Tales From A Costume Designer

Whitney Anne Adams

Join professional costume designer Whitney Anne Adams as she interviews fellow costume designers, costume department members and filmmakers from across the industry. Questions for future guests can be submitted at the TFACD Patreon page.

  1. 09/22/2025

    ANNIE SPONG - Intimacy Coordinator

    This week's guest is Intimacy Coordinator & Costumer Annie Spong! We had a fantastic discussion all about Intimacy Coordination: the origins, the nuance of the job, the process, the intersection with costumes, intimacy riders, different types of modesty garments, and so much more! Annie also co-hosts a fantastic Intimacy Coordination podcast called Romancing the Screen - check it out through the link below. There's a LOT of great links in the show notes today, so be sure to take a look.  --- If you want to support me and this podcast, please subscribe to the Patreon - we have tiers starting at just $3 and you will get access to extended cuts of every episode with more even more stories. If you enjoy the show, please consider helping others find it by writing a five star review on your podcast app of choice. --- Intimacy Coordinator Annie Spong Credits include: The Patient, Beef, Saint X, Dave, Rebel, Perry Mason --- Annie Spong, MFA (Pratt Institute, NYC), is an Intimacy Coordinator for television, film, and advertising, bringing decades of award-winning experience as a costume designer and wardrobe stylist. Her seamless transition into intimacy coordination is rooted in years of firsthand advocacy for on-set safety and talent support. Often the first to respond to unspoken needs in production, Annie naturally stepped into the role of safeguarding boundaries long before the industry formalized the position. With a reputation for professionalism, emotional intelligence, and creative problem-solving, Annie collaborates with directors, producers, and performers to choreograph intimate scenes with integrity and care. Her production fluency and deep commitment to consent-forward storytelling make her an invaluable asset on set. She is passionate about cultivating a safe, inclusive, and dynamically creative work environment for all collaborators. --- Annie Spong Links IMDB: Annie Spong Instagram: @annie__intimacycoordinator Website: AnnieSpong.com Podcast: Romancing the Screen Podcast Website: Annie @ IntimacyCoordinator.me SAG-AFTRA: Intimacy Coordinator Resources SAG-AFTRA: Sex, Nudity and You PDF SAG-AFTRA: Quick Guide for Scenes Involving Nudity and Simulated Sex PDF SAG-AFTRA: Recommended Standards for Qualifications, Training & Vetting of Intimacy Coordinators PDF SAG-AFTRA: List of Certified IC's Website: Intimacy Directors & Coordinators YouTube: Annie's Intimacy Coordination Class at the CDG --- Modesty Garment Links: Covvier Intimask Unclockable K-Tape The Costume Source --- TFACD Links: Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner Twitter: @talesfromaCD TikTok: @talesfromaCD --- Whitney Anne Adams Links: Website: whitneyadams.com IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams TikTok: @waacostumedesign --- Union Links: Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892 United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists IATSE IG: @iatse ---

    1h 15m
  2. BOOK CLUB: THE COSTUMES OF HOLLYWOOD with Co-Authors Coleen Scott and Larry McQueen

    09/08/2025

    BOOK CLUB: THE COSTUMES OF HOLLYWOOD with Co-Authors Coleen Scott and Larry McQueen

