For inspiration in creating the onscreen world of Santa Barbara’s upper crust in the upcoming series The Politician, production designer Jamie McCall looked to none other than the work of the iconic design duo of Sister Parish and Albert Hadley.
Created by Ryan Murphy, best known for his wildly popular shows such as Glee, American Horror Story, and Nip/Tuck, the Netflix dark comedy centers around an ambitious preppy high school student, Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), who has his long-range sights set on the Oval Office via the student body presidency and admission to Harvard. As the six-time Emmy-winning director has detailed, the show features the satirical tone of ’70s films like The Candidate and Shampoo, with aesthetics evoking The Royal Tenenbaums and The Graduate.
In addition to the beautifully decorated and always fashionable work of Parish/Hadley, McCall referenced a 2018 Gucci collection and the hyperstylized films of director Wes Anderson for the overall ambiance of the show. “I wanted to do an East Coast upscale-rich vibe, and came across Sister Parish and Albert Hadley in my research," says the designer, whose recent credits include NBC’s The Good Place. "I loved the classic way they used patterns and bold color in a sophisticated manner, and I carried the look throughout the show. Ryan wanted pops of color and layers that were clean and classic, which is why I thought the designers' work would be perfect.”
The legendary pair’s influence was taken a step further when McCall created a continuous floral textile pattern for Payton’s bedroom. Art imitates life, as the designer explains: “I thought about the character and how even as a high school student, he would want a presidential bedroom.” Inspired by the stately real-life bedroom of John F. Kennedy, McCall referenced interiors the designers created at the White House for the 35th president and tried to do a take on their look: “I love the fact these designs do not age and are timeless.”
While the setting of the series is the tony stucco-and-bougainvillea-filled environs of Santa Barbara, filming actually took place in various locales in and around Los Angeles. A private home in neighboring Thousand Oaks doubles as the Hobart manse, while the backdrop for another hub of activity—Saint Sebastian High School—comprises three different locations.
Color plays a useful tool in storytelling, as McCall juxtaposes icy blues (indicating the coldness of Payton’s parents, played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Bob Balaban) with warm pops of color. As he worked closely with costume designer Lou Eyrich, the sets are simpatico with Paltrow’s wardrobe, which includes a bold red Carolina Herrera gown—perfect for tending to the perfectly manicured rose garden—and an emerald caftan, complete with $10 million worth of Harry Winston jewelry.
Set decorator Amber Haley sourced the high-end interiors from a variety of usual suspects, ranging from custom upholstery to antiquities on Chairish and 1stdibs, and an assortment of ashtrays from eBay. Even the school classrooms and libraries were dressed right down to the bottle-green lacquered lockers.
The series premieres on Netflix on Friday, September 27.