Voice Of Costume - The Untold Stories of Unseen Artists

How do you hand-craft costumes for a nine-foot-tall alien—and then rebuild them digitally? Listen in to this episode about Avatar: Fire and Ash to hear how it's done. In this deep-dive conversation, legendary costume designer Deborah L. Scott (Avatar, Titanic, Back to the Future, E.T.) joins Catherine Baumgardner to unpack the astonishing creative process behind Avatar: Fire and Ash. Scott reveals how every Na'vi costume begins with story, environment, and research—then moves through hands-on workshops, material experimentation, and ultimately into the virtual world of VFX. They explore how Weta Workshop artisans, illustrators, and visual-effects teams collaborate to translate handcrafted garments—made from organic textures, carved elements, feathers, bone-like structures, and woven fibers—into believable digital performances. Scott explains why 3D printing is used sparingly, how movement in wind and water dictates material choices, and why tactile realism often beats high-tech shortcuts. The discussion expands into the design of new Na'vi clans, including the Wind Traders and the volcanic Fire/Ash clan, highlighting how climate, culture, color palettes, body art, hair design, and symbolism shape identity and storytelling. Scott also reflects on collaboration with James Cameron, creative intuition, trusting process over perfection, and why costume designers rarely receive royalties despite defining iconic characters. This episode is a masterclass in world-building, costume design, filmmaking collaboration, VFX integration, and creative resilience, offering invaluable insight for filmmakers, designers, and storytellers alike.  The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation with Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/    

She doesn't design clothes—she designs stories. 3-time Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan shares how storytelling, instinct, and courage—not fashion—have shaped a career spanning over 70 films. This episode focusing on her most recent film, The Choral. In this deeply inspiring conversation, Jenny reflects on growing up without television, building entire worlds from cardboard boxes, and how a single childhood encounter with Shakespeare set her life's direction. She traces her unconventional path from theatre and opera to film, revealing how saying yes to uncertainty—and embracing fear—became one of her greatest creative strengths. Together, Jenny and host Catherine Baumgardner explore the true role of costume design as invisible storytelling: creating characters audiences believe in without ever noticing the clothes. Jenny breaks down her process—from script analysis and historical research to building costumes in full 3D on mannequins—and explains why collaboration, humility, and learning every craft on the way up matter more than titles or awards. She opens up about working under extreme pressure on films like Mad Max: Fury Road and Cruella, why failure is essential to growth, and how leadership in creative fields is less about control and more about trust. Packed with life advice for artists, filmmakers, designers, and students, this episode is a masterclass in creativity, resilience, and staying curious—no matter how far you've come. The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation with Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

From shy theater kid to Disney+ horror powerhouse—Goosebumps costume designer Vanessa Porter reveals how wardrobe secretly drives fear, character, and story. In this in-depth conversation, host Catherine Baumgardner sits down with Vanessa Porter, the costume designer for Disney+'s Goosebumps, to unpack how wardrobe becomes a powerful storytelling tool in modern television and horror. Vanessa traces her journey from a quiet, shy childhood into high-school theater, CalArts training, indie film work, and eventually major studio series—highlighting how theater and film costume design overlap, and where they radically differ. The discussion dives deep into Goosebumps: balancing grounded realism with heightened horror, designing for fast production timelines, and using color palettes, textures, silhouettes, and fit to express character arcs. Vanessa breaks down specific examples—like Cassie's shift from rigid, perfectionist outfits to looser, more casual looks—and how subtle wardrobe changes track emotional growth. She also explores genre blending (horror, comedy, coming-of-age), Easter-egg inspirations from classic films like Christine, Rosemary's Baby, and 1970s horror, and how costume can quietly influence actor performance. Beyond Goosebumps, the conversation expands into career advice for designers, collaboration under pressure, working with young actors, defining success beyond awards, and why costume design communicates emotional truth that dialogue alone cannot. A must-listen for filmmakers, costume designers, theater artists, horror fans, and film students interested in visual storytelling and character-driven design. The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation with Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Costume designer Małgosia Turzańska reveals the emotional secrets, symbolic textures, and behind-the-scenes artistry that shaped Hamnet—and how grief, intuition, and collaboration transformed the film from the inside out. In this deeply human conversation, Hamnet costume designer Małgosia Turzańska opens up about creativity, vulnerability, and the profound emotional undercurrents that guided her work. She shares how a missed chemistry test led her to filmmaking, how one breathtaking Almodóvar film unlocked her understanding of costume design, and how she builds characters from raw instinct—starting with "emotional lookbooks" drawn from nature, texture, and intuition rather than pure historical rigor. Małgosia discusses designing Agnes (Anne) and Will from the inside out, using bark cloth, color symbolism, quilted protection, and slashed leather to reflect trauma, longing, generational wounds, and rebirth. She details working with director Chloé Zhao, describing a process fueled by continuous discovery, voice-memo inspirations, and a film family centered on empathy and emotional truth. The conversation grows especially moving as Małgosia describes losing her father during production, and how grief intertwined with the film's themes, becoming both a burden and a blessing. She reflects on collaboration, artistry as healing, and the myth that costume design is "just decoration"—revealing instead how costumes become storytelling engines. This intimate, vulnerable episode is a masterclass in creativity, symbolism, filmmaking, and the emotional backbone of collaborative art. The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation with Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