    This week episode is a special Book Club episode digging into the brand new book The Costumes of Hollywood with co-authors Coleen Scott & Larry McQueen! We cover Larry's extensive collection, the creation of the book, the importance of preserving Hollywood history and maintaing the legacy of Costume Designers and their teams, advice for Costume Designers on archiving their own pieces and so much more!    The Costumes of Hollywood details the design, creation, and influence of over 100 ensembles from some of the most iconic designers, films, and roles in Hollywood history, spanning the 1920s through the early 21st century. All costumes featured are from The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design, one of the world's largest private collections, curated over thirty-five years by leading Hollywood costume historian and archivist, Larry McQueen.   The book presents full costumes on display in addition to close-ups, and rarely seen interior details of some garments. Iconic costumes, including many with Academy Award nominations, from Some Like It Hot, Hello Dolly, Cabaret, Rear Window, Ben Hur, Mildred Pierce, Angel, Masters of the Universe, The Piano, The Hunger Games, and so many others are featured. This book gives the audience a rare and heretofore unpublished insight into what collecting, restoring, and reproducing entails, and highlights differences between private collecting and museum-backed collections. The Costumes of Hollywood details the significance of the designer, costume, and wearer via thorough research, interviews, and Larry McQueen's behind-the-scenes knowledge of collecting and working as an archivist in Hollywood.   Within the entertainment field, this book will be of interest to professional costume designers and technicians in film, theatre, and performance, as well as students of film production, history, and costume design and construction. The Costumes of Hollywood will also enrich and entertain anyone with an interest in costume design in film and collecting.   — If you want to support me and this podcast, please subscribe to the Patreon - we have tiers starting at just $3 and you will get access to extended cuts of every episode with more even more stories.  --- The Costumes of Hollywood: Highlights from The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design Written by Coleen Scott & Larry McQueen --- Larry McQueen is a leading Hollywood costume historian and archivist. He has held the position of consultant for Camden House Auctioneers, Inc. in Los Angeles; Christie's East, New York: Christie's London; Butterfield and Butterfield Los Angeles/ San Francisco; Entertainment Rarities; and Julien Entertainment.   As consultant, he has been responsible for the authentication of film costumes and the estimation of their value. From 1999-2012, Mr. McQueen worked as an archivist with MGM/ UA in creating and maintaining a prop and costume collection of MGM films. In addition, his collection has worked with private estates and costume houses such as Lucille Ball, Jane Withers, Edith Head, Wayne Finkleman, Julie Newmar, Debbie Reynolds, Western Costume Company, Eastern Costume Company, CRC, American Costume Co., and others in researching items and their valuation. Mr. McQueen's private collection of film costumes is one the finest, and consists of over 600 costumes worn in films and television from 1920 to present. Portions of his collection have been exhibited in museums across the globe including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Fashion Foundation in Tokyo, and The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Website: www.filmcostumecollection.com.   Coleen Scott is a costume designer and historian with an MFA in Costume Design from Boston University, where she received the Kahn award upon graduation. She has worked for over 25 years in theater, opera, film, and television. She has worked with Academy Award-winning costume designer Ann Roth as well as designers Stephanie Maslansky and Tina Nigro. She frequently works with her creative partner and photographer, Ben Trivett, doing styling, set decoration, and photo tech for celebrity and editorial portrait photography.   Coleen taught Costume Production and Makeup for Stage and Studio at Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, NY for thirteen years. Her book The Costumes of Burlesque was published by Routledge in 2019. She is a proud member of lATSE, USA 829, USITT, and is Chair of The Costume Society of America's Western Region. Coleen is tenured faculty in the Theatre Arts and Fashion Department at Santa Rosa Junior College in California heading the Costume Design, Technology and Makeup programs. Website: www.coleenscottdesign.com.     CoH Links: Book Link @ Routledge Website: The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design Podcast (Apple Podcasts): The Costumes of Hollywood Podcast Podcast (Spotify): The Costumes of Hollywood Podcast Instagram: @CostumesofHollywood --- TFACD Links: Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner Twitter: @talesfromaCD TikTok: @talesfromaCD --- Whitney Anne Adams Links: Website: whitneyadams.com IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams TikTok: @waacostumedesign --- Union Links: Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892 United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists IATSE IG: @iatse ---

