Dynasty's Costume Designer on the Show's 'No Fur' Policy

Riverdale isn't the only show you should be binging on the CW. The network is also home to the hotly talked about Dynasty reboot, which brings all the beloved drama from the original '80s prime-time soap and a modern update to the flashy style Dynasty is known for — all thanks to costume designer, Meredith Markworth-Pollack. With an impressive repertoire as a wardrobe stylist for major TV shows, including Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie and REIGN (just to name a few), Markworth-Pollack is taking inspiration from the original hit series and modernizing it with some pretty fabulous looks. We sat down with the designer to get the inside scoop on how she's translating the decadence of  '80's fashion to modern-day Atlanta, Georgia. (Think flashy trends, sexy silhouettes, modern shoulder pads, faux fur and did we mention, tons of Gucci?)

Catch our chat with Markworth-Pollack below — and don't forget to tune in to the new Dynasty series on Wednesdays at 9pm on the CW.

How much did you refer back to the original Dynasty wardrobe when mapping out outfits for the cast?
"I did my homework watching the show, kind of getting the vibes for what Nolan Miller, the original designer, did for each [character] and then figured out what we wanted to take from that. I worked with the show runners and with the cast and one of the things, for example, that I really loved about it was how the original designer would match separates in the same color, like a great silk blouse with a silk pair of pants. There are so many great moments of Linda Evans in these beautiful nudes, and so I definitely want to respect that and, at the same time, it was a trend that I think is happening now. It was a bit easier than I thought to find that. So really respecting the palettes and some of the shapes for each character. Same with Fallon, doing some great statement dresses, great separates but we didn't want to be pigeonholed into only replicating the same looks, we wanted to keep it current and fresh but be respectful of the work that Nolan Miller did. It was so iconic and such a staple of the '80s, and I have the utmost respect for what he did. We're definitely planning a lot of little Easter eggs for the fans and little moments that diehard fans may notice were also in the original. There are certain palettes or styles of dresses — things like that."

The Dynasty reboot is based in Atlanta as opposed to Denver. Did you have any southern influences on your outfit choices?
"I hadn't spent a lot of time in the South before, I'm a California girl, and I was really surprised by the men's styles specifically when I got here. That's what impressed me the most. I think there's such a boldness and confidence in the men and I would go shopping at Saks or Neiman Marcus and I would see these men in their Gucci suits and their loafers! And I think there's that classic Americana sense here of dressing up for the day. Maybe you're not doing anything, but you wake up and you put on your suit. I was just blown away by the whole suiting world here. I've been really impressed. I think there's a lot of men here in the hip-hop community and in the athletics world that have a lot of money and aren't afraid to spend it on their clothing. I've been asking them, ‘What are you wearing? Where did you get it?' And that falls into the women's style too, but I think that I didn't want to go down the conservative southern road, I feel like we've seen that a lot of times. I feel like Atlanta is actually very progressive, I've found, so I want to reflect that in the style."

Was there any styles from the original Dynasty that you felt would not work for the reboot?
"Not really. Even the shoulder pads — I'm down for the shoulder pads! I think they're slightly different now, they're a little more refined. They're a little smaller. They don't need to be the size of your face. They can be a little more dainty, but still get that effect. I love some of the original Blake looks like the sweaters and the turtleneck, but we wanted to make sure our Blake didn't feel too much older, too conservative in that way so we didn't really go down that road for him. We saved the turtleneck for Colby. We're not doing real furs, we're using faux furs. I just love all the statement pieces, and the hats and the accessories and the silhouettes, but I think were doing our version of that. The 2017 version of that. Like I said, the shoulders aren't as big, maybe the hat brims are a little smaller, but besides that I feel a lot of those trends have come back around."

Where did the no-fur policy generate?
"Stephanie Savage, who's one of the creators of the show, and Sally Patrick, who's our show runner, made the decision going into the show that while, yes, fur was such a huge part of the original Dynasty , given where we are now in 2017 that they didn't want to use real fur. I totally respect that. We've dived head first into the world of faux fur, and I'm learning more and more about it. I've been very impressed by the designers that are working with faux fur. Stella McCartney is one of the pioneers of the higher-end couture designers that's exploring with no fur, but now there are so many great faux fur companies and people using it. Plus, there are interesting colors and things you can't get with originals. I'm excited to get into that world."