From Wizards Beyond Waverly Place to Sweet Magnolias, Disney costume designer Cameron Dale reveals how she went from sketching dresses as a six-year-old to dressing some of TV's most beloved characters. In this lively conversation, Cameron shares how she balances creativity and motherhood, the unspoken rules of Disney costume design, and how to make magical worlds feel authentic on screen. She talks about collaborating with Selena Gomez and David Henrie, designing for child actors, and why color, texture, and story are everything in a kids' show. You'll hear her funniest on-set mishaps (including a punk jacket that met a baby prop), the secret to capturing that unmistakable "Disney look," and the perspective she gained after losing her home in the California fires. Whether you're a costume designer, filmmaker, or creative parent, this episode is full of heart, humor, and practical inspiration from a designer who has truly earned her magic wand. www.voiceofcostume.com

Oscar-winner Colleen Atwood and designer Christine Cantella reveal the fearless creativity, humor, and teamwork behind thier long-time collaboration and thier newest film: Kiss of the Spider Woman. Legendary costume designer Colleen Atwood (Chicago, Alice in Wonderland) and acclaimed collaborator Christine Cantella join host Catherine Baumgardner on The Voice of Costume to explore the artistry and emotion behind Kiss of the Spider Woman. From their fearless childhood curiosity to crafting cinematic beauty through fabric and form, Atwood and Cantella share how empathy, humor, and mutual trust power their long creative partnership—one that began on Planet of the Apes and has flourished ever since. They break down the visual storytelling of Kiss of the Spider Woman: the shimmering gold goddess gown, the elegant blue chiffon suit, and the show-stopping tearaway green dress—each designed to reflect character, color, and movement in perfect harmony. With deep insight into research, mentorship, and the demands of production, the two discuss working with director Bill Condon, the balance between vision and budget, and why adaptability and listening are key to surviving the creative process. As Atwood reminds us, "Don't be precious—keep going." This episode is a masterclass in costume design, collaboration, and creative resilience.

In this inspiring interview on The Voice of Costume, host Catherine Baumgardner talks with acclaimed costume designer Lynn Ollie about her creative evolution from sketching fashion plates as a child to working for major productions like Black Panther, Mad Men, and The Great Gatsby. Lynn opens up about discovering her passion for storytelling through costume, her mentorship from legendary designer Ann Roth, and how persistence and curiosity helped her break into the film industry. She shares behind-the-scenes stories from "The Man in My Basement," including collaborating with Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe, and director Nadia Latif, recreating authentic 1990s Long Island style, and improvising through last-minute wardrobe crises. Lynn also discusses her creative philosophy—how costume design bridges character psychology, history, and visual poetry. From the gritty realism of American Horror Stories to the cultural symbolism of Black Panther, she reveals the emotional truth behind every fabric choice. Filled with wisdom for aspiring costume designers, filmmakers, and creatives, this episode explores the art of collaboration, the balance of vision and budget, and why costume design is truly storytelling through texture, color, and time. Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Kathleen and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

When Tony-nominated designer Emilio Sosa and creative powerhouse Julia Caston joined forces for Disney's Descendants: The Rise of Red, magic happened—literally. In this vibrant interview with host Catherine Baumgardner on The Voice of Costume, they reveal how two different worlds—Broadway spectacle and cinematic precision—collided to create the franchise's boldest visual universe yet. From Balenciaga-inspired gowns for Brandy's Cinderella, to hand-rhinestoned Doc Martens, to the challenge of designing for massive dance sequences and tight shooting schedules, Emilio and Julia open up about collaboration without ego, the "best idea wins" philosophy, and the delicate balance between storytelling, fashion, and fantasy. They share behind-the-scenes pivots, like redesigning Ursula's look mid-production, and discuss how hundreds of unseen artisans—from tailors to truck drivers—bring costume dreams to life. Full of laughter, candor, and craft secrets, this episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about costume design, filmmaking, Broadway, Disney, collaboration, and creative resilience.

