Season Two of “Empire” is here, which means more standout shoe moments. Jimmy Choo is already having a moment with the promotional posters that were released.
In one shot, Taraji P. Henson (Cookie Lyon) is pictured wearing the brand’s Dory strappy sandal in gold. In another, Kaitlin Doubleday (Rhonda Lyon) dons the Anouk pointed pump in white.
Plus, season one featured Trai Byers (Andre Lyon) in the Jared loafer and Bryshere Y. Gray (Hakeem Lyon) in the Bradley sneaker.
FN spoke to costume designer Rita McGhee earlier this year, to talk shoes on set.
How do you prep for each episode?
I have inspiration boards for each character and their color story and spend a lot of time on color theory. I like dressing each of them because they all dress differently and play off each other.
Talk a bit about Cookie Lyon and Lucious Lyon. How did you imagine the characters’ styles?
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Cookie [played by Taraji P. Henson] wears bold prints — a lot of animal prints — and lots of jewelry and fur. She’s not scared to wear those outfits. Cookie wearing the animal prints shows she is a bit like a king of the jungle. These animals sit silently until they’re ready to strike.
Lucious is regal and royal. He built his “Empire.” While he’s calculating and manipulative, he’s thoughtful in his style choices. We looked for regal colors for him: maroons, yellows and greens. He wears a lot of textures and ties and ascots and is very clear on his structure. We looked at other empires and leaders when we were thinking about him.
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