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A croc-embossed leather two-piece set.
Netflix
(Sex and the City, this is not.)
But withKate HudsonandBrenda Songin starring roles, the fashion inspiration just kept coming.
Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon and Brenda Song Ali Lee in season 1, episode 2.
Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon and Brenda Song Ali Lee in season 1, episode 2.
The show is loosely inspired by Jeanie Buss, the president and owner of the LA Lakers.
Also like Isla, Buss faced sexism in the male-dominated field, and was ruthlessly underestimated again and again.
Hudson in episode 10.
Hudson in episode 10.
One place their stories diverge?
I went to the office of the Lakers, and how they dress is not how we did them.
[But] they dont have a full-time staff of 10 people to put the looks together for them.
Hudson in episode 10.
They put on whats in their closets.
For the show, we wanted to give the characters very specific looks.
Realism, adds Perez, was not the goal.
Song and Hudson in episode 2.
Mindy always uses the wordeffortful,not effortless, he says.
Read on for more from our conversation, and streamRunning Pointon Netflix on February 27.
Warning, spoilers for season one ahead!
Hudson in episode 3.
Glamour:Congrats on the show!
It was really exciting to watch a delightful comedy thats also filled with women who are fabulously dressed.
Salvador Perez Jr.:Well, thats why I work forMindy Kaling, because she lets me do that.
Hudson in episode 1.
Lets talk about Kate Hudsons character, Isla Gordon.
What was on your mood board for her?
Song and Hudson in episode 2.
Song and Hudson in episode 2.
Hudson in episode 3.
Hudson in episode 1.
Shes slightly inappropriate at first.
Isla had an arc, and you see her grow throughout the season.
Tell me a little bit about those early Isla looks.
Her inappropriate wardrobe even gets her in trouble at one point.
You want her to look good in the scene, but it has to specifically work for the joke.
So that comes first.
The writers were all panicked, and Im like, You guys, its just a button-up blouse.
Hudson.
But the top [needed to be from] Islas world.
I think that the top was also sheer.
It had to be slightly inappropriate.
But [in her head] shes like, Im just wearing a blouse.
Kate has a very particular sense of style, much like me.
Having worked for Mindy Kaling for 15 years, I like a woman with a strong opinion.
As opposed to trying to interpret what Kate wanted, I had Sophie to help out.
Hudson in a Generation Love tweed skirt suit in episode 1.
Hudson in episode 2.
Hudson in a Generation Love tweed skirt suit in episode 1.
I found that in a clearance rack at Neimans.
What did that refinement look like?
Was it about color, was it texture, was it being more covered up?
Hudson in episode 2.
Hudson in a Favorite Daughter sleeveless suit in episode 8.
Hudson in episode 5.
I know that Isla is loosely inspired by Jeanie Buss.
Hudson in a Favorite Daughter sleeveless suit in episode 8.
Did Jeanie have any notes?
Like, Oh, that wouldnt be possible to wear, or something like that?
And then she would come to set and see how fabulous Kate was.
Hudson in episode 5.
Shes like, I never dressed that fabulously, but thank you for making me look that good.
She always complimented how good Kate looked.
There was never an outfit that wasnt thought through.
From left: Brenda Song as Ali and Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon in episode 103 ofRunning Point.
It was always polished and put together, and that was the fun part about it.
And Kate was very involved.
Kate has very particular….
I would lay out trays of jewelry as opposed to: Here are your earrings.
Because when I worked with Mindy onThe Mindy Project,I was like, Here are two earring choices.
And then Mindy was like, Okay, great.
Tell me a little bit about the wardrobe of Ali Lee, Brenda Songs character.
Brendas character said the most outrageous things, so you had to dress her seriously.
She was together, primshe wore little tweed suits.
Song in episode 2.
I wanted her to be the antithesis of Isla.
She had to be the calm in the storm.
From left: Brenda Song as Ali and Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon in episode 103 ofRunning Point.
Song in episode 10.
The colors were a little more subtle, but also, Brenda is the tiniest human being.
I didnt know clothes came that small.
She was always impressed that we found clothes that were small enough for her.
Drew Tarver as Sandy Gordon, Justin Theroux as Cam Gordon, and Scott MacArthur as Ness Gordon in episode 5 ofRunning Point.
Of course, we also do a lot of alterations.
Song in episode 2.
Song in episode 10.
Hudson in episode 6.
Also, Kates tallKates 5'7'‘and you put her in four-inch pumps, shes 5'11’'.
And Brenda was 5'1'' on a good day.
So she was always in a stacked, six-inch heel.
Hudson in episode 8.
Even then, you have little tiny Brenda up against these 6'8'' basketball players.
Tell me about Justin Therouxs scarf.
Whats the story there?
Hudson in episode 6.
Its so funny, when we started this, Justin was at a resort in Mexico.
We were talking about the character [wearing] Yves Saint Laurent and all that kind of stuff.
Hes like, I want the character to wear scarves [when hes in rehab].
It became this whole thing about cashmere layers.
And he wanted white Birkenstocks and white Crocs.
[Co-creator] Dave Stassen hated it.
Hes like, No, I want him in black and Yves Saint Laurent.
Im like, Yes, when hes not in rehab, hell wear Yves Saint Laurent.
But in rehab, we had so much fun.
We went to the Krishna store and got him Buddha beads.
Im like, You guys, she really wouldnt [get dressed like] that in a car.
Theyre like, Yeah, but its funny.
Im like, Okay.
But watching her do it…. Kate is a beautiful woman and theres a Lucille Ball quality to it.
I think that people dont realize what a triple-threat Kate Hudson is, until this show.
Because shes funny, shes beautiful.
And again, watching her do that scene over and over again, we were cracking up.
Any shopping tips for people who might want to emulate Islas office wardrobe?
The rule that we followed is that we never tried to hide her femininity.
Because its a business world, why do women have to dress masculine?
Why cant you wear a fabulous feminine suit in the business world?
And we should change the conversation and let women be women and be beautiful and powerful in their femininity.
Hudson in episode 6.
And why not put the effort in?
Arent you going to have a better time if youre dressed fabulously?
Arent you going to have more authority when youre dressed fabulously?
And I think that was Kate.
Isla had to be in charge and forceful, and people had to respect her.
So it was like, make her impeccable.
Hudson in episode 8.
COVID took [getting dressed up] away.
I couldnt doTheMindy Projecttoday because the clothes arent out there.
People have gotten very casual.Theyre working from home.
Trying to find a pencil skirt thats not black does not exist.
I cannot find a colored pencil skirt anywhere.
People have gotten very safe and comfortable and casual, and I want to change it.
Thats why we did this world where people went to work, put together and polished.
Isla never wore denim, ever.
And LA is such a denim place.
As a former Angeleno, I was going to say…
Yeah.
Im like, No, were not doing denim.
Just as a rule, were not doing denim.
I wanted this to be effortful so everybody dressed.
So are you a sports guy now?
Ive become a sports guy.
Look, give me a six-foot-tall, handsome man in basketball, Im happy.
Running Pointis now streaming onNetflix.