You've worked on some other pretty influential shows such as Gossip Girl. How does this show compare style-wise to your experience with that show?
"I think as far as being a show that has contemporary fashion and is kind of pushing the envelope, it's very similar, in the sense that we're hoping that it's going to be cutting edge and setting trends. You'll see a juxtaposition between our two female leads, Fallon and Krystle, played by Liz Gillies and Nathalie Kelley, so I think that where Blair and Serena were set up in these two very different styles you'll see that. I think that these girls aren't in high school, they're a little more mature so there's probably a bit more crossover than we saw before, but we're setting up this world, creating this world of wealth and affluence through cutting edge style trends, and that is definitely quite similar to what Gossip Girl became."

What is your biggest challenge in creating the costumes for this show?
"The obvious is the budget. That's always the biggest challenge. But it's a fun challenge, and I totally accept that challenge. I love the hunt. I love playing, dealing deals and I love being creative in that sense so it's been good. It can be tricky though, sometimes there's no way around it, you need the money to spend. And also battling the humid Atlanta summer. That's been a big wake up call for a lot of us that aren't from here. You need like six shirts if you're shooting a scene outside because you're just like sweating through them. So yeah, weather and money, some of life's biggest challenges too right?"

Is there a certain piece you couldn't believe you were able to get for the show?
"Basically everything from Gucci. I mean it's just so spot on for these characters right now. It's innovative, it's bold, it has some really great vintage throwbacks right now from the '70s. I feel every time I buy a Gucci piece, I'm just like my mind is like blown. Right now I'm looking at that pajama tuxedo. I walked in, and I was like, ‘I don't even know what I'm using this for, but I have to buy it right now.' Thank god I'm using it, because otherwise I'd get in a lot of trouble."

How Story of Yanxi Palace's back-stabbing imperial concubines

A 70-episode period drama about a quick-witted maidservant investigating the death of her sister amid a group of back-stabbing Qing dynasty imperial concubines has set the single-day online viewership record in China. A total of 530 million viewers tuned in on August 12 to follow the scheming on iQiyi, the nation's biggest streaming platform.

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Some other staggering numbers: The Story of Yanxi Palace, co-produced by iQiyi and Huanyu Film, has attracted a cumulative 5.6 billion views since its release last month, or an average of 130 million views per episode, according to Maoyan, an online ticketing and statistics provider.

The hit drama, set in the court of Emperor Qianlong (1711 – 1799), is available in more than 70 markets globally, making it one of the most widely distributed period series produced by China, according to iQiyi.

Hong Kong's TVB recently bought the distribution rights for the show in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Similar distribution agreements have been made with TV channels and platforms in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

In one particular episode, a jealous concubine schemed to destroy some lychee trees that the emperor had shipped from southern Fujian province to Beijing, so as to embarrass the empress, who was preparing to share the fruits at a tea party. The consort's maidservant turned the tables on the concubine by making it seem like the latter's Pekinese dog had caused the damage.

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In an earlier episode, a lower-ranking concubine hung herself after being humiliated by being repeatedly slapped in public. That punishment was meted out by the same vengeful concubine who destroyed the lychee trees.

That such a plot line can inspire hours of binge-watching among China's couch potatoes underlines the continued interest in imperial dramas, a staple in Chinese TV fare alongside dramas about the Communist Party's struggle against the Japanese in the 1930s and 1940s.

Billions of dollars in advertising and other revenue are at stake. China is home to the world's largest internet population and the video-streaming market reached 95.2 billion yuan in revenue last year and is expected to hit 200 billion yuan by 2020, driven by membership fees, according to iResearch.

The surge in entertainment spending has also sparked a race among production houses and studios to secure the services of the most popular actors. The resulting inflation in fees has in led to cases of tax evasion and illegal offshore currency transfers, with multiple agencies recently initiating a coordinated crackdown targeting high-profile celebrities.

