Daniel Lawson, costume designer for "The Good Wife" (Photo: CBS/John Paul Filo)
Fans of the CBS hit series The Good Wife watch for the drama both in and out of the courtroom, as well as for the distinctive power dressing of its lead female characters: Alicia (Julianna Margulies), Diane (Christine Baranski), and Kalinda (Archie Panjabi). Daniel Lawson is the Emmy-nominated costume designer behind their professional yet stylish, classic-meets-modern looks.
Lawson views his work as a form of storytelling. With his designs for Alicia, for example, it was important that her costumes reflect her path from politician’s wife to starting her own law firm. In the beginning, she wore a mix-and-match look so as not to draw attention to herself; in more recent episodes, Margulies shows off more polish as Alicia regains her confidence, with head-to-toe looks that are clean and elegant.
In conversation with Kate Bennett, White House correspondent for the online Independent Journal Review and co-author of The Political Edit, its digital newsletter, hear Lawson discuss his approach to designing for both the female and male cast of The Good Wife. He talks about how he developed a unique look that conveys each character’s storyline, and offers tips on what we can learn from the firm of Lockhart/Gardner.
As The Good Wife comes to a close, Lawson is working with the creators of the series on a new CBS show set in Washington, BrainDead, which premieres this summer.
Other Connections
Take a tour of The Good Wife’s wardrobe closet with Daniel Lawson.
