Dan Levy shares his online shopping sources for Schitt's Creek looks

Schitt's Creek's Dan Levy shared a little known fact about how they make the character looks on the show so perfectly funny and fashionable. In an interview with CBC Radio's Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe for Here and Now about his role as a judge in the first ever global Etsy Design Awards, Levy cited scouring online shopping sources, like Etsy, as "a sort of amazing way of authenticating the costuming."

"Yes," he said, "you can go to (...) designers, but at the same time too — like anyone's wardrobe — you need those pieces that are personalized. And we obviously don't have a huge budget, so you have to really sort of go at it guerilla-style." 

Schitt's Creek is nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for its fifth season, including Outstanding Lead in a Comedy Series for both Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy and Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for Debra Hanson and Darci Cheyne for the episode "The Dress". 

Levy, a style icon in his own right, says that they use the show's now-famous looks "to bring out the funniest elements of these characters." In a 2018 interview with Vulture, where they call the show "a Master Class in Aspirational Fashion," Levy said, "The juxtaposition of designer clothes against the backdrop of this town is able to tell a story." So, expect Balenciaga and Givenchy — but also skillfully styled special pieces sourced from hours of internet scouring of sites like eBay, as well as consignment and sample sales. Levy told CBC that they'll go to the latter for "one-of-a-kind headpieces or accessories, statement jewelry for Catherine and Annie."

"There's so many incredible artists out there who are doing such amazing work in the areas of fashion," Levy says, "that are selling direct to consumer, so those prices are not inflated by big business. It's a wonderful way to work and has really, sort of, serviced our show in a really formative way."

As for his role on the international panel of judges for the awards, alongside Joe Zee and Garance Doré, to name just two, he calls himself a "black sheep", given that he doesn't have a background in design. Instead he cites his qualifications as: "A fan and someone who might or might not have a bit of a shopping habit." With finalists from around the world in many different categories, Levy says, "It's the strangest, sort of, cross-section of things to narrow down. (....) How do you go about comparing a dress to a wooden sink?" But he's passionate about highlighting the artists: "People who have quit their jobs to pursue their passion and that is what I love."

Listen to the full interview here to find out why Levy calls this past year "the most incredible, heat warming year of my life":

You can stream all five seasons of Schitt's Creek on CBC Gem and tell us your favourite all-time looks from the show in the comments below!