    1h 41m
  3. 08/25/2025

    KATHLEEN FELIX-HAGER - Costume Designer

    This week's episode features the fantastic costume designer Kathleen Felix-Hager. We dig into her start in the world of costumes on the epic film Waterworld, the love for our costume teams, using her grandmother as one of her inspirations for Jean Smart's Deborah Vance in Hacks, the unexpected logistical issues that come with cross-boarding, the joy of contemporary research, what we look for when we're hiring new staff members, and so much more!  --- *We had some cute puppy barks and gardening noises in the background, so don't be alarmed if you hear them a few times!  --- If you want to support me and this podcast, please subscribe to the Patreon - we have tiers starting at just $3 and you will get access to extended cuts of every episode with more even more stories.  --- Costume Designer Kathleen Felix-Hager Credits include: Dexter, Veep, Hacks, Space Force, Happiest Season, Downhill --- Kathleen Felix-Hager is a costume designer, currently working in both television and feature film. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she began her career on the film Waterworld, and fell in love with the art of storytelling through costumes. She has designed the costumes on several award-winning television shows, including Dexter, Veep and Hacks. She received an Emmy for Contemporary Costumes for her work on Hacks.   Photo by Chris Hager   --- Kathleen Felix-Hager IMDB: Kathleen Felix-Hager Instagram: @kfhager Website: Kathleen Felix-Hager --- TFACD Links: Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner Twitter: @talesfromaCD TikTok: @talesfromaCD --- Whitney Anne Adams Links: Website: whitneyadams.com IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams TikTok: @waacostumedesign --- Union Links: Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892 United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists IATSE IG: @iatse ---

    1h 1m
  4. 08/11/2025

    BOOK CLUB: BREAKING INTO NEW HOLLYWOOD with Co-Author Ada Tseng

    This week episode is a special Book Club episode digging into the brand new book Breaking Into New Hollywood: A Career Guide to a Changing Industry with Co-Author Ada Tseng. Come listen as we highlight the special features in this book and what went into bringing it to life. I'm honored to be featured in the Costume Design section of this book (along with this very podcast!) and it was a blast to turn the tables on Ada who interviewed me — now I get to interview her!  --- If you want to support me and this podcast, please subscribe to the Patreon - we have tiers starting at just $3 and you will get access to extended cuts of every episode with more even more stories.  --- Breaking Into New Hollywood: A Career Guide to a Changing Industry Written by Ada Tseng & Jon Healy. Presented by the Los Angeles Times. --- Ada Tseng is the co-author of the upcoming book Breaking Into New Hollywood, with Jon Healey. She co-hosts the Asian American pop culture history podcast, Saturday School, with Brian Hu. A former editor at the Los Angeles Times, Ada covers culture, lifestyle, health, style and travel. Her bylines include National Geographic, Center of Asian American Media, Women's Wear Daily, HowStuffWorks, The Washington Post, Public Radio International, NBC, LA Weekly, Asia Pacific Arts, Audrey Magazine and more.   Headshot photo by Leo Wu @wugrapher   The Los Angeles Times Published since 1881, The Los Angeles Times is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States, as well as the largest newspaper in the western United States.   Ada Tseng & Book Links: Simon & Schuster: Breaking into New Hollywood LA Times: Want to break into Hollywood? Read this book Instagram: @adatseng88 Saturday School Podcast Substack: Ada Tseng --- TFACD Links: Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner Twitter: @talesfromaCD TikTok: @talesfromaCD --- Whitney Anne Adams Links: Website: whitneyadams.com IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams TikTok: @waacostumedesign --- Union Links: Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892 United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists IATSE IG: @iatse ---

