Costume Designer Jenn Rogien on the Fashionable World of Katy Keene

There’s a lot to look forward to with Katy Keene — but the outfit inspiration might be the sparkly cherry on top.

The Riverdale spin-off, premiering today, will take viewers into the heart of New York City through the title character’s fashion-forward eyes. An aspiring designer, Katy (portrayed by Lucy Hale) works at the esteemed Lacy’s Department Store as an assistant to style legend and personal shopper Gloria Grandbilt, all the while designing her own elaborate clothes from the bedroom of her apartment. Add in three uniquely interesting and fashionable best friends (not to mention a swoon-worthy boyfriend), and you easily have the making of a TV show that will keep you coming back every week — or setting your DVR accordingly.

Like Riverdale, Katy Keene’s origins can be traced back to Archie Comics, the comic book powerhouse also responsible for bringing Sabrina Spellman into our lives. According to Katy Keene costume designer Jenn Rogien, the original comics served as a blueprint for the colorful fashion we’ll see on our TV screens every Thursday. “The inspiration starts with the comics,” says Rogien, who also worked on Orange Is the New Black and Russian Doll and adds that Katy’s bright colors and heart motifs are a direct pull from the primary source. “Every time we did a Katy piece that she was making, I went back to the comics for research on sleeves and necklines.”

But don’t be fooled — there’s a lot more to Katy’s personal style than hearts and red dresses; after all, she’s “not a Valentine’s Day explosion,” as Rogien puts it. “She’s very fashion-forward,” the designer added, noting that we often see her sporting “sophisticated” and bold looks in her signature shades of fuchsia and crimson — with plenty of sparkles and sequins to spare.

It wouldn’t be the first time we saw Lucy fill the (brightly colored) shoes of a “fashion-forward” character; as Aria Montgomery on Pretty Little Liars, she often rocked asymmetrical hemlines, mismatched patterns that always worked, and a whole lot of leopard print. In fact, Rogien recalled a Katy Keene wardrobe fitting when Katy and Aria’s styles almost overlapped. “Lucy looked at the dress and said, ‘I wore this on Pretty Little Liars,’” Rogien remembers with a laugh. “I said, ‘Okay, we’ll send that one back!’”

Similarities aside, Katy and Aria are not the same (though we think they’d get along pretty well), and this is an entirely different universe. “[Katy Keene] is a New Yorker,” Rogien emphasized. “She works at a very high-end, fictional department store.” And when we see Katy at work, surrounded by the couture designs on the racks at Lacy’s, it’s easy to understand where she gets the inspiration for her own designs. Rogien adds that Katy also is a little inspired by her boss, Gloria, a Miranda Priestly type played by Dynasty star Katherine LaNasa. “Gloria is very much our expert fashion character,” Rogien says, noting that audiences will sometimes see Katy and Gloria sporting similar sleeve details. “She's one of the legends in our imaginary world, and she's running the personal shopping department at the best department store in this world.”

Of course, the eye-popping outfits extend beyond Katy’s sewing machine and the walls of Lacy’s; each major character has their own individual style — even if they don’t work in the fashion industry themselves. Take Jorge Lopez, for example, (and his drag alter ego, Ginger), played by Jonny Beauchamp. As an aspiring Broadway performer, Jorge is entirely confident in his identity, and that confidence translates to his clothes. “He is so secure in who he is and dresses for it,” Rogien explains, noting that we’ll often see Jorge wear sparkly crop tops and high-waisted jeans during the day, while sporting luxurious gowns and glittery cocktail dresses as Ginger — many of which Katy personally makes for him. “Ginger is so much a part of his identity, even though she is an alter ego,” Rogien adds. “We tried to create a separate look for her that is glamorous and has the element of classic drag to it, but also feels modern and fresh.”

One character on Katy Keene comes with a bit of history (and thus, a foundation for her personal style). Josie McCoy, played by Ashleigh Murray, was previously seen on Riverdale and will be joining Katy and her friends in NYC. “Josie’s look has evolved the most, only because there is history in the world to compare it to,” Rogien explains, noting that the character will appear “more grown-up” than when she was kicking it with Betty and Veronica five years earlier in the Riverdale universe. “We keyed into her budding music career, her move to New York, plus her already established signature style, and ran with that as inspiration.”

Pepper Smith, played by Julia Chan, rounds out Katy Keene’s “core four,” though her character remains a bit of a mystery — a quality that also informed her style. “Pepper is so hilariously hard to describe,” Rogien admits with a laugh. “We don't really know her story, where she came from, or even how old she really is. So we tried to use that in her costumes: There's a lot of layers and a bunch of things that might not actually go together, but somehow she pulls it off. Her clothes are a reflection of everything that's going on under the surface with Pepper.”

We’ll just have to wait and see what transpires with Pepper — and the rest of Katy’s adventures. But if there’s one thing that’s been made clear, it’s that every second of Katy Keene is brimming with stylish details that you won’t want to miss. We’ll be keeping our eyes open to catch every sequin, sparkle, and heart — and taking notes for our group Halloween costume later this fall.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue