Costumes & Coffee: Recent Episodes
Costumes & Coffee
Conversations with the artists who create the latest in costume design, fashion and culture. Host: Jazmie Motley-Maddox
Subscribe, grab a cup of your favorite coffee and tune in!
The Costume Designers Guild, IATSE Local 892, has launched its Pay Equity Now campaign, which focuses on achieving parity with their male-dominated creative department head counterparts.
To give a brief background, the Costume Designers Guild consists of professional costume designers, assistant costume designers and costume illustrators working in film, TV, commercials and other media. Its membership is 87% female, and the guild says that they are 65% lower on the IATSE pay scale than male-dominated creative department heads, according to Pay Equity Now.
Seeking to expand upon the #NakedWithoutUs campaign that the Costume Designers Guild has used for the past several years, Pay Equity Now is about education that will hopefully lead to industry-shifting change and a better quality of life for Costume Designers. Tune in as Terry A. Gordon, President of the Costume Design Guild (Local 892), discusses all of the details of the campaign and our goals going forward. Pour up a cup!
From quick changes and incredibly tight deadlines to recreating the most popular moments in news and culture, Costume Designer Tom Broecker has been doing his thing behind the scenes at SNL since 1994. His work has earned him 17 Emmy nominations and six wins, a Peabody, five PGA nominations and 10 CDGA nominations and two wins. This year, he’s up for another CDGA for his brilliant work in season 48, episode 10 of SNL featuring Aubrey Plaza as guest host.
Pour up a cup and tune in as he shares how the universe lead him to Costume Design, his fascinating design process and more.
With two big films to hit theaters over the weekend - "The Book of Clarence" and "Lift," I had to sit down for coffee with Costume Designer Antoinette Messam.
Pour up a cup and tune in as she shares her thoughts on the importance of research in costume design, relationship building with costume rental shops around the world, building a global costumes crew, her love for textiles, color theory and so much more.
Join me for coffee with Costume Designer Jen Caprio. You can currently see Jen's designs on Broadway in the hilariously funny musical "SPAMalot" and on the legendary children's show "Sesame Street".
Tune in to the latest episode of Costumes & Coffee with Costume Designer Dominique Dawson, who showcased her talent and artistry in Donald Glover's highly anticipated psychological thriller series, "Swarm."
Dominique has had an expansive career bringing her talent to projects ranging from Roberto Patino's "DMZ" to Ava Duvernay and Colin Kaepernick’s "Colin In Black & White."
During our chat, Dominique shared everything from her start at NYU, why she chose costume design over directing, and how she's inspiring the next generation of designers. She also gets into her research of stan culture (which included lots of Beyonce references) and the inspiration behind looks for Dre, Marissa and Ni'Jah. Plus, she shares what it was like working with a star-studded cast including Chloe Bailey, Billie Eilish, and Nirine S. Brown.
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Fans are raving over Costume Designer Helen Huang's work in Netflix's new hit series "BEEF." Join us for coffee as she breaks down the inspiration behind each character's costumes, the importance of highlighting diversity within the Asian community and the personal experiences that prepared her to successfully take on this role.
Pour up a cup!
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Today, we're having coffee with "The Last of Us" Costume Designer Cynthia Summers. She shares what it's like to design a video game turned TV series, develop a post-apocalyptic world, and the collaborative process with Special FX Make Up for creating the Clickers - those infected by the zombie-ant fungus. Cynthia’s credits include designing “The L Word,” “Swan Song,” “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “The Babysitter's Club” and more. She even dishes on “Goosebumps,” an upcoming series she’s designing for Disney.
Cynthia’s experience and ability to teach the techniques of design are top notch. Grab a cup and tune in!
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Join me today for coffee with "Abbott Elementary" Costume Designer Susan Michalek.
Picture this. You've gathered all of the clothing and accessories for an upcoming fitting. Instead of placing things on the rack, you place everything in a pile and the actor selects the pieces he or she loves the most to fit. Once pieces are selected, you collaborate with the talent to put together all of the changes that for the episode. It's a far departure from what we're used to, but it's the genius of Susan Michalek. She shares this, what it's like to work with an award-winning cast and so much more.
Pour up a cup and tune in!