Imagine never having been in the costume department and your first experience is the iconic film "Waterworld"! That was Kathleen's foray into costumes and where she fell in love with the world of costume design. Hear that story as well as how she got onboard the show Hacks on HBO Max.  Hear some behind-the-scenes on some of the show's costume choices and how the 'black dress' became such a special item for the designer and the actress! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Kathleen and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Costume deep dive into Dune: Prophecy and building everything from scratch for the Emmy nominated TV Series. Bojana shares how she got started in design and how she was inspired by her aunts to pursue costumes. Catherine and Bojana talk through several character looks from the series so if you love the show you will love this episode!  Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Bojana Nikitovic and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Jessica's story is such an inspiration for anyone working through their own creative journey. Listen in to how she found inspiration at 11 years old with her Dad. Her leaps of faith opposing the fear to get to the next place in her journey. Her hard felt belief that everything happens for a reason certainly is evident in her story. Her love of being a mom and a costume designer is an inspiration for anyone in need of a boost today!  Some great insights into the creative process of shooting ONE TAKE episodes of Adolescence and how that has to be approached differently than traditional on-screen storytelling. Something for everyone to enjoy in this one! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Jessica Schofield and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Hear the wonderful story of Amanda Riley! From growing up with 8 siblings to moving to Paris to her first costuming job and breaking in. Working on MI3, Westworld, Agents of Shield and Spiderman No Way Home. And then hear great behind-the-scenes insights into We Were Liars and a teaser for Amanda's upcoming film this fall! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Amanda Riley and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Listen in on "the greatest career launched from a craigslist ad" about Jonathan's entry into WWE gear design when he was craving a creative outlet after being laid off. The insights into WWE design for "the show" is one of our most unique interviews yet and one of our most inspiring! Jonathan shares mindset and his wonderful take on what "Drawing" really is... hint: it's not of us alone! Join in to nerd out about Transformers and comic books and wrestling with us. If you need a boost of positivity and creativity energy, this is the episode for you! Also please follow Jonathan on IG and let him know what you thought of him on the podcast! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Jonathan Davenport and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

The Handmaid's Tale invokes a passionate response and this episode is full of insights to the show and it's characters with costume designer Leslie Kavanagh. She shares her 'mission' to be able to work seamlessly with stunt coordinators and how she got into costume design. Her inspiration to start designing from her sister and her father's military background both playing a huge role in her career and creative choices. Listen in on this exclusive behind-the-scenes look into one of the most iconic shows on TV! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Leslie Kavanagh and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Bridgerton fans will love the behind-the-scenes insights into the costumes of the beloved series. Hear how the costumes shift from season to season and how fashion makes a big impact on the design of the show. John shares his journey from country boy to city life and how collaborating on such a huge show should be a hope for every designer! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between John Glaser and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

If you are in a creative rut or need a boost of inspiration, this is the episode for you! Kirston bubbles with positive mindset and perspective that any creative will walk away encouraged by.  Don't pass on this one to hear some great insights and positivity that anyone can use. Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Kirston Mann and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Paula has a facinating rise to costume design through fashion in Europe. Working with Gwen Stefani and many others. Her thoughts on 80's as the last great decade for wardrobe and behind-the-scenes on the latest on the Menendez Brother's in a new series, Monsters. Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Paula Bradly and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Caroline shares some great behind-the-scenes into how she grew up and started out pursuing acting. Then found a stronger passion in Costume Design. Hear her 'sliding doors' moment that really set her on a trajectory to a dream job early on. Her relationship with M. Night. Then a wonderful deep dive on the character arcs of Sirens and how it is all in the costumes! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Caroline Duncan and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

What an episode! Great insights into how to think positively, have an identity apart from work, go after what you want, and a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes on several costumes from the series, "Nobody Wants This". You will gain a lot of creative and personal inspiration with a listen to Negar Ali Kline on this episode! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Negar Ali Kline and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/

Mila began in the fashion world with her own line. Then she tried costume designing on no-budget films and got 'the bug' for storytelling through costumes. Now with a miriad of credits and experience, she comes onto the show to discuss the large scale production of the hit series, American Primeval. You will be impressed with the hurdles they had to overcome to make this show come to life! Also listen in to how big a role Austin Powers had in her costume career journey! Watch more episodes on youtube: @voiceofcostume The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation between Mila Hermanovski and Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/