    1 hr
  5. 08/04/2025

    TONY GARDNER - SFX Makeup Artist, Designer & Puppeteer

    This week's episode features the incredible designer Tony Gardner! I was lucky enough to work with Tony on Freaky and we overlapped on the Happy Death Day series. We dig into his illustrious career from his professional start on Michael Jackson's Thriller music video through his most recent projects like Heart Eyes. We talk about collaborating with costume designers on Hocus Pocus, designing the helmets for Daft Punk, and finding places for his disembodied head to have a cameo. And so much more! --- New Release Day! New episodes will now be dropping on Mondays both on the Patreon and publicly to streamline things so I can get more episodes out. The Patreon episodes will still be longer than the public versions with more stories and anecdotes. I release a longer cut of each episode there with more even more stories than the public versionIf you want to support me and this podcast, please head over and subscribe to the Patreon. --- SFX Makeup Artist, Designer and Puppeteer Tony Gardner Credits include: Heart Eyes, 127 Hours, Hocus Pocus, Hairspray, MTV's Jackass, The Addams Family and Zombieland films, as well as the CHUCKY film franchise and recent TV series.  --- Tony Gardner is an American makeup effects designer, special effects artist, and filmmaker. He has designed and created effects for multiple feature films, including Heart Eyes, 127 Hours, Hocus Pocus, Hairspray, MTV's Jackass, The Addams Family and Zombieland films, as well as the CHUCKY film franchise and recent TV series.  Gardner's Alterian Studios created the signature helmets for Daft Punk as well as the animatronic robot DJ for the duo's "Technologic" music video. He wrote and directed Daft Punk's music video for the song "The Prime Time of Your Life," and associate produced and populated a world full of robots for the duo's feature-length directorial debut, Daft Punk's Electroma.  Alterian's makeup effects for Johnny Knoxville's character in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa were nominated for an Academy Award as well as a Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist Guild Award, and won the Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist Guild Award for Best Special Makeup Effects in the Feature Film category the year it was released. Beyond the film-making arena, Gardner and Alterian also designed and created the popular GEICO Cavemen characters as well as the current iteration of Smokey Bear for the US Forestry Department.    Tony Gardner Links: IMDB: Tony Gardner Instagram: @tonygardner Website: Alterian Inc Instagram: @alterianinc YouTube: Flesh & Blood & Bone Podcast Fangoria: Flesh & Blood & Bone --- TFACD Links: Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner Twitter: @talesfromaCD TikTok: @talesfromaCD --- Whitney Anne Adams Links: Website: whitneyadams.com IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams TikTok: @waacostumedesign --- Union Links: Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892 United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists IATSE IG: @iatse ---

    1h 20m
  6. 07/23/2025

    Summer Check-In

    Hello everyone! It's hard to fathom how quickly time has passed and now how long it's been since my last episode. This quick little episode talks about what's been going on in my life and the industry in the time since. I hope you all do the homework I assign to you! Sending much love to all of you out there.   --- If you want to support the work that I do or you want to be a part of my little community, you can meet me over on our Patreon page. I have a free membership tier too so it doesn't have to cost any money at all.  When I get back to releasing episodes (will be asap!) — I release a longer cut of each episode there with more even more stories than the public version. I also host a monthly movie watching party on my Patreon and share fun costume trivia and behind the scenes facts for each film.  --- Whitney Anne Adams is a Costume Designer who has worked on several internationally acclaimed films, many of which have been featured at the Sundance, Cannes, Tribeca, and Toronto International Film Festivals. Her credits include The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, Story Ave, Freaky, We Have A Ghost, Happy Death Day 2U, as well as the upcoming film Five Nights at Freddy's 2. Whitney is an active union member of two I.A.T.S.E locals: the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892 and United Scenic Artists, Local 829. She is passionate about advocating for the essential art of costume design. --- TFACD Links: Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner Twitter: @talesfromaCD TikTok: @talesfromaCD --- Whitney Anne Adams Links: Website: whitneyadams.com IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams TikTok: @waacostumedesign --- Union Links: Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892 CDG at Comic-Con United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists IATSE IG: @iatse

