercenary even, because the goal from the very beginning was to keep the look and feel of the show as realistic as possible. I also completely immersed myself in 70’s music, with the volume turned up really loud during my costume fittings. The cast loved having that energy, because for me, this was almost like a method-acting approach to my work.
Daisy is definitely a free spirit, with a totally eclectic look; she’s someone who lives life and dresses herself entirely on her own terms.
Billy is a classic down to earth rock star; maybe he’s a bit like early Bruce Springsteen, whose look hasn’t changed over the years, pretty much staying true to his blue collar roots.
It was fun researching the different periods. The late 60’s in Pittsburgh was much different than LA in the 70’s. The palette was a lot of grays and blues in the beginning and when the band arrives in Los Angeles it became much more golden. I used a lot of vintage 70’s photographs as research. I love that Kodachrome effect.
Since each character had such different personalities, it was fun to go deep and explore who those characters were. Every time we had a fitting the characters would become more dynamic, enhanced, and alive. I had such great relationships with the cast, and even during the Covid shutdown, we stayed in contact, texting ideas and photos to each other.
Sometimes there are challenges when there are many people in one scene, but I would build huge “closets" for every character and then make paper dolls on velcro to put on boards and then move them around until I felt like everyone looked good together.
There were so many amazing costumes it’s hard to choose, but the final concert scene outfit Daisy wears is pretty iconic: a gold lamé pleated Halston caftan that we cut down the middle to make into a cape, over a vintage metallic crocheted dress. The night we shot the first scene it was warm and windy, and when she raised her arms, the cape flew open and the gold metallic fabric sparkled. Everyone just gasped. It really was one of those magical moments.
I immediately thought of Free People when I started the show. I knew there would be great styles I could incorporate that would have the exact flavor and feel that I needed for the period. I've been a fan of the brand for so long, so this all seemed like the absolute best fit.
To celebrate the premiere of the limited series, “Daisy Jones & The Six,” Free People collaborated with Prime to curate a capsule collection where tried-and-true fits combine with ‘70s rock influences to capture the essence of the show’s namesake band. And be sure to check out “Daisy Jones & The Six,” streaming now on Prime.
Learn more about our collaboration with Prime here.
OUR INTERVIEW WITH DENISE WINGATE
What did your mood board look like?
Because we had a longer than usual prep period, I went way deep down the rabbit hole with research, assembling an extensive archive of images from every conceivable source I could find. Along with individual character, mood, and palette boards, I also made a visual breakdown of the entire book and had it mounted to the walls of the fitting room.
The majority of the story takes place through the 70’s — what were your favorite 70’s trends to pull from?
There are so many different fashion inspirations from that period: classic rock, boho, hippie looks, glam rock, and psychedelic vibes. I sourced things online and hit the flea markets every single weekend for a year looking for amazing pieces. I also incorporated some great pieces from the 20’s and 30’s, since people in the 70’s wore vintage clothing from that period as well. This really was a kind of a dream project, considering how those periods meshed so well, and how I was able to synthesize these different looks.
Beyond the time period and the music scene, what else inspired you while working on the wardrobe?
70’s movies and documentaries served as an incredible wealth of visual resource material, and I was constantly taking pictures and screen grabs every time I spotted something that I knew would work. I was relentless — mercenary even, because the goal from the very beginning was to keep the look and feel of the show as realistic as possible. I also completely immersed myself in 70’s music, with the volume turned up really loud during my costume fittings. The cast loved having that energy, because for me, this was almost like a method-acting approach to my work.
Can you describe Daisy’s personal style in one sentence?
Daisy is definitely a free spirit, with a totally eclectic look; she’s someone who lives life and dresses herself entirely on her own terms.
What about Billy’s?
Billy is a classic down to earth rock star; maybe he’s a bit like early Bruce Springsteen, whose look hasn’t changed over the years, pretty much staying true to his blue collar roots.
Which character did you relate to most and why?
From a personal style standpoint, I loved Camila's outfits. The original inspiration for young Camila was Ali McGraw, who always had such classic style. When Camila becomes the rock star wife, we used Bianca Jagger as inspiration, who is a style icon in her own right.The story weaves through several different time periods. How were you able to reflect that change through the wardrobe?
It was fun researching the different periods. The late 60’s in Pittsburgh was much different than LA in the 70’s. The palette was a lot of grays and blues in the beginning and when the band arrives in Los Angeles it became much more golden. I used a lot of vintage 70’s photographs as research. I love that Kodachrome effect.
The three main women (Daisy, Camila, Karen) have very different goals, personalities and motivations — how did you convey that through their outfits?
Since each character had such different personalities, it was fun to go deep and explore who those characters were. Every time we had a fitting the characters would become more dynamic, enhanced, and alive. I had such great relationships with the cast, and even during the Covid shutdown, we stayed in contact, texting ideas and photos to each other.
There are so many members in the band — was it tough to coordinate everyone’s look for those big group scenes?
Sometimes there are challenges when there are many people in one scene, but I would build huge “closets" for every character and then make paper dolls on velcro to put on boards and then move them around until I felt like everyone looked good together.
What is your favorite outfit of the series?
There were so many amazing costumes it’s hard to choose, but the final concert scene outfit Daisy wears is pretty iconic: a gold lamé pleated Halston caftan that we cut down the middle to make into a cape, over a vintage metallic crocheted dress. The night we shot the first scene it was warm and windy, and when she raised her arms, the cape flew open and the gold metallic fabric sparkled. Everyone just gasped. It really was one of those magical moments.
Free People styles were featured throughout the show — why do you think FP is a good fit for Daisy?
I immediately thought of Free People when I started the show. I knew there would be great styles I could incorporate that would have the exact flavor and feel that I needed for the period. I've been a fan of the brand for so long, so this all seemed like the absolute best fit.
To celebrate the premiere of the limited series, “Daisy Jones & The Six,” Free People collaborated with Prime to curate a capsule collection where tried-and-true fits combine with ‘70s rock influences to capture the essence of the show’s namesake band. And be sure to check out “Daisy Jones & The Six,” streaming now on Prime.
Learn more about our collaboration with Prime here.