Material Girl

Material Girl

A young fashion designer battles her evil ex-boss, a sexy but devilish business partner and snobby fashionistas as she strives to get her big break in work and love in Material Girl a new six-part romantic comedy.

Set in the bustling, creative hotbed of London's Brick Lane, Leonora Crichlow (Being Human, Sugar Rush) plays Ali Redcliffe, who sets out to make a name for herself as a fashion designer, in the only way she knows how, through sheer hard work and talent.

But scheming Davina Bailey, played by Dervla Kirwan (Doctor Who), is the designer of the moment – the woman that every hot star wants to be dressed by – and she isn't about to give up her crown as queen of fashion.

Ali's trump card might just be Marco, played by Michael Landes (Love Soup), a mercurial and brilliant business partner, who wants to make Ali a star.

At the heart of the show is Ali, impetuous, feisty, neurotic, a total mess in her personal life but extraordinarily talented in her professional life as a fashion designer, mid-twenties, single, fiercely loyal to her tightly-knit group of friends, Alex, Mimi and Lydia.

Alex (Nick Blood) is Ali's flatmate and best friend from college, but also a designer at Ali's key rival, Davina Bailey; Mimi (Ingrid Oliver) is the wannabe stylist at a leading fashion magazine, and almost as intuitive and brilliant as Ali; and Lydia (Anna Brewster) the model with a face like an angel and the voice of a navvy.

Ali's love life is equally up in the air, after a difficult break-up she starts seeing the almost-too-good-to-be-true (but gorgeous) Chris (OT Fagbenle). But will the sexual tension with her and her business partner, Marco, threaten her new relationship?

It is these friendships and relationships, the ups and downs, solidarity, extraordinary chemistry and their entwined destinies that are the fabric of Material Girl.

Material Girl is inspired by Fashion Babylon, written by Imogen Edwards-Jones and an Anonymous person.

Ali Redcliffe played by Leonora Crichlow

A talented fashion designer, feisty, impetuous and ambitious, she knows it's going to be tough in the world of fashion for a down-to-earth girl. Despite her training she considers herself a fashion outsider with no connections to the industry.

She finds it difficult to trust men ever since the man she loved, Jed Nicholls, left her in pursuit of his career. Ali is the focus of Davina Bailey's personal vendetta, since Ali walked out of her job after a huge row. She refuses to be compromised creatively.

Read an interview with Leonora Crichlow.

Davina Bailey played by Dervla Kirwan

Posh, beautiful, brittle, Trustafarian. An okay designer but a fantastic self-publicist. Mentored Ali through her fledging years. Thinks she treated Ali like a sister but was probably more of a monstrous stepsister. Apportions blame to Ali for their fall out. Davina quickly realises that the secret of her success lies in the creative chemistry she had with Ali and is desperate to get that back... An adversary of Marco's.

Read an interview with Dervla Kirwan.

Marco Keriliak played by Michael Landes

Unscrupulous, manipulative and devilishly brilliant. He is a whirlwind of energy, ideas, plots and schemes. Ali's business partner, his ambitions for Ali are limitless, but is he really in love with Ali – and, if so, how will he win her affections? Particularly when we begin to realise he has a history with Davina.

Chris played by O-T Fagbenle

Irresistibly charming, gorgeous, self-deprecating. A bike courier, which is a good thing for Ali as she's doesn't want to date anyone in fashion after Jed Nicholls. That is, until Chris becomes a model. He worships Ali but pulls the plug on their relationship when he believes Ali isn't being emotionally honest with him. But then comes back for more...

Alex played by Nick Blood

Ali's flat mate, cute, gay and promiscuous until he meets Orlando. Assistant designer. Neurotic with an obsessive eye for detail. Hates confrontation. Met Ali at Davina's and became best friends – and flatmates. Feels conflicted by Ali's rash decision to leave Davina's and gets caught in the Ali/Davina crossfire where his allegiances to Ali are tested.

Mimi Throckmorton played by Ingrid Oliver

Her outward confidence is perhaps protecting a vulnerable soft heart. Fiercely loyal to her friends, voluptuous and sexy but is not regarded as such by industry insiders – she's fashion fat. An opinion she vows to put straight one day. She dreams of being a stylist but it's going to be a hard slow climb... Met Ali at a fashion show that they both gate-crashed. Currently works as a stockist at a leading fashion magazine house, where she comes to the attention of the publisher, Anthony Chatsworth...

Lydia Kane played by Anna Brewster

Unspoilt despite being a highly successful model at the peak of her career. Level-headed but loves to party. Her loyalty to the industry is tested when she is the brunt of a paparazzi attack. Looks like a princess but sounds like a navvy. Was Ali's muse at Davina's and is the centre of a tug-of-love between Ali and Davina.

Trish played by Esther Smith

Uber-cool, confident, bright. A wannabe designer, she is the receptionist cum office-gofer at Ali's studio.

Dorota played by Joanna Kanska

Polish, maudlin, cynical. Complains endlessly but is technically brilliant, she is the machinist at Ali's studio.

Mitchell Crompton played by Malcolm Sinclair

He's like a fur – seemingly soft and pleasant, but with carnage and cruelty just below the surface. Revered fashion critic. He is largely responsible for the disastrous reviews following Ali's first show at Fashion Week. He's in cahoots with Davina.

Episodes:

Episode one: Paris's hectic Fashion Week has kicked off and backstage at the Davina Bailey show the stress levels are starting to peak when a creative flare-up between Ali and Davina triggers Ali to make the rash decision of walking out, leaving a furious Davina in her wake.

As the weight of her actions sinks in, Ali is thrown a life-line by revered fashion critic Mitchell Crompton – he promises her a fantastic job in return for a sexual favour. Disgusted, Ali rebuffs him, making herself yet another powerful enemy...

Back in the UK, as Ali searches for a new job, doors are closed in her face. No-one wants to go near her for fear of upsetting Mitchell Crompton.

When retiring from the profession seems to be the only option, Marco, an entrepreneur, offers her the exciting opportunity to design under her own label.

But aware of his unscrupulous nature, and warned off him by friends Alex, Mimi and Lydia, Ali is initially cautious until a sneer from Davina prompts her into signing up with him.

The following day, Ali and Marco find a studio but it's not long before they clash over which celebrity to dress at the upcoming BAFTA awards ceremony. Marco wants to dress the star of a nominated film for optimum publicity whereas Ali would rather dress the true heroine behind the film – she doesn't want to just emulate Davina and design only for the stars, but wants to make an ordinary person like soldier Lynn Jones feel wonderful.

Marco deftly recruits the actress and Ali acquiesces, seeing it for the great opportunity it is. However, at the 11th hour, they lose their actress to Davina.

Ali is gutted but Marco surprises her by getting the true heroine onto the red carpet wearing a knock-out Ali Redcliffe dress, which doesn't go unnoticed by the waiting press. Ali finally relaxes into her business relationship with Marco.

Meanwhile, Ali meets gorgeous Chris. Keen to pursue a relationship with Ali, Chris is disappointed when he's given the brush off so she can concentrate on her work.

But when Ali has her first taste of business success, she feels ready to take a chance with Chris.

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