Victory Ford from 'Lipstick Jungle'

Costume designer Daniel Lawson must love a challenge. Not only has he taken a position dressing Candace Bushnell's (Sex and the City) new Thursday night series Lipstick Jungle on NBC, he also has the unenviable task of creating the look for a character who is a major fashion designer.

Victory Ford, played by Lindsay Price, was once the most celebrated up-and-coming designer in New York until The New York Times trashed her last collection. Now she needs to regroup and regain the mantle. So the challenge for Lawson is to find a theme for Victory that could pass off as her own Victory Ford line.

"I based her on a modern day Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's), not so much on the black sheath dress but on her outlook on life," Lawson says. "She marches to her own drummer and looks fabulous doing it. ... As a designer you could see her stepping out of her brownstone and taking inspiration from the people all around her. People in New York are not afraid to show their unique looks and she's inspired by that."

But how do you create a look for an entire label with the limited budget of a new television series? Lawson (Third Watch, The Bourne Ultimatum) decided to talk to real-life fashion designer Cynthia Rowley to see how she handles that lifestyle. Her insights were invaluable, and Lawson just had to pick a direction for Victory. He chose a label that's "fun, flirty, trendy but sophisticated, and that experiments with colors and shapes."

Ultimately, Lawson found that designer Peter Som's line seemed to be very similar to what he wanted for the Victory Ford line.

"His clothes really have that designer look," Lawson says. "They're unique." He also chose styles from Rowley and other designers such as 3.1 Phillip Lim, Fendi, Monique Lhuillier, Burberry, DKNY and Missoni, and jeans by Citizens of Humanity and J Brand.
But her own wardrobe on the show -- she wears only Victory Ford -- is made up of mostly sleeveless low-cut dresses with belts or Empire waists or blouses with skirts and high heels. Her bags are also from the Victory Ford line, but in reality are spectacular works of art by Anya Hindmarch, B. Romanek, Longchamp, Burberry and Fendi.

"A designer designs what they love," Lawson says. "So it only makes sense that they'd wear their own designs."

Another strong designer element to Victory's looks is her headwear. Lawson credits designer Jennifer Behr for creating Victory's headstrong appeal with headbands, hair clips, ornaments and scarves.

If you want to re-create Victory's look, Lawson recommends checking out the Peter Som section of Saks Fifth Avenue. For the more budget conscious, pick a fitted dress featuring unique colors and textures, and a pair of strappy sandals.

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