An Inside Look at the Costumes in Season Two of Bel-Air

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Bel-Air has officially returned to Peacock for its highly anticipated second season, and viewers are not only fascinated by the plot line, but also by the vibrant on-screen ensembles worn by the cast. The one-hour series— a dramatized rendition of the hit 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air— follows a West Philadelphia native named Will as he moves into a glitzy gated community in Los Angeles to live with his relatives. As Will adjusts to his new life, he grapples with the emotional toll of fitting into a world much different than his own.

To help bring this story to life through powerful visuals, the creators of the show commissioned Costume Designer QueenSylvia Akuchie to meticulously style each look for the Bel-Air characters. “This has been the best show of my career because of my crew,” says Akuchie. “There is so much love and intention behind each piece, and you’ll see a reflection of that on the screen.”

The fashion connoisseur spoke with T&C to share her creative experience, especially emphasizing her choice to honor Black culture through textiles, prints, and colors— an approach that undoubtedly makes Akuchie's work so unique.

Keep reading to learn more about Akuchie and her inspiration behind all the looks of Bel-AIr’s new season.

When did you begin your career in the styling industry?

Well, initially I wanted to go to law school. But when I started an internship in college, which turned into a low level styling position, I thought to myself “wait, I can actually have a career in this.” From there, I got a number of styling jobs, from working on set of music videos to commercials, and eventually I made my way into the costume design space. I found out that costume design is really my niche because I'm a storyteller at heart, and I discovered that I can really tell stories through fashion. I felt so much gratitude and fulfillment in costume design, and my career just went up from there.

How did you get involved with Bel-Air, was there anything that drew you toward this specific project?

My agent initially shared the script with me. And my near and dear mentor Michelle Cole, who works closely with Kenya Barris on Black-ish and Grown-ish, actually referred me to the job. I had no idea that she had put the whole thing together, and I was so elated to know that I had the support of my mentor. From there, I met with the producers and it went so well. I felt so free and organic, I could just be myself and I didn’t have to subscribe to any standards or bring myself down to fit in a box. As for Bel-Air, the fashion that I chose to select and the stories that I wanted to tell resonated with the team, so they hired me.

So, this your first season with the crew?

Yes, this is my first season with the crew. I get texts throughout the week from my cast members just sharing their gratitude for my work. I can honestly say that this has been the best show of my career.

Where does the process start for you in terms of creating the looks that appear on screen?

After receiving the script, I'll start to put mood boards and story boards together, which reflect my own interpretations of the characters. Because Bel-Air is a reimagined version of The Fresh Prince, I took a deep dive into the original show to examine the characters of the past because I knew that there would be a sense of connectivity to the modern-day characters. That said, I didn’t want to just repeat what I saw on the 90s show, I wanted to put a contemporary spin on it, while thinking about how these characters would look nowadays.

For example, Hillary Banks in the new Bel-Air is an influencer. Influencers didn’t even exist when The Fresh Prince aired, so while making my mood boards I had to examine those nuances for each character to really make everything come together.

What is the symbolism behind the ensembles that you styled?

I’m a first-generation American of Nigerian descent, so I wanted to make my voice heard from my own cultural perspective. Growing up, there were very few costume designers that looked like me, so I never really saw a lot of my culture being represented on camera. I wanted to change that. So for this project, I paid homage to African culture. I always like to have a piece of myself on camera.

How did you represent contemporary Black culture and traditional African culture?

The clothes on screen embody a blend of both cultures, and I intentionally sourced pieces from both Africa and the US. For Aunt Viv’s character, many of her clothes and hand-made jewelry pieces were pulled from Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria. As for a character like Will, I pulled a lot of designs from local Philadelphia artists. While watching the show, you might see Will wearing a West Philadelphia brand paired with a Balenciaga jacket. And for Jazz’s character, who is from Los Angeles, I used a lot of designers from inner city LA.

Overall, I wanted the costumes to reflect each character’s authentic story. Also, sourcing from Black designers is special to me because I had the chance to give artists a platform to shine, who wouldn't have otherwise had an opportunity to do so.

What are your favorite looks from this season?

I get that question a lot and honestly, it’s so hard for me to answer because each character is so unique in their own way. To give you a short answer I guess I will say that Aunt Viv’s wardrobe is one of my favorites because her pieces in particular have such a deep connection to my roots. My mother has passed on, and I know that she would have been so happy to know that I was able to represent my culture through a character like Aunt Viv.

Any final thoughts for our readers?

I just want to give a special shout out to my phenomenal team. They’ve made the creative process so seamless and they’ve fostered such a safe space for me to bring my work to life. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this.

Watch QueenSylvia's work come to life through Bel-Air's new season, streaming now on Peacock.

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