Over the weekend, the country's three streaming giants – iQiyi, Tencent Video and Youkou Tudou – pledged to cap the pay of television stars at 1 million yuan (US$145,200) per episode and no more than 50 million yuan for an entire season. A government ruling last September mandated that fees to actors cannot exceed 40 per cent of the total production budget.

Two episodes of Yanxi Palace are being released a day on iQiyi platforms every Tuesday to Sunday. With the final episode slated to be aired on August 28 for fee-paying members, the plotting continues.

McDonald's seeks bigger bite in China with strategic tie-up

McDonald’s Corp. has outlined ambitious plans to grow its China business, including boosting its outlets in the country by 80 percent in five years and a renewed push into lower-tier cities.

The US-based fast-food behemoth announced on Tuesday the completion of a strategic partnership with China’s state-backed CITIC, a deal that is expected to lead to a “new era of growth” in a key market.

The partnership with CITIC, together with the Chinese conglomerate’s affiliate CITIC Capital Partners and private-equity firm Carlyle Group, will operate and manage McDonald’s businesses in mainland China and Hong Kong.

Under “Vision 2022″, the new joint venture, in which the CITIC conglomerate will have a combined stake of 52 percent, aims to add 2,000 restaurants in mainland China within the next five years to bring the total in the country to 4,500.

“China will soon become our largest market outside of the United States. We are excited to join forces with CITIC and Carlyle for better localized decision-making to meet changing customer demands in this dynamic market,” Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s President and CEO, said in a statement.

McDonald’s also hopes to boost its business in Hong Kong, where it currently has about 240 outlets, the highest restaurant-to-population ratio across all the company’s markets.

But the main focus appears to be the Chinese mainland, where arch rival KFC has already boosted its network to some 5,300 outlets but has been struggling with tepid sales growth.

In recent years McDonald’s has been forced to go on a diet, shedding ailing business in many parts of the world.

In this situation, tapping into key growth markets has become imperative for the fast-food giant, leading to the renewed push on Chinese consumers.

“Ramping up a new era of growth and innovation, the partnership will leverage combined expertise and strength to drive an expansion strategy,” McDonald’s said in its statement Tuesday.

“We believe this is a winning formula that fuses McDonald’s global quality standards and branding with CITIC and Carlyle’s extensive resources and market expertise in real estate, finance, supply chains, consumer & retail, and technology.”

There are two types of McDonald’s restaurants in most markets: those owned and operated by the company and those franchised to third-party licensees.

The partnership has received Chinese regulatory approval and was completed on July 31, creating the largest McDonald’s franchisee outside the US.

The new venture, headed by CITIC Capital CEO Zhang Yichen, announced a series of development initiatives for mainland China, in particular “Vision 2022” that aims to drive double-digit sales growth in each of the next five years, helped by addition of 500 new restaurants per year.

It is understood that CITIC will foot much of the bill for the aggressive expansion into mostly third and fourth-tier cities and towns in China.

An innovation hub will be set up in Hong Kong and another one in Shanghai, for menu innovation and advanced digital retail experience.

Compared with KFC’s exemplary localization to meet the tastes of Chinese customers with a slew of seasonal, fusion choices of local ingredients and non-fried food, McDonald’s is seen as a laggard in adopting to the China market, with its menu still stocked with US style deep-fried wings and beef cutlets.

While the company’s fries, chicken nuggets and apple pies have been the comfort food for numerous Americans, their Chinese counterparts are not too impressed, especially as many people remember a stale-meat scandal in 2014 that took the already dropping number of patrons into a free fall.

It remains to be seen if the new Chinese stakeholder will help the brand understand better the increasingly discerning tastes of mainland diners.

Traditional costumes displayed at China Culture Centre

The Cultural Centre of Dalian Jinpu New Area, with support of Cultural office Embassy of China in Pakistan, held the ‘New Silk Road Exhibition’ on Sunday.

The exhibition aims to promote traditional Chinese costumes. The event is being arranged as a part of celebrations of 2017 Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, ‘Ode to the Moon’.

For thousands of years, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been celebrated as the time of year for when the moon is at its largest and roundest and as a traditional thanksgiving for the heavens, earth and nature together with friends and family.

