Bella Hadid’s first acting role, whenever it arrived, was always going to be a memorable entry into the supermodel-TV guest spot canon. When she booked a role on the third season of Ramy, the critically acclaimed, darkly comedic drama following a first-generation millennial Muslim American, audiences’ collective anticipation went up a few more notches.
Viewers who binged the series’ third season on Hulu over the weekend saw the titular Ramy sink to even lower lows we won’t spoil here. (Unsettled debts, some Uncut Gems–adjacent jewelry businesses, and intergenerational family conflicts are all involved.) Hadid’s role is one of many cringe-meets-comedy plotlines during the season. For her two-episode arc, Hadid plays Lena, a new girlfriend of Ramy’s close friend Steve. Her most prominent personality trait? She has a deep, deep obsession with The Office.
At the dinner where she meets Ramy, her character drops monotone “That’s what she said” jokes with a frequency and genuine amusement I haven’t heard since 2007. Her wardrobing is equally of another time and place (Scranton, Pennsylvania, maybe?): tight-fitting cardigans over buttoned-up button-downs, pencil skirts. Paper company receptionist chic, except deliberately not chic at all.
Emmy Award–nominated costume designer Nicky Smith tells BAZAAR.com she entered the season ready to dress a guest character with a soft spot for Michael Scott alongside the recurring cast. With direction from showrunner Ramy Youssef, Smith’s inspiration boards for Lena incorporated references to Pam Beesly and general “middle America” style. (“Clothes that are kind of dated, but are still clothes you can find at the store,” she says.)
Once Hadid was cast, Smith says the model had zero hesitations about wearing Lena’s clothes for the show. “You never really know what you’re going to get when it’s a celebrity or someone who’s well known. But she came in and was really down to focus on the character, and she wanted it to be Lena, and not Bella,” Smith says.
“Being Lena” came in part through the specific pieces, like Uniqlo turtlenecks and Clarks flats. Length and proportions were the other half of the equation. In a fashion moment that’s all about an oversized look, Smith dressed Hadid in tight-fitting sweaters and “off-putting” sheer pantyhose.
The final result is enough to make Ramy wonder out loud if The Office is enough of a basis for Steve’s relationship with Lena. It also takes Hadid to a place her followers haven’t seen her go, style-wise. “It’s like nothing she’s ever worn in her personal life or runway, and she was totally committed to the look,” Smith says.
Hadid’s cumulative screen time adds up to less than a half hour. There’s a lot more of Smith’s costuming to take in over the 10 episodes, with storylines that jump from New Jersey suburbs to Jerusalem to New York City’s Diamond District. Across each location and scene, Smith filters each cast member’s looks through a prism of story, character, and socioeconomic background, for costumes that are contemporary but subtly detailed.
Ramy, deep in a crisis of faith at the season’s start, returns to screens in oversized sweaters and puffers that convey his directionless state of mind before new business ventures take his wardrobe in an incrementally upscale direction. His sister Dena, studying at law school and “trying to put on a facade for the family,” has a tighter color palette and more structured outerwear compared to past seasons.
“I really like that the characters each have a clear voice from the first and second season,” Smith says of the show’s costumes. “The one thing I wanted to do to bridge the gap was kind of transform the silhouettes and mature them a little bit.”
Several episodes also have guest spots, opening more doors for Smith to create one-off personalities with a single costume. “Every episode has someone interesting, and I got to create with some actors who were down to play and do some really weird stuff on a weird half-hour comedy.”
Ramy is now streaming on Hulu.
Halie LeSavage is the fashion commerce editor at Harper's BAZAAR. Her style reporting covers everything from reviewing the best designer products to profiling emerging brands and designers. Previously, she was the founding retail writer at Morning Brew and a fashion associate at Glamour.
