Introducing: Ada Brook Forte: 'The Gilded Age's “Warning Shots”
Every week, I preface this column by saying that I’m only writing about the extraordinary costumes that Kasia Wailicka Maimone designs for Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell, but since The Opera Wars aren’t front-and-center in “Warning Shots,” Bertha only appears in a handful of scenes, and she’s re-wearing dresses I’ve already written about at some length.
All of which is to say: This week, we’re pivoting to Cynthia Nixon’s character, Ada Brook Forte! Her storyline here is so lovely and so heartbreaking, and Ada’s dresses are first-rate. What does a Manhattan newlywed reverend’s wife in later middle age wear upon returning from her honeymoon at Niagara Falls? How do her costumes inform Nixon’s performance (deeper and more subtle than last season)? Let’s discuss.
Gown Of The Week goes to At Home With Mrs. Forte. Ada’s second gown of the episode accompanies a tasty, loving breakfast at home with Luke (whose formal title, The Reverend Mr. Forte, is one of my favorite little honorifics in English). We often see Ada in matte fabrics, so the lush silk satins of this dress stand out. The main color is a deep shade of turquoise, with an all-over print of roses. It’s so pretty and joyful, but in a restrained way, which is also a good description of Ada herself these days.
