There are rare occasions in TV and film when the setting transcends a location to become a character, or the costume design is so integral to the storytelling that it pushes the plot along in the same way the actual characters do. The hit Prime Video series Harlem is the perfect example of this dynamic.
The ensemble cast of Meagan Good, Shoniqua Shandai, Grace Byers, and Jerrie Johnson aren’t simply wearing clothes when they deliver strong performances in the Tracy Oliver-created show. Instead, their characters’ ensembles tell a story all on their own thanks to the work of costume designer Deirdra Elizabeth Govan, who worked on seasons 1 and 2. While viewers get to witness these arcs come to fruition on screen, their attire helps give the characters dimension. Just imagine Shandai’s energetic Angie Wilson in drab clothing. You, the viewer, wouldn’t believe she’s been honing her triple-threat talents all her life nor her struggle to get noticed.
Similarly, Byers feels that the journey of her character, fashion designer Quinn Joseph, is reflected through her sense of style.
“Quinn, as we know, is an aspiring fashion designer, and I think she puts a lot of thought into what it is that she designs and what it is that she wears,” said Byers to UPTOWN just before the premiere of season two. “I think it’s really important that it reflects what she is sure about, which is that sustainable, eco-friendly, high-end kind of fashion. And then we have a really great moment where we see her design and wear something for the Pride Parade that we see in the trailer. We get to see how she is processing this journey and this arc this season through fashion. We also see some other fashion choices that I think people will be a little taken aback by because it reflects her internal journey as well.”
The environment of Harlem – with its Black wealth, Black-owned businesses, famous brownstones, various eateries, countless hookup partners, and unfortunate gentrification – serves as not only a backdrop but also a through line. Good’s Camille, for example, just couldn’t jet off to Chicago to be with Jameson on a show called Harlem. The series captures the upper-Manhattan neighborhood as an entity separate from the rest of New York City, one that has everything and anything the four friends need or desire. For fan favorite Shandai, the significance of Harlem to the storyline cannot be understated.
“Harlem is such a magnificent backdrop in this show. In the entertainment world, we’re seeing this beautiful surge of Black female writers and directors, and we’re going through this Renaissance right now, so what a perfect setting for this show about Black women,” Shandai said to UPTOWN. “What I love so much about it is that you get to see the inner parts of Harlem and explore different restaurants that are quintessential and specific to Harlem.”
Hear from Grace Byers and Shoniqua Shandai in the video below.
