Heidi Bivens on Styling Euphoria, Kristen Stewart, and Redefining What It Means To Tell Stories Through Clothes

Summary

Podcast Summary: Let’s Get Dressed – Episode Featuring Heidi Bivens

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Episode Title:
Heidi Bivens on Styling Euphoria, Kristen Stewart, and Redefining What It Means To Tell Stories Through Clothes

Host:
Liv Perez

Guest:
Heidi Bivens, influential costume designer known for her work on Euphoria and Spring Breakers

Release Date:
April 21, 2025

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Introduction to Heidi Bivens and Her Journey

Timestamp: [01:21 – 03:05]

Liv Perez opens the episode by expressing her admiration for Heidi Bivens, highlighting Heidi’s non-linear career path and significant contributions to the fashion industry. Bivens is renowned for her ability to use fashion not just as clothing but as a narrative tool that shapes culture and global trends. Liv mentions Heidi's transition from editorial work at Vogue to becoming a pivotal costume designer in film and television.

Notable Quote:

"She has truly shaped culture and global trends." — Liv Perez [01:21]

Personal Fashion and Influences

Timestamp: [03:05 – 06:11]

The conversation begins with a light-hearted discussion about what Heidi wore to a recent event. Heidi emphasizes her focus on practical and timeless pieces, sharing her love for brands like Miu Miu and her affinity for perfect basics. She also expresses excitement about the revival of Barney’s in Japan, discussing its impact on her personal style and shopping experiences.

Notable Quote:

"I'm all about a perfect basic." — Heidi Bivens [03:37]

Approach to Daily Dressing and Wardrobe Choices

Timestamp: [06:11 – 08:49]

Heidi discusses her approach to daily dressing, which is influenced by her environment—more casual and cozy in New York versus possibly different styles elsewhere. She stresses the importance of dressing appropriately for the setting and being comfortable, highlighting her philosophy of allowing others to have their own style without judgment.

Notable Quote:

"I don't judge how other people dress, which is weird to say." — Heidi Bivens [06:30]

Early Life and Inspiration in Fashion

Timestamp: [08:49 – 11:42]

Heidi delves into her upbringing, crediting her mother’s passion for fashion and costume design as a significant influence. Growing up with a stylistic household, Heidi developed an early appreciation for costumes and historical fashion, which later translated into her career in costume design. She acknowledges Arianne Phillips as a major mentor who inspired her to merge editorial and costume design.

Notable Quote:

"I really have to credit my mom." — Heidi Bivens [12:39]

Education vs. Experience in the Fashion Industry

Timestamp: [12:44 – 15:25]

Heidi shares her perspective on the necessity of formal education in the fashion industry. She advocates for the "school of life," emphasizing hands-on experience over traditional university training. While she acknowledges the value of learning from active professionals, she believes that success in fashion and film can be achieved without formal degrees, particularly through practical experience and mentorship.

Notable Quote:

"I think the school of life is the most important one." — Heidi Bivens [12:55]

Breaking into TV and Creating Visual Language for Euphoria

Timestamp: [15:27 – 21:34]

Heidi recounts her transition into television costume design, particularly her work on Euphoria. She explains her intuitive process, which involves deeply empathizing with characters to inform their wardrobe choices. For Euphoria, each character's attire reflected personal experiences and emotions, creating an authentic and visually dynamic narrative. Heidi highlights the collaborative nature of costume design, working closely with actors to develop their characters' backstories and visual identities.

Notable Quote:

"I consider myself a very empathetic person." — Heidi Bivens [17:56]

Collaborative Dynamics on Set

Timestamp: [21:34 – 30:16]

The dialogue shifts to the collaborative aspects of costume design on set. Heidi emphasizes the importance of directors seeing her as a collaborator and the mutual trust required for creative success. She shares anecdotes about adapting costumes based on actors' feedback and the necessity of being flexible to accommodate spontaneous changes. Heidi underscores the significance of finding like-minded collaborators to build lasting professional relationships.

