Griselda is all at once a thrilling and sombre tale. Sure, we’ve seen the story of a drug lord many a time on our screens - Narcos, Breaking Bad- but Netflix’s Griselda boasts the first female lead in the genre. It's also a vehicle for Sofia Vergara to prove that not only does she have the comedic chops shown in her role as Gloria in Modern Family, but she also has the gravitas to pull off a purely dramatic role. It's just an added bonus that she wears a fantastic wardrobe in Griselda.
As explained in the real-life story of Griselda Blanco, Griselda tells the story of the woman known as the 'godmother of cocaine', a drug lord operating in Miami in the '70s and '80s. She was born in Columbia and was reportedly involved in violent crime from the age of 11. She eventually married drug trafficker Alberto Bravo in the 1970s, which is how she got into the cocaine trade. By the late 1970s, Blanco had moved to Miami and became one of the world's wealthiest drug lords. According to reports, she smuggled more than three tonnes of cocaine into the US every year, netting some $80m each month.
This brutal yet ever-fascinating story is translated beautifully to the screen, which is further elevated by the show's stellar wardrobe. Naturally, given the time in which the show is set, costume designer Sarah Evelyn Bram sourced many pieces from vintage stores. There's particularly a lot of original Diane von Furstenberg pieces, one of which Vergara wears in the first scene. To achieve the more high-octane glamorous outfits, Bram found some vintage Versace, as well as some Haltson-esque dresses.
Somehow, the show has managed to arrive just as the internet is dissecting the Mob Wife Aesthetic, a fever dream of animal print, faux-fur coats, gold jewellery and designer handbags (the bigger the logo, the better, naturally). Vergara's outfits in Griselda fit right into that mould with exaggerated silhouettes, satin prints, flared jeans and gaudy jewellery - it's all here.
Interestingly, some of the biggest trends for spring/summer 2024 include high-rise, wide-leg trousers, certainly with their roots in the 1970s. Vergara, as Blanco, pairs hers with tucked-in satin shirts, while the wealth of metallic pieces she wears echo many designers's proclivity for lamé, sequins, silver and gold this season. From Ralph Lauren's one-shoulder gold lamé gown (as seen on Christy Turlington) to Roksanda's dress seemingly crafted from liquid silver, there were plenty of options on the SS24 catwalks that certainly wouldn't look out of place in Vergara's on-screen wardrobe.
Shop: The Best Griselda Outfits And How To Recreate Them
If you're inspired by the fashion in Griselda, we've compiled the best outfits from the show and found pieces to help you recreate the look in a way that feels just right for 2024.
The Peplum Power Dress
The peplum is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment, with the likes of Huishan Zhang, Roksanda and Tove showing their own iterations of this shape for SS24. On Vergara, it lends a feminine edge to a take on the power suit.
mytheresawww.mytheresa.com
A glitzier take on Griselda's version of the peplum, Self Portrait's midi dress is an easy wedding guest outfit that will never fail to impress.
etsywww.etsy.com
If you want to find your own vintage treasures, sites like Etsy, eBay and Vestiaire Collective have mountains of '80s-style two-pieces that you could style for now. Try this with ballet flats – if the shoulder pads feel too outdated, you could always take them to a tailor to alter.
The Satin Shirt and Flared Jeans Combo
There are many scenes in which Vergara's character wears this combination of '70s-style jeans with a satin shirt. Given fashion's current penchant for any denim that's wide of leg, it's a combo that feels just as relevant right now.
zarawww.zara.com
This Zara sea-green shirt is buttoned up with bejewelled buttons, but you can leave the top ones open for Griselda's dramatic v-neck effect. Tuck into jeans or style loose over straight skirts to create elongated proportions.
H&Mwww2.hm.com
Directly inspired by '70s silhouettes, H&M jeans, available in an array of denim shades, have all the classic appeal of a retro silhouette with a contemporary ease. Try with a matching denim shirt if satin doesn't appeal.
The Buttoned Camel Midi Dress
Marking her first triumph after making the move to Miami, Griselda wears this camel shirt dress. Finished off with a waist belt, this actually feels like it could function as a stylish workwear option right now.
wolf & badgerwww.wolfandbadger.com
Try this with knee-high boots and an oversized trench for a no-fuss office outfit.
