Friends Stylist Debra McGuire Still Gets Asked About This Rachel Dress

After decades in show business, Debra McGuire’s cultural impact spans larger than nearly any costume designer in history. Though her IMDB credits are stacked (New Girl, Heroes, and 90210, among others), she’s most known for styling the most influential cast of the 1990s: Friends.

Her most famous subject, Rachel Green, inspired legions of fans to dress (and style their hair) like the character — so much so that 29 years after the show’s pilot, people still reference her iconic looks.

McGuire, however, attributes a big part of Green’s sartorial impact to the actress herself. “A lot of actors will give notes on what they wear well. And it’s rare that they’re correct,” the costume designer tells Bustle. “The thing about Jennifer Aniston: whether she’s Rachel, Alex, [or] Jennifer, she knows her body.”

“If you put Jennifer in [a] dress, she has a magic. It’s a power.”

With Aniston’s self-awareness and McGuire’s fashion expertise, the two have been a phenom for decades, working together on several projects throughout the years. “If you put Jennifer in [a] dress, she has a magic. It’s a power,” she says, adding, “You can see it on camera and you can see it when you’re standing in a room with her.”

Their latest partnership is for Apple TV’s The Morning Show. Currently in its third season, the newsroom drama sees Aniston at the prime of her news anchor career — and in a whole slew of stylish ensembles.

Below, McGuire discusses costuming for The Morning Show, her favorite Rachel look, and making Monica Geller look like a real New Yorker.

What is your favorite outfit you styled on Friends?

My favorite dress on Rachel was a yellow strapless dress that was made by a company in London that no longer exists. To this day, 29 years later, I still get people asking me about that dress. It was really spectacular.

Do you have a favorite Monica outfit?

There’s one outfit I made, it was burgundy [with] a ’70s silhouette. It came up high. It had a big keyhole, and it was a longer top, and then it had bell bottoms that went underneath. That was a great outfit, and she was classic New York.

[Monica] was a New Yorker, so that palette was very New York. It was black, white, [and] gray. There were some great prints [and] cashmere sweaters. It had an East Coast, New York vibe, and it makes sense that it resonates today.

Jennifer recently confessed to stealing one of Monica’s dresses from set. Did Courteney or Lisa steal anything from the wardrobe department?

I have absolutely no idea. The only way I know about Jennifer’s theft is because I do her fittings at her house in her closet. And so the first time we were in there, she went, “Wait, I have something to show you.” And she goes, “Look.” And I went, “That wasn’t yours.” She [goes], “I know, I stole Monica’s.”

What is your favorite look you’ve created this season of The Morning Show and why?

Alex has a lot of amazing clothes this season, [like] the Jil Sander — the sleeveless, nude knit long dress, which is a little bit out of her character, even though we’re trying to show a lot more body [consciousness] this season. It’s a really good metaphor for where Alex has gone and how she feels about herself.

She also has a strapless cape jumpsuit. She wears it to an awards evening and looks amazing. It's a little bit unusual for her. [Alex] has a very controlled palette, which is mostly: black, navy, grays, white, bone, [and] camel.

Her scenes with Jon Hamm are interesting [because she’s] trying so hard to be as un-self conscious as possible in that relationship presentation. So she really has a lovely casualness about her. You’ll see her in a blue jean and a black jacket.

What is it like styling Jennifer for two of her most recognizable TV characters — Rachel Green and Alex Levy — some 30 years apart?

A lot of actors will give notes on what they wear well. And it’s rare that they’re correct. The thing about Jennifer Aniston, whether she’s Rachel, Alex, [or] Jennifer: she knows her body.

If you look at her choices for the red carpet, she has never made a bad choice. Everything we see her in is the right choice. Even when she’s being a little bit experimental with her hair, it’s always correct. That’s why she’s had so much longevity — she really does understand herself in that way.

The other thing is, Jennifer brings to Rachel — in the same way she brings to Alex — a magic physicality. If you put Jennifer in [a] dress, she has a magic. It’s a power. You can see it on camera and you can see it when you’re standing in a room with her. She could put pretty much anything on and make it look incredible.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.