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While the sartorial high note of Sunday's Girls episode ("Hello Kitty") was unquestionably Hannah's choice to go commando while on the job as a school teacher, fashion — the presence of clothes, that is, rather than the absence of them — more than got its due thanks to a guest appearance from Vogue international editor-at-large Hamish Bowles.
Playing himself, Bowles appears at a party hosted by Dill Harcourt (Corey Stoll), a slick Anderson Cooper-type anchorman whom a very starry-eyed Elijah (Andrew Rannells) has been dating. One of his two lines is: "It's less of a boat and more of a floating palace, really. It's out of this world!" Totally.
In addition to nailing his performance as an upper crusty New York media celebrity, Bowles also stuck the landing when it came to his styling, which he took care of himself. ("Jenn Rogien, our costume designer, was like, 'Clearly I'm not going to dress him, 'cause he looks so cool,'" Rannells explained in HBO's "Inside the Episode" video.) The look included a red floral suit, purple shirt, and a fluffy green brooch on his lapel, which is international code for "high-powered fashion male."
Apparently appearing on Girls had been a dream of Bowles' for a while. "I've been captivated since episode one, really, by these characters," Bowles said on "Inside the Episode." "I think it's true to say that through the seasons and years I've dropped a few clunking hints to Lena. I was ecstatic to get the email saying, 'We've finally found the perfect role for you. We're casting you as Hamish Bowles.'"