Voice Of Costume - The Untold Stories of Unseen Artists

How do costumes quietly reveal grief, ambition, identity, burnout, and healing? In this deeply insightful conversation, The Bear costume designer Courtney Wheeler breaks down the emotional storytelling hidden inside every sweater, suit, vintage tee, and color palette across seasons 3 and 4 of the hit FX series. From designing Carmy's evolving silhouettes in Copenhagen and New York, to shaping Sugar's motherhood arc, Richie's growing confidence, and Donna's emotional recovery through wardrobe, Wheeler reveals how costume design becomes character psychology on screen.
The discussion dives into the chaos of shooting two seasons simultaneously, navigating constant creative pivots, collaborating with actors like Jamie Lee Curtis, and solving unexpected production problems — including creating a practical glitter effect for a dream sequence under intense time pressure. Wheeler also opens up about burnout, work-life balance in film and television, finding creativity under pressure, and the emotional parallels between the restaurant industry and Hollywood production culture.
Packed with behind-the-scenes stories from The Bear, costume design insights, creative collaboration, character development, production strategy, filmmaking process, and artistic problem-solving, this episode is a must-listen for filmmakers, costume designers, storytellers, creatives, and anyone fascinated by how visual details shape unforgettable television.
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/

Inside the costumes of Apple TV+'s Imperfect Women: Tiffany Hasbourne reveals how fashion, psychology, collaboration, and storytelling shaped every character.
In this deeply inspiring conversation, costume designer Tiffany Hasbourne pulls back the curtain on the creative process behind Imperfect Women — exploring how wardrobe becomes emotional storytelling. From collaborating with Kerry Washington and Elisabeth Moss to working with luxury fashion houses like Chanel, Dior, Coach, and Ralph Lauren, Tiffany shares how clothing choices revealed hidden trauma, friendship dynamics, class differences, and emotional transformation.
The episode dives into costume design for film and television, creative collaboration, character psychology, color theory, luxury fashion in storytelling, and the realities of budgeting high-end productions. Tiffany explains how jackets, silhouettes, pastel palettes, couture gowns, and repeated wardrobe pieces subtly shaped audience perception without distracting from the story.
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 a bullied rural kid to Emmy-nominated costume designer—this is a masterclass in creativity, resilience, collaboration, and storytelling through design. Daniel Lawson pulls back the curtain on shaping the visual identity of hit television series like Elsbeth, The Good Wife, and The Good Fight. 
In this deeply inspiring conversation, acclaimed costume designer Daniel Lawson shares how a humble upbringing in rural Indiana—marked by hard work, limited resources, and early bullying—unexpectedly became the foundation for a thriving creative career. Through the power of community theater, mentorship, and relentless curiosity, he discovered not only a passion for storytelling but a lifelong calling in costume design.
Lawson shares how early mentorship and community-driven storytelling opened doors he never imagined—including a pivotal shift from acting to costume design after realizing he belonged behind the scenes. His path wasn't linear: a life-altering accident abroad forced him to rethink everything, ultimately redirecting him toward a thriving career in television and theater.
The conversation dives deep into the creative process behind character-building through wardrobe, especially the evolution of Elsbeth—a character carried across three series—where bold colors, patterns, and silhouette become storytelling tools. Lawson reveals how collaboration with actors, directors, and writers shapes every costume, and why flexibility and preparation are essential in fast-paced TV production.
Packed with insights on storytelling, filmmaking, costume design, creative careers, collaboration, resilience, and pivoting under pressure, this episode offers powerful lessons for any creative looking to turn obstacles into opportunity and build something meaningful.
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/

Inside Gilead like never before—youth, color, power, and hidden control. A costume designer reveals how The Testaments reshapes a dystopian world.
In this richly detailed conversation, host Catherine Baumgardner sits down with acclaimed costume designer Leslie Kavanagh to explore the visual storytelling behind The Testaments—the highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid's Tale based on The Testaments book series.
Kavanagh reveals how the series shifts perspective—moving from oppression seen from the outside to a hauntingly "normal" life inside Gilead, especially through the eyes of its youth. This new lens transforms the narrative into something both beautiful and unsettling, where privilege, innocence, and control coexist.
The discussion dives deep into costume design as storytelling: color psychology (plums, greens, pinks), symbolic hierarchy, and the delicate balance of individuality within strict uniformity. Kavanagh shares how dyeing fabrics, testing under lighting, and collaborating with cinematographers shape every frame—turning clothing into emotional language.
Beyond aesthetics, the conversation explores creative process, failure as fuel, and the power of collaboration. Kavanagh emphasizes that great storytelling doesn't dictate meaning—it sparks conversation. Whether political, artistic, or emotional, the goal is resonance.
This episode is a masterclass in film design, world-building, and the invisible artistry that transforms scripts into unforgettable visual experiences.
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/

In this inspiring deep dive, Virgin River costume designer Judith Feller shares her journey from a wildly imaginative childhood—playing dress-up on a remote farm—to shaping the visual identity of one of Netflix's most beloved series.
Feller unpacks how creativity, limited resources, and a hands-on upbringing fueled her passion for fashion, eventually leading her from fashion design into film and television. She reveals the realities of breaking into the industry—starting at the bottom, grinding through years of on-set roles, and even launching her own clothing line before returning to costume design with a sharper creative voice.
The conversation dives into the art of character-driven wardrobe, exploring how she refreshed Virgin River in Season 7—balancing continuity with subtle evolution. From refining silhouettes and reducing visual repetition to crafting standout looks for destination episodes and Western-inspired storylines, Feller highlights the delicate dance between storytelling, actor comfort, and audience expectations.
She also offers powerful insights into collaboration, resilience, and creative adaptability—emphasizing that success in film and TV costume design isn't about control, but about flexibility, teamwork, and letting go.
This episode is packed with insights on:
Costume design shaping story and character
Breaking into film industry careers
Fashion to film career transition
Evolving style in long-running series
Collaboration across film production teams
Balancing actor comfort and visual storytelling
Creative resilience, burnout, and adaptability
 
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/