Well scripted costume soap opera concerning a pair of sisters who build a clothing empire during the roaring twenties, all the while being misled by subterfuge and scandal by various nemeses in the ruthless business of fashion. This series takes the viewer through a decade of trials and tribulations, including births, deaths and marriages.
The largely unknown cast discharge their roles with consummate professionalism of stage actors. Louise Lombard became familiar to TV audiences a decade later in the original CSI series, but none of the other faces are recognisable save for noted stage actress Barbara Jefford who has a recurring role as the Elliott family matriarch in the first season. Eurasian actor Burt Kwouk will also be a familiar face (from the "Pink Panther" movies) in a couple of episodes.
Costumes and sets are the centrepiece of this series, which is understandable considering the fashion content and historical context. Despite an epic thirty-four episodes, the writers manage to build a coherent plot with regular climaxes and the usual soap opera intrigue. Despite probably not being for all tastes, it does represent a polished work, with intelligent script-writing and attention to detail, and should appeal to anyone interested in haute couture fashion or art deco dramas.
The largely unknown cast discharge their roles with consummate professionalism of stage actors. Louise Lombard became familiar to TV audiences a decade later in the original CSI series, but none of the other faces are recognisable save for noted stage actress Barbara Jefford who has a recurring role as the Elliott family matriarch in the first season. Eurasian actor Burt Kwouk will also be a familiar face (from the "Pink Panther" movies) in a couple of episodes.
Costumes and sets are the centrepiece of this series, which is understandable considering the fashion content and historical context. Despite an epic thirty-four episodes, the writers manage to build a coherent plot with regular climaxes and the usual soap opera intrigue. Despite probably not being for all tastes, it does represent a polished work, with intelligent script-writing and attention to detail, and should appeal to anyone interested in haute couture fashion or art deco dramas.