Notable Quote:

"It's important to find your collaborators." — Heidi Bivens [30:09]

Impact of Costume Design on Global Trends and Cultural Influence

Timestamp: [30:16 – 33:00]

Liv and Heidi discuss the cultural impact of Heidi's work, noting how costumes from Spring Breakers and Euphoria have become iconic and influential in global fashion trends, particularly around Halloween. Heidi expresses delight in seeing her costume designs resonate with a broader audience and influence popular culture.

Notable Quote:

"I have to listen to the actors every time." — Heidi Bivens [21:45]

Current Projects and Future Aspirations

Timestamp: [33:00 – 38:03]

Heidi talks about her recent projects, including The Wrong Girls and upcoming collaborations with Kristen Stewart and Panos Cosmatos. She expresses excitement about venturing into producing, allowing her to influence storytelling beyond costume design. Heidi also shares her future aspirations to work on genre-blending projects, such as a unique vampire film with sci-fi elements.

Notable Quote:

"Producing has been such a joy." — Heidi Bivens [32:36]

Closing Remarks

Timestamp: [38:02 – End]

Liv thanks Heidi for sharing her insights and experiences, highlighting the profound impact of Heidi’s work on the fashion and entertainment industries. Heidi reciprocates the gratitude, expressing her enthusiasm for future collaborations and projects.

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Key Takeaways:

• Empathy in Design: Heidi emphasizes the importance of understanding and empathizing with characters to create authentic and impactful costume designs.
• Collaboration: Successful costume design relies heavily on collaboration with directors and actors, fostering an environment of mutual trust and creative freedom.
• Cultural Influence: Costume designers play a significant role in shaping global fashion trends and cultural narratives through their work in film and television.
• Non-linear Career Paths: Heidi’s journey from editorial fashion to costume design showcases the potential for diverse pathways within the fashion industry.
• Mentorship and Networking: Building relationships with mentors and like-minded professionals is crucial for sustained success and growth in creative industries.

Notable Quotes Collection:

1. "She has truly shaped culture and global trends." — Liv Perez [01:21]
2. "I'm all about a perfect basic." — Heidi Bivens [03:37]
3. "I don't judge how other people dress, which is weird to say." — Heidi Bivens [06:30]
4. "I really have to credit my mom." — Heidi Bivens [12:39]
5. "I consider myself a very empathetic person." — Heidi Bivens [17:56]
6. "It's important to find your collaborators." — Heidi Bivens [30:09]
7. "Producing has been such a joy." — Heidi Bivens [32:36]

---

Conclusion:

This episode of Let’s Get Dressed provides an in-depth look into Heidi Bivens' impactful career in costume design. From her early inspirations to her collaborative processes on iconic sets like Euphoria, Heidi shares valuable insights into the intersection of fashion, storytelling, and cultural influence. Listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of how costume design can transcend mere aesthetics to become a powerful narrative device in modern media.

Transcript

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[Liv Perez]

Hey.

[Heidi Bivens]

Everyone, welcome back to another episode of let's Get Dressed. It's your host, Liv Perez. I'm so excited about today's episode because some of my favorite episodes are the ones where I'm able to have on people who I admire so much in the fashion industry but also am obsessed with their careers. Like they're nonlinear, they started one place and ended up another, and their careers in the fashion industry that we might just not know or hear about often. So I'm thrilled to have Heidi Bivens on the show today. She is, hands down, one of the most influential costume designers of our time. Using fashion not just to tell stories, but she has truly shaped culture and global trends. Best known for her work on Euphoria and Spring Breakers, Heidi actually began her career in editorial at publications like Vogue before making a very sharp pivot after falling in love with life on set. Since then, she's worked across film, tv, music, videos, editorial, and she even authored her own book, Euphoria Fashion, which dives into her creative process behind the show's most iconic looks. If you are someone who loves to see looks come to life and the stories behind them, highly recommend this book. In today's episode, Heidi shares her very nonlinear path through the fashion world, how she built the visual identities of some of our favorite TV characters and what it's been like working on her latest film with Kristen Stewart. I hope you guys love today's episode. Before you leave us, make sure you drop down an Apple podcast or Spotify and leave us a kind review. I love hearing your guys thoughts on every episode. And now let's go get dressed with Heidi Bivens.