Alignealigne.co
A fresh take on the shirt dress, Aligne's denim midi is a throw-on-and-go option that will still make you look as though your outfit has been carefully considered.
The Striped Wrap Dress
The wrap dress has an enduring appeal few other pieces of clothing enjoy to the same extent. Diane Von Furstenberg, queen of the style, has just celebrated 50 years of her signature wrap dresses, so what better time to invest?
H&Mwww2.hm.com
You'll want to wear it over lightweight polo necks and tights while it's still cold but, come summer, this will prove to be a hard-working dress you can take from day to night without a fuss.
the outnetwww.theoutnet.com
The last word in wrap dresses, DVF has been perfecting this style for decades. Luckily, The Outnet has. a range of the designer's signature style for less, meaning you can nab your own piece of fashion history without spending eye-watering sums of money.
The Printed Shirt And Perfect Black Trousers
This leaf print shirt with high-waisted black trousers is an outfit that looks just as fresh and appealing in 2024. Luckily, you can recreate it with some near-identical pieces, including a beautiful silk shirt from Equipment, the brand which counts Kate Moss as a fan.
farfetchwww.farfetch.com
Made from pure silk, this beautiful chestnut brown shirt retains the leafy nature of the original. Wear with trousers and skirts, on its own or even half-buttoned over roll-neck knits.
omneswww.omnes.com
Finding the perfect pair of black trousers is no mean feat. Griselda’s pair sit perfectly just above the waist, much like this style from Omnes. You’ll want to wear them every day.
The Gold Metallic Dress
From Prabal Gurung to Ralph Lauren, gold lamé had its time to shine on the spring/summer 2024 catwalks, so Griselda's wrap dress couldn't be more current. Channel her more-is-more approach with gold jewellery to match (more on that below).
& other storieswww.stories.com
Why have just a metallic gold dress, when you can have a metallic gold dress with sequins? This relaxed sequin-embellished mini dress features Dolman sleeves and a wrap effect at the neckline and skirt.
ghostwww.ghost.co.uk
A more elegant take on the original, the Ghost Etta Long Sleeve Midi Satin Dress is Hollywood glamour to a T.
The Vintage Omega Necklace
If we needed any more proof that big jewellery has been resurrected from the ‘80s, look no further than Celine Dion wearing a dazzling platinum Tiffany High Jewellery necklace – with diamonds of over 87 total carats – at 2024’s Grammy Awards. In Griselda, Vergara wears something only slightly less sparkly in the form of Julia Vaughn's Vintage Ad Omega Necklace, now sold out online. Thankfully, there are plenty of stylish alternatives.
1st dibswww.1stdibs.com
If you want to commit to the vintage '80s vibes, Dior has a wealth of pieces to help you do just that. This necklace looks just like the style Griselda wears, with added crystals of course.
Monica Vinaderwww.monicavinader.com
Monica Vinader's necklace is ripe with vintage inspiration but feels like a more modern take - something which could elevate everyday outfits.
How Has Sofia Vergara Transformed Into Griselda Blanco?
While a notorious drug trafficker feels like a world away from Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in Modern Family, Sofia Vergara has been thoroughly transformed in Griselda.
The actor has spoken about her transformation process and explained that it went beyond facial prosthetics. In fact, she sustained a back injury after moving her body in an unnatural position for six months to prepare for the role.
'I was trying to change as much as I could without looking like I was in a Halloween costume,' Vergara told Digital Spy. 'I would wear a bra that was minimising me and holding my butt so that it wouldn't move like a Latin girl.'
She continued, 'I put myself in a body position for six months that, the only time that I didn't go to work was because I got up in the morning and my back, I couldn't get up because I was at 50 doing this weird position walking and smoking.
'Now I think I have a problem with a disk from walking like that,' but she joked that it was 'worth it'.
Delving into how these elements came together for the role, Vergara remarked, 'I wanted also to be able to act with all those things that I had on. Because I had fake teeth, I had plastic for my eyebrows. My nose was fake. I would put on the colour of my skin, I would put make-up all over it to feel different...I was nervous about it because I sometimes watch movies and it distracts me a lot to see the wig or something, so I wanted her to look human.'
Ruby Barry is a Product Writer for Grazia, specialising in fashion and beauty. She loves finding dupes for clothes worn in TV & film, and is currently binge-watching Succession.