SeriesFest’s “Fashion in Focus” event offered a rare kind of tribute earlier this month: one that treated costume design not as a backdrop to story but as story itself. Held in downtown Denver, the evening honored Alex Bovaird — three-time Emmy-nominated costume designer behind HBO’s The White Lotus.
The “Fashion In Focus” event included a red carpet cocktail hour complete with original costumes from the show on display, espresso martinis and bowls of “lorazepam” (Tic Tacs, probably) to set the mood.
After cocktail hour, Bovaird was awarded SeriesFest’s 2025 Excellence in Costume Design Award and shared her insights in a Q&A discussion with Matthew Morris, a prolific hair and make-up artist and local salon owner. Presented in collaboration with Matthew Morris Salon, A Line Boutique, Worth Style and Wilhelmina Denver, the event concluded with an immersive fashion show inspired by Bovaird’s jet-setting visual world.
Bovaird, who also designed for NOPE, True Detective: Night Country and Shame, shared lessons from her abundant career and her three seasons working on White Lotus.
Upon receiving her reward, Bovaird expressed gratitude for a career path where no day is ever quite the same and noted that costume designing in Hollywood and beyond isn’t quite as glamorous as some might assume. From filming in a “bubble” during the global pandemic to flying costume pieces across the world, the life of a costume designer requires constant flexibility, compromise and collaboration — as well as a go-with-the-flow attitude amongst the beautiful and somewhat chaotic nature of creative work.
With season three coming to an end, the conversation focused on the newest chapter’s evolution: a refined tone shaped meaningfully this season by its Thai setting, the moral ambiguity of its characters and the underlying eerie “whodunnit” energy White Lotus fans are accustomed to.
The night culminated in a fashion show styled by Amber Fries that moved beyond the traditional format. Rather than a runway at a distance, models emerged from the crowd and walked through the audience in curated looks that echoed the spirit of The White Lotus.
Throughout the show, model’s joined a living set on the stage, sharing drinks (and presumably gossip) and dressed in a wide variety of resort wear, from the bold and scandalous to the sharply tailored and conservative.
The styling pulled directly from Bovaird’s visual language — big florals and loud fabrics, intentional accessorizing, subtle mismatches that hint at emotional fracture. From dresses fit for expensive dinners to bathing suit covers and looks fit for the airport, the collection displayed the full spectrum of vacation wear — and the archetypes of travelers who might wear these looks.
Set to a moody, transportive soundtrack, the presentation felt like a slow, deliberate descent into a world where opulence is always on the verge of unraveling. If the runway show felt like a vacation, it was the kind where something quietly unsettling lingers just beneath the surface. Which is to say — it was very White Lotus coded.
Randi Kleiner, SeriesFest’s CEO and Co-Founder, described the event as a natural extension of the festival’s mission.
“Bovaird’s visionary work in the series masterfully enhances its rich storytelling, and this event perfectly embodies what SeriesFest is all about — spotlighting the very best of television and bringing that excellence to the heart of Denver,” said Randi Kleiner in an article published by the organization.
“We are especially proud to make this celebration possible through an amazing collaboration with our local partners, showcasing the creative spirit of this city.”
As SeriesFest prepares to open its 11th season on April 29 — with a live show at Red Rocks headlined by Amy Schumer — the “Fashion in Focus” event marked an intentional start: grounded, considered and creatively driven.
All photography by Kiddest Metaferia. Full event gallery can be found here.