[Liv Perez]

Welcome to the show.

[Heidi Bivens]

Thank you for having me.

[Liv Perez]

So excited to have you in person because we were supposed to do this earlier in the week virtually, and then you were like, by the way, I'm coming to LA and now you're in my living room.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah, it all worked out.

[Liv Perez]

It worked out perfectly. Okay, so tell us what you wore to POD today because obviously again, we're on the same page.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah, I'm always thinking about dressing other people and not as much about myself. This is an old Miu Miu shirt and just the colors are so fresh.

[Liv Perez]

So I was gonna say, I haven't seen that Mimi logo in a long time.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah, it was a couple years ago. They did like a capsule. Yeah, yeah. With that logo.

[Liv Perez]

What's this perfect black tank that you have on?

[Heidi Bivens]

Oh, I got this in Japan. I forgot the name of the brand. I'll have to tell you later. But yeah, I'm all about a perfect basic.

[Liv Perez]

I'm going to Japan first time next year.

[Heidi Bivens]

Okay, well, I will definitely let you know. Please. Yeah, like you would have the best wrecks. So much great shopping there. It's incredible. And actually I was very excited to find out that there's Barney's in New York. I mean, in Japan, like Barneys New York. Barney's New York is in Japan?

[Advertiser]

Why?

[Heidi Bivens]

I think someone must have bought the license and is able to produce it there. But they have brick and mortar stores and in the stores they have the Barney's brand, which I always loved. And it's really affordable. Well, the dollar was high when I was there a year ago. Let's see what happens with the tariffs.

[Liv Perez]

Oh my. Okay. Adding that to my list. Yeah, I miss Barney's.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah, me too, too. Me too. It was a big part of my life.

[Liv Perez]

Even the one here. Like, I miss going to Barney's Greengrass.

[Heidi Bivens]

Me too. It was like, you know, I would go to Barney's and I would be there for half a day. We have so few sort of experiential brick and mortar stores like that. You know, opening ceremony closed and you know, we've got like, you know, Bergdorf's in New York, but prawn temps just opened In New York, downtown. Have you been? Yes, I went there the other night. It's great. The boys who do Caperni, Arnaud and Sebastian have a collection they did with Disney that's out now and they did an event and I went to support them and saw the new store and it's incredible. It feels like those days of, you know, going shopping and having like a really nice experience. There's. I don't. Yeah, I think there is a restaurant adjacent. I didn't see the restaurant, but there's a bar in the shopping area, which I thought is really smart.

[Liv Perez]

Love that.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah. Also the shoe room looks crazy and they have. Now they should be paying me to promote, but they have a room that is all vintage and it's like very specialized, high end vintage and they have someone on staff who you can make an appointment with to bring your vintage to rework it. So if you have old pieces that have some sort of sentimental value to you or they're actually worth something, collectibles and. But they just don't fit right. Or maybe they're too conservative or, you know, whatever it is that's just not working for you, you can go get a consultation and alterations to up cycle it to whatever the piece is.

[Liv Perez]

That's genius.

[Heidi Bivens]

I know. So smart. And I think more companies should do that.

[Liv Perez]

How do you get dressed every day? I know this morning you said you wanted spring, but are you getting dressed every day, like excited about a feeling, or are you always basing it around a piece?

[Heidi Bivens]

It's usually more about a place. Like, I don't think my wardrobe changes too much from New York to la, but I definitely wore more black in New York. You know, like upstate. I have a specific wardrobe that I don't necessarily wear anywhere else. You know, I think, like, what is.

