The styles worn on the television show Gossip Girl have
taken
Britain by storm. Teens emulate the characters' preppy, upscale style and the stores are obliging by featuring collections which reflect the zeitgeist of the show. But some commentators think the whole show is just one big product placement ad opportunity.
Gossip Girl, the most talked about American teenage television drama and, perhaps, the most cynical product placement exercise in history, is set to transform British teenage girls into preppy Manhattan Upper East-Siders.
Such is the hype that it's a trend too irresistible for fashion retailers to ignore. With the series now airing on ITV2, designers have already taken their cue and the high street will follow. 'As far as teenage fashion is concerned, they have definitely hit the ground running,' said British style and fashion commentator Charlie Porter.
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The plot appears secondary. Although TV ratings have not been that great, Gossip Girl has huge play on the internet - through its own website, through social networking sites like MySpace and Bebo, through internet and mobile phone downloads. This is the real seat of its power. Watch an episode - buy the clothes. A quick click, a few hundred dollars on the credit card later, and you too could possess Blair's Ralph Lauren look, or Fendi sunglasses, or the must-have Balenciaga bag.
Fashion experts now predict the preppy/Wasp style is going to be big. The catwalk shows in February had key items which means the look that Gossip Girl has been promoting during its first series will be in the shops in the autumn.
It could be worse. The show could be set in the 70s in the Midwest. Oh, wait, that's already been done. As far as we know, not one person on the planet wanted to buy anything worn on That 70s Show.
