Patrick Schwarzenegger‘s nude scene was one of the buzziest moments in the third season of “The White Lotus” but the actor is now in the spotlight for being clothed. Schwarzenegger is the face of Banana Republic’s new campaign for its “White Lotus” collection, which officially becomes available to shop March 6.
The limited-edition apparel capsule is one of dozens of collections and merch drops inspired by the hit HBO show, including an H&M resort collection designed by the show’s costume designer Alex Bovaird. The 24-piece lineup includes “ultra-packable” clothes, rich in Thailand-inspired hues such as turquoise, navy, red, and yellow, alongside graphic prints and fluid silhouettes.
“It’s a lot more resort for spring and summer so it is perfect for right now,” says Schwarzenegger, who tells Variety he wore a custom Banana Republic suit from the ’90s for the show’s LA premiere.
Sonia Szóstak
Sonia Szóstak
“Our heritage, rooted in travel, meets the world of “‘The White Lotus’ with a thoughtfully crafted collection that is both aspirational and attainable”, Meena Anvary, head of marketing for Banana Republic, said in a statement. “This collection celebrates a sense of discovery and wit through a premium lens. Featuring tropical and vintage-inspired prints from our archives and landscapes of Thailand — it embodies the spirit of adventure.”
Below, the actor talks about packing just a carry-on for his seven-month “White Lotus” shoot in Thailand, his favorite hand-me-down from his father Arnold Schwarzenegger and why he’s not so comfortable modeling.
Do you have favorite pieces in the collection?
It’s a lot more resort for spring and summer so it is perfect for right now. But also at the premiere in Los Angeles, they made me this kind of custom suit from their archive collections from the early ‘90s. It was cool to be able to wear that. But they had a bunch of great pieces at the shoot. There were khaki shorts and an oversized black belt and a yellowish colored shirt that I really liked.
When you go on vacation, do you overpack or do you just bring a pair of shots, a t-shirt and call it a day?
I under pack. Everyone on the set of “The White Lotus” made fun of me because I probably had four outfits for the whole seven months. I had a carry on of just a few outfits because I was like, “It’s sunny and it’s hot,” and then you’re on set every day, you’re just going to wear the character’s clothing. Although I didn’t want to wear the characters clothing outside of work – they were not for me.
When it comes to vacation, are you more a beach person or mountain person or desert?
I enjoy a mountain and beaches, but I’m an activity person. When my fiancée [model Abby Champion] and I go on vacation, we like to go sightseeing, go on bike rides or walks and explore. I can’t just like sit on a beach.
When was the last time you went on a big vacation?
On “The White Lotus,” we were on a seven-month vacation, basically. It was work hard, play hard. We just did a cool little shoot for the Four Seasons and with “White Lotus” in Maui for a couple days where they shot the first one. We got to stay two or three days there, which was great.
How would you describe your style?
It’s ever changing, which is cool because you get to always mix and match and change it. On the red carpet, I’ve really been trying more to go leading man with suits and stuff that is a little bit different and unique, but still classy and Americana. Like the Banana Republic suit I wore at the premiere. It was a classy double-breasted suit, but it had a little bit of fashion spark by being early ‘90s and a little bit oversized.
I was going to say maybe you could wear some of your dad’s stuff from the ‘90s, but he is slightly bigger than you.
He’s passed down cool collared shirts that I still have. One of my favorites is a vintage Planet Hollywood button down with all these different colors and cool graphics on it. It’s super ‘90s. I love it.
Are you comfortable modeling?
On the Banana Republic shoot, the photographer came up to me and said, “You feel uncomfortable on the photo shoots, don’t you?” I know that most actors I’ve worked with feel that way, too. We feel more comfortable getting to play a character than when we’re ourselves. But Banana Republic was fun. They made it really easy. We had a great time
What’s more uncomfortable — modeling or stripping down to nothing on “The White Lotus?”
They kind of go hand-in-hand.
The Q&A was edited for length and clarity.