[Liv Perez]

It more like Athleisure? Is it really laid back? I'm feeling like it's definitely more jeans.

[Heidi Bivens]

It'S definitely more casual and it's definitely more cozy. And. Yeah. So I think like, when I'm in New York or la, for example, or I'm traveling for work, I'm always thinking about, like, who am I gonna run into? And in New York or upstate, at least in the country, if I'm gonna run into a friend, they're gonna be dressed casually. And if I was like dressed up in any way. Yeah, it might feel a little. Yeah, like too much. So, yeah, I think for me it's like I'm always sort of aware from. From a very young age of like what I consider to Be appropriate. Although, like, I don't judge others, so anything goes, you know, I really don't. I. I think that's been, like, really important for me and my work, too, is to. To, like, let people have the style that feels comfortable for them and not to judge how other people dress, which is weird to say. Cause seemingly, like, a big part of my job that I would have strong opinions about people's style.

[Liv Perez]

How did you get your start in fashion?

[Heidi Bivens]

Wow. Okay. So it depends how far back you want to go. I mean, I grew up with a mom who loves fashion and collected fashion magazines and also would dress my sister and I up and take photos of us and in, like, different, like, settings. She was very into collecting Victorian clothes. So there was this idea of history and a time passed. And so I think that made me more conscious of costume because it definitely felt more like costumes than any kind of modern looks that she would style us in. So essentially, my mom was a stylist for us.

[Liv Perez]

For you guys?

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah. And then my sister and I think just didn't necessarily appreciate it, and it was sometimes very cringe for us. Right.

[Liv Perez]

What age did that stop?

[Heidi Bivens]

I mean, there's, like, framed photographs of my sister and I in my mom's house from, like, time. My sister was, like, in college. I think by the time I was 18 and I moved to New York, I was less available to her. But my sister still lived in Virginia, where we grew up. So. Yeah, there's, like, pictures of her, like, in her 20s, like, with my mom dressing her up.

[Liv Perez]

Everyone's got their thing.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah. I mean, we humored her, and it gave her so much joy and amateur photographer and. Yeah. And a love of costumes. So I think that's, like, what inspired me in the beginning. And then looking at fashion magazines and understanding what a fashion editor was at an early age, definitely while I was still in high school. And then moved to New York and wanted to work in film, but didn't know anyone in film, but started working at magazines because I was also interested in journalism and then figured out what a stylist was, and this was early days of that term being used. And, yeah, it's just kind of all, like, was intuitive from there. I didn't really get my foot in the door with film until I had been working in fashion for about five years.

[Liv Perez]

It's interesting that kind of editorial to costume designer pipeline is very unique. How did that happen for you? How did you go from one thing to another?

[Heidi Bivens]

Well, I always thought it was possible, but there weren't many Examples of it. But Arianne Phillips was a really big inspiration for me. And since then she's become a friend and a mentor. And I'm always so impressed with her and what she does. She's like, she's had her hand in almost every area of costume and styling at this point, even done opera and theater. And so, yeah, she was someone who showed me a path to be able to have the courage to tell people that I was interested in both fiatly styling and costumes and that it was possible because I think definitely as a young person, it was more about focusing on one thing. And if you diversified, people would be confused what it is you do where that's not an issue now. Now you can do anything and be your own brand. But at the time, yeah, it was definitely more singular and people weren't as open minded to people doing lots of different things. But she, she like showed me the way before I ever met her. I call her like a chosen mentor because I would talk about her like I am now before I even ever met her. And also I think in our culture it has so much to do with precedent.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Heidi Bivens]

It's like if someone hasn't done something before, people aren't open minded to it. And so that was super helpful that she had been. She was working for Italian Vogue, she was working with Madonna, she was working on films. She was doing all these things across like, you know, these different industries and being successful at it. So it showed people like to be more open minded about that. Yeah, I can't keep.

