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.