    11 min
  7. 11/15/2024

    KATIE IRISH - Costume Designer

    This week's episode features my talented friend and colleague, Costume Designer Katie Irish.  We dig into her roots in theatre (she also started off college pre-med just like myself!) and her transition into film and tv which included taking over designing The Americans. We talk about our union work in United Scenic Artists Local 829 - especially as she and I have been two of the co-chairs of the Pay Equity Task Force for several years. We discuss our recent contract negotiation and the gains made and what more still need to do: especially in regards to our amazing ACDs and CDCs. We also cover her most recent show Manhunt, a 19th Century feast for the eyes, and how she started her research of a period that's quite removed from our present day. And so much more!  --- If you head on over to the Patreon, you'll see that I release episodes there two days before the main podcast feed and some of these episodes will be longer with more even more stories than the public version. If you want to support me and this podcast, feel free to buy me a coffee on ko-fi or subscribe to the Patreon.  --- Costume Designer Katie Irish Credits include: The Americans, Manhunt, Hit & Run, The Enemy Within --- Katie Irish is a costume designer best known for her work on seasons 4-6 of the Emmy award winning FX series The Americans. Her most recent project is a miniseries for Apple + entitled Manhunt about the search for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated Lincoln. In addition to these, Irish has designed Hit & Run for Netflix and The Enemy Within for NBC; the indie features The Widowers and Landing Up; and co-designed the Season 10 semi-finals and finale of NBC's America's Got Talent. She has also designed numerous commercials, short films, and music videos. Earlier in her career, she worked extensively as an assistant and associate designer on Broadway where favorites included Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Jerusalem, Fences, Promises, Promises, The Seagull, Is He Dead?, and Shrek. Originally from Memphis, Katie is an alum of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a MFA in Design for Stage and Film.     Katie Irish Links: Website: katieirish.com Instagram: @knirish IMDb: Katie Irish --- TFACD Links: Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner Twitter: @talesfromaCD TikTok: @talesfromaCD --- Whitney Anne Adams Links: Website: whitneyadams.com IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams TikTok: @waacostumedesign Ko-Fi: @waacostumedesign --- Union Links: Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892 United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists IATSE IG: @iatse ---

    1h 14m
  8. 10/25/2024

    TINA MABRY - Director, Writer, Producer

    This week's episode features the incredible Director, Writer, Producer Tina Mabry, who I was lucky enough to work with on our film The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat from Searchlight Pictures which just premiered on Hulu in August. Not only do we dig into our work together on The Supremes, we also cover a wide array of topics from cultivating a kindness and respect on set, jumping into directing episodes of television on established tv shows, to coming up with the spark of an idea for a script to and what happens when you a have to cut a two page monologue in favor of a wordless scene so you can make your day. Spoiler alert, it ends up being the right choice. Also, this episode is essential for all those starting out in the industry as Tina gives so much incredible advice. She is such an inspiration! — If you head on over to the Patreon, there's an extended cut of this episode. I release episodes there two days before the main podcast feed and these episodes will be longer with more even more stories. If you want to support me and this podcast, feel free to buy me a coffee on ko-fi or subscribe to the Patreon. Thanks for your patience during this past two week delay in getting this episode out: work has been all encompassing the past couple months and will continue to be through February. I'm getting episodes out as quickly as I can!  --- Director, Writer, Producer Tina Mabry Credits include: writing and directing The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat & Mississippi Damned, serving as a writer, producer and director for both tv series Queen Sugar and Queen of the South, directing episodes of television including Pose, Women of the Movement, and Insecure. --- Tina Mabry, a native of Tupelo, Mississippi, is an award-winning writer, producer, and director. She earned her MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. She is known for her work on "Queen Sugar" and on "Queen of the South," where she served as a writer, producer, and director for both series. Her directing credits include "Insecure" (HBO), "Dear White People" (Netflix), and "Pose" (FX). Tina's feature film "Mississippi Damned" won over 13 festival awards. She has received a DGA Award and an NAACP Image Award. Her latest project, "The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat," starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, and Uzo Aduba is available to stream on Hulu.   Tina Mabry Links: Instagram: @tinamabry Twitter: @tinamabry IMDb: Tina Mabry --- TFACD Links: Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner Twitter: @talesfromaCD TikTok: @talesfromaCD --- Whitney Anne Adams Links: Website: whitneyadams.com IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams TikTok: @waacostumedesign Ko-Fi: @waacostumedesign --- Union Links: Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892 United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists IATSE IG: @iatse ---

    2h 5m
5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Join professional costume designer Whitney Anne Adams as she interviews fellow costume designers, costume department members and filmmakers from across the industry. Questions for future guests can be submitted at the TFACD Patreon page.