[Liv Perez]

My brain keeps going back to this like lovely visual of you and your sister growing up in costumes to now having that be what you do.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah. And I, I don't think I really realized that that was the impetus until I put together the book with a 24 about the costumes of Euphoria. And I was tasked with writing a lot of the copy in the book and had never done anything like that before. And I loved to write and it wasn't like a scary thing to do, but definitely a learning curve. And then when I wrote the intro, and I remember at first I wrote something pretty short and the editor came back to me, the editor who I was working with for the book and asked for me to write a longer expand on this. Yeah. She was like, can you expand on this? She's like, we want to know more.

[Liv Perez]

We want to know more.

[Heidi Bivens]

And that's when I started thinking about it and realized like, yeah, I really do have to credit my mom.

[Liv Perez]

I always ask this question for fashion roles because I think it differs for everything. But do you think somebody needs to go to school or get trained, quote unquote, to do what you do?

[Heidi Bivens]

That's a good question. I mean, I find that for many careers, people don't really need to go to university anymore.

[Liv Perez]

There's so many resources out there in the world, whether it's like watching YouTube or it's just a different world we're in.

[Heidi Bivens]

I really feel for my friends who went to, like, NYU for four years and are still in debt, you know. You know, so many colleges are, like, so expensive and some of my friends, like, went to university for certain degrees and then aren't even using those degrees. So. Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, the school of life is the most important one. And it's nice that the industries that I work in, fashion and film and tv, that you don't necessarily need a higher education to be able to be successful in those careers. So. Yeah. So I don't know. I don't think it's incredibly important, but I do think when it's a craft position, like if you. I mean, you can definitely learn in the field, but I do think that there are certain jobs and careers that it's helpful to learn from. Teachers and professors who are in the field and can share their knowledge. Whether it's like, I have young friends who are at Bard and the professors there are actively working a lot of time in the field, like Stephen Shore, photographer, teaches photography there. Kelly Reichardt, filmmaker, teaches filmmaking there. So I think, you know, when. When you can find a school, a university that, you know, has teachers who are actually active in their field, I think that's very valuable.

[Liv Perez]

I agree. I also agree with the school of life. I think in real life experiences, maybe being on set and turning for someone can sometimes be more valuable.

[Heidi Bivens]

I mentioned Bard because it's right by where I live.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Heidi Bivens]

And I do really enjoy the idea of teaching. Like, that's something I might be interested in later. I did a course at Polymota in Florence a couple years ago about styling and costumes, and I had the best time.

[Liv Perez]

That would be amazing.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

I'm not in school, but I would sign up for that class. Yeah, that would be so cool. I actually just heard that USC just launched a fashion curriculum.

[Heidi Bivens]

Oh, great.

[Liv Perez]

Which is great. I'd love to see more of it. It's not enough.

[Heidi Bivens]

I think that's going to become more and more popular.

[Liv Perez]

I agree.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Especially in la, where there's more happening here now.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

So what landed you on the set.

[Heidi Bivens]

Before you, I was sent the pilot script, and I had never done TV before. And TV was getting more and more popular to do as. As, you know, a job for costumes. And you know that that industry also is. Is one where, like, if you haven't done the thing, people think maybe you can't do it, you know? So I thought, okay, here's an opportunity. I should just. I should just do this. Because I've never done tv and who knows?