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Today, I’m talking to CDGA nominee Natasha Newman-Thomas. You’ve seen her work in Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” music video and the recent Von Dutch documentary on Hulu. We get into the details of her award-nominated work in Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” video, and how she brought back the fun of iconic rock star energy with the designs and styling. She also shares the unique story of how she landed in Costumes after going to helicopter school. Yep, helicopter school.
Today, we’re having coffee with Carrie Cramer.
Carrie is an artist and Costume Designer who has worked on a number of projects. And today we’re highlighting the fact that she is a CDGA nominee for her work alongside Jason Rembert for Lizzo’s "Watch Out For The Big Grrrls".
We discuss her experience in reality TV (We all remember MTV’s “Singled Out” right?), her passion for creating ceramics and oil paintings and the clothing line she created with Daniel Tosh “Boys Wear Pink Too”.
Pour up a cup!
BEL-AIR is back tonight for an incredibly stylish second season, and we’re talking to artist behind the looks! Tune in to the latest episode as I have coffee with Costume Designer QueenSylvia Akuchie.
QueenSylvia takes us on her journey from law school to costume design, and her start as Tyler Perry’s right hand in Costumes & Wardrobe. She also gives us impeccable insight into the careful thought she put into showcasing wealth, heritage and style for the looks this season. And how locally sourcing pieces helped her bring authentic storytelling to the screen.
Pour up a cup!
Tune in to the latest episode of the podcast as I chat with Costume Designer Deirdre Govan.
Deirdre shares the insight behind the costumes for Harlem season 2 - the inspiration behind each of the ladies’ unique style, and the conscious effort she made to avoid “window dressing” the guys. As a member of Local 892 and the vice president of Local 829, Deirdre shares insight into some of the most pressing issues designers face today. Plus, hear more about she’s creating “an opportunity zone” and “legacy of access” for future artists everywhere.
Pour up a cup and tune in to this enlightening conversation a great conversation.
Check out the episode which features a conversation with Costume Designer Johnetta Boone. We discuss how her remarkable career, the life experience she has that lends itself to designing the stories of diverse characters, her process for uniquely dressing a multitude of cowboys in “Yellowstone” for 16 million viewers and so much more.
Her wisdom and insight are gold. A quote she shared so eloquently:
“My color does not transcend my title (as Costume Designer). My skin color does not dictate the kind of work that I do…because I am able to contribute to all environments.”
That’s a mantra! If you’re currently working in the industry or aspire to, this conversation is for you. Tune in!
Today, we’re talking to Costume Designer Trayce GiGi Field about her work in Rian Johnson’s new series Poker Face, her recent NAACP Image Award nomination for her designs in A League of Their Own and so much more. She has designed two hit series streaming simultaneously on two different networks - and with another show in the works - Trayce offers some guidance and fun stories about her journey in costumes.
Grab a cup of coffee and tune in!
We’re back with more coffee and conversations! Kicking off season 3 of the podcast with Quita Alfred, the Costume Designer of the new hit drama "Women Talking,” which has earned Quita a nomination for this year’s Costume Designers Guild Awards. She brilliantly shares the research and inspiration behind the costumes in “Women Talking," a particular affirmation that I believe we all should tap into and some of the invaluable wisdom she’s gained through the process of the project.Grab a cup of coffee, tune in and don't forget to subscribe for the latest.
Check out the latest conversation with Costume Designer Phoenix Mellow. We discuss what inspired her to pursue a career in Costume Design, her process for a more sustainable design process and the inspiration behind the looks in the second season of “The Sex Lives of College Girls” on HBOMax.
Her advice for aspiring designers is top tier! Pour up a cup and tune in.
Listen in today as I chat with Jenna Tyson, fashion stylist to rapper Flo Milli and NBA player James Harden.
We discuss her bond with legendary trailblazer Misa Hylton, her experience at the Misa Hylton Fashion Academy and the inspiration behind some of her most recent creative hits.
Jenna has also been assistant designing for a series that’s a part of one of the hottest TV franchises.
Pour up a cup of coffee and tune in!
Pour up a cup of coffee and check out my latest conversation with the Costume Designer Jaclyn Banner. We discuss her journey from Wardrobe Stylist to Costume Designer, her unique design range and her inspiration behind the costumes in Hulu’s latest series ‘Kindred,’ based on the novel from award-winning science fiction author Octavia Butler.
She drops a lot of gems. Enjoy!