Formerly known as the ‘Reunion Festival’, it’s when people come together to celebrate their family, friends, the earth and nature.

An official of China Culture Centre said that costumes had maintained an important place in Chinese culture for more than three thousand years. Moreover, Chinese costumes are magnificent and colorful, he said.

He said that many dynasties throughout China’s history each had its own unique style of costumes, with styles changing or disappearing as the dynasty changed, declined, or were replaced.

The cheongsam, or Qipao in Chinese, evolved from a style of ancient clothing worn by the Manchu ethnic minority.

During the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) they unified China and standardised the nationwide costume as well.

At that time, men wore a long gown and a mandarin jacket over the gown, while women wore the cheongsam.

Although the 1911 Revolution toppled the rule of the Qing Dynasty, this female dress survived the political change and, with succeeding improvements, has become the traditional dress for Chinese women.

According to the four seasons and the wearers’ needs, the cheongsam can either be long or short, unlined or interlined, woollen or made of silk floss. The cheongsam displays strong national flavor and embodies the beauty of Chinese traditional costumes. It not only represents the Chinese female costume but also has become a symbol of a traditional oriental costume.

Festival: The 10th round of ‘Samaa’ International festival for spiritual music and chanting, started on Sunday at Citadel of Saladin, Cairo Egypt.

A three-member troupe from Pakistan, led by Akbar Khamiso Khan, a renowned folklore musician from Pakistan, participated in the festival, said a press release.

Khamiso Khan is a popular musician from Pakistan who plays al-goza which is an instrument used in playing folkloric melodies.

Pakistani troupe enthralled the audience with their performance and received well-deserved appreciation.

Performers and musicians from more than 20 other countries including Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia, Romania and Bangladesh are participating in the music festival. The festival is a step towards a long road for peoples and nations to come closer. It opens up new windows of different cultures from across the globe with the art of Samaa “Listening” to penetrate the soul of humanity.

The festival will continue till September 27. A large gathering including members from the diplomatic community watched the performance. It was an impressive show and a message of peace to the entire world through the participation of over 20 countries from across the world with their diverse cultures.

Chinese TV shows win foreign fans

China’s rapidly developing television industry is offering ever more TV genres and shows to overseas markets.

Netflix has recently acquired an online Chinese detective drama series, Day and Night, and plans to distribute it in more than 190 markets around the world where its service is available, according to hollywoodreporter.com.

Earlier this year the drama The Journey of Flower was shown in Britain and France.

The series, adapted from a namesake online novel, is about an unlikely romance between a master and his young disciple.

This year another popular series, Princess Agents, about a sixth-century female slave trying to be a powerful military leader, has set a record for YouTube views, at nearly 3 billion, making it the most-watched Chinese TV drama internationally.

Its overseas distributor said it plans to translate Princess Agents into nine languages and broadcast it in about 85 countries and regions.

Foreign buyers once had few choices with Chinese TV programmes and they mainly focused on documentaries and animated productions, but now they are also paying attention to Chinese historically themed dramas.

Yang Le, a distributor, has observed these changes over the past 10 years. When she was in Cannes to promote Chinese television dramas in 2006, she was disappointed with her first visit to MIPCOM, the world’s largest trade show for entertainment content held in the French city each October.

Only a few Chinese companies were there, and they struggled to hold the attention of prospective foreign buyers.

But Ms Yang’s recent trip to Cannes for this year’s trade show, held from Oct 16 to 19, was a pleasant surprise.

More than 200 prospective foreign buyers visited her company’s exhibition area, which featured imperial-style costumes and ornaments used by lead characters in three upcoming TV series: Zhao Ge, Story of Yanxi Palace and Untouchable Lovers.

“The prospective buyers were not just interested in the stories, but also by the Chinese culture and history behind them,” said Ms Yang, now chief executive of Dongyanghuanyu Film & Television Culture Co.

Besides the display of the props, a documentary on exquisite embroidery and ornament making was shown at the exhibition, attracting a lot of interest.

More than 20 prospective customers from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Poland and Pakistan have shown interest in buying the distribution rights of Zhao Ge.