I love exploring the intersection and history of costumes and fashion. After all, how would we know if it's an original idea without something to reference? The next episode of the podcast features Colleen Hill, Curator of costumes and accessories at The Museum at FIT, New York.
We chat about what she does as a museum curator and her latest 90s-inspired coffee table book. We even get into some fun costumes trivia like...
- Which 90s sitcom character was scripted to be a fashion student at FIT.
- What decade mixed metals became a thing.
- What vintage collection pieces she looks for when shopping.
Grab a cup and tune in!
Join me for coffee with Costume Designer Leslie Kavanagh as she dishes on her career and all of the costume details from season 5 of Hulu’s hit series “The Handmaid’s Tale.” We chat about everything from the role of color this season to designing and developing ‘The Plums’ to indicate a new social classification, which hasn’t been done since season two. Leslie shares her experience costuming hundreds of background performers, creating the details of the Commanders’ uniforms, and her collaboration with Elisabeth Moss. Leslie also goes into detail about creating a show-stopping funeral look and how she depicted the evolution of the characters by designing new fashion-forward, yet conservative silhouettes. Grab a cup of coffee and tune in! You don’t want to miss it.
Pour up a cup of coffee and check out my latest conversation with the incredibly talented Costume Designer Tsigie White and the legendary Costume Designer Frank L. Fleming.
We discuss Tsigie's journey through the costumes department into her dream career, her inspiration behind the authentic 90s looks for ‘Raising Kanan’ and so much more. Have you ever heard of grape gold earrings? I hadn’t either until Tsigie shared her love for designing with them.
As a bonus, legendary Costume Designer Frank L. Fleming joined us for a masterful conversation about how he went from assistant designing on Monsters Ball into the design seat, how he manages costumes across the entire Power Universe and how he is passing the torch to the designers of the future, including Tsigie White.
Both Tsigie and Frank share valuable knowledge and unique insight through clothes, storytelling and business. Tune in!
I sat down for coffee with fashion historian, archivist and research consultant Tianni Janae’ Graham. In this episode, she discusses her extensive career in fashion, her current role at Thom Browne, how fashion pieces are archived, some of her favorite personally archived pieces and her tips on the proper way to store costumes for future use.
Join me and 4x CAFTCAD- award winning Costume Designer Gersha Phillips for coffee! You may recognize Gersha’s work in the wildly popular Star Trek Discovery. Her film credits include designing Barbershop, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, A Raisin In The Sun, Black Nativity, The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe and most recently the highly anticipated blockbuster The Woman King, which premieres this Friday. Grab a cup because we’re talking costumes with one of the most insightful designers in the industry.
Join me and 6x Tony-award winning, Emmy-award winning, and Oscar-nominated Costume Designer Paul Tazewell for coffee! Paul is the first Black man ever to receive a nomination in the Academy’s Costume Design category. You may recognize Paul’s work in the critically acclaimed stage plays 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘯, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘻 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦!, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘑: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭. His film credits include designing 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 and most recently Steven Spielberg’s stunning remake of the classic musical 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. Grab a cup because we’re talking costumes with one of the greatest to ever do it!
Pour up a cup of coffee and check out my latest conversation with Emmy-nominated Costume Designer Heidi Bivens. We discuss her career pivot from journalism to styling, her work as the Costume Designer of HBO's hit series Euphoria and her latest role as film Director. Enjoy!
Pour up a cup of coffee and check out my latest conversation with legendary Costume Designer Tracey A. White. She's responsible for the looks in Netflix's blue -collar comedy The Upshaws, Tales From The Hood and Carmen: A Hip Hopera. Enjoy!
Pour up a cup of coffee and check out my conversation w/ 5x Emmy-award winning Costume Designer Marina Toybina.
Millions watch The Masked Singer on FOC each week for the main attraction - the COSTUMES! 🙌🏾 We talked about her design process, looks inspired by the Met Gala red carpet, her love for wearable art fashion designers like Elsa Schiperilli and so much more. Be sure to subscribe.
I sat down with Tony award-winning Respect Costume Designer Clint Ramos. Watch to learn more about the inspiration behind his designs, how the looks he created really told the inner most stories of Aretha Franklin and more.
Tune in tonight as I chat with BMF on Starz Costume Designer Keia Bounds. We chat about her career start in fashion and editorial, her favorite designs and we even play a quick game of STO (See It, Touch It, Obtain It). Subscribe, please And tune in! You don’t want to miss this episode.