[Liv Perez]

Make it till you make it.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah. And I just figured out I didn't really. I mean, I had seen Sam Levinson's film Assassination Nation, and my friend Rachel Danner Best, who used to work with me on films, who did Spring breakers with me. She was the assistant costume designer and then has gone on to do her own amazing work. She costume designed that film. And so I was familiar with him. But then, even when I read the script, I'm Gen X, not to age myself, but I didn't really know for sure. Is this cool? Should I do this? And I sent it to some Gen Z friends, millennial friends, and they were like, yes, yes, you gotta do this. So, yeah, so I came out to la and that was only maybe three, three to five weeks. And then had no idea what was gonna happen. Cause it hadn't been picked up yet. And then after. After HBO said the pilot and it got picked up, I thought, okay, I'll do this. And then after first season, I was like, okay, I'm not coming back. Cause it was, like, really intense. And when I'm on that show, like, I can't do anything else, really. And then after the success of first season, I thought, okay, I gotta go back and do another season just to sort of like solidify, you know, the look, what I had to offer to the show. But, yeah, for season three, I've moved on.

[Liv Perez]

Costume design, to me, is one of the most fascinating things. I, like you had a very interesting relationship with costumes growing up. I was a dancer. And my favorite part of the entire process was putting on the costumes. It helped me become a totally different artist in those moments. And I was. I would work so hard to get roles for the specific costumes. So costume design for me is just. It's a world that I really deeply admire. I'd love to know for you, what's the starting point? Like, when you got on Euphoria, how did you begin to create the visual language for what that show would be?

[Heidi Bivens]

Wow. It's a great question. I think it's a very intuitive process for me. I consider myself A very empathetic person. And I think that that enables me to put myself in the place of the characters. It's interesting when you're costume designing for an ensemble, because you are, if you're able to do that, like, put yourself emotionally in the place of the characters to make decisions about what they would wear based on actually the feelings of the characters. You're living with a lot of different characters in your head. And I found that with Euphoria specifically, each character weirdly sort of represented some aspect of either a phase I went through or something I experienced or someone I knew well. So it was all very personal to me, each character. And I'd like to think that that's one of the reasons why when people watch season one and two, that something, like, authentic came through. Even though the show is, like, very heightened visually and sort of like, you know, we were world building in a way as much as it relates to some people's experiences, I think, you know, it definitely was like, a heightened version. I often am told by actors what you expressed, which is that, you know, the first place they come is to costume designer to do fittings. And oftentimes that's where they're learning about their characters. Whether or not they've done, like, the back work to think about all the sort of backstory about their character, or if they're relying on the director and the costume designer to fill in those details. It can be highly collaborative, and that's really exciting to me. There are some actors who come in and just want you to tell them everything and haven't either had the time or, you know, haven't figured out, like, the backstory for the character that's not on the page that you need to sort of understand in order to play a character authentically. But that's really exciting for me, the sort of storytelling aspect. And like, oftentimes I'm writing backstory in my mind for a character anecdotally that isn't on the page just for myself, so that I can believe it. So, yeah, so I like to think that as costume designers, most costume designers, they are acting as producers in a way. You know, oftentimes I'm called, like, a director whisperer or an actor whisperer because, you know, there are so many times when, you know, something comes up with the character or part of the story or on set where, you know, I do have the ear of the actors and I am able to, like, help either move a situation forward or predict something that might happen with the storytelling or a more nuanced way to either land a joke or to express something emotionally for a character through the costume. So, yeah, I think it is a really exciting relationship with the actors as a costume designer to be able to empower them and enable them to do their job the best they can. That's what I consider my first and foremost, to facilitate the director's vision. And then secondly, but also so important to be able to make the actors feel as comfortable as possible to do their job the best they can.

[Liv Perez]

How collaborative are we talking here? Because I'm thinking, you know, say Zendaya comes up to set and she doesn't like what she's wearing for that day, but her scene is a moment where she. She's supposed to feel good.

[Heidi Bivens]

Oh, yeah. I have to listen to the actors every time. It's rare that that happens for me, but it definitely has in my career. And I always say to anyone who, like, is new to working on my team that you always have to have something in your back pocket. So you never know what's going to happen. Like, even if costumes have been approved and you think everything's great and you've set the look and the actor is ready to go to set, they could have already traveled even to set, and then they get there and they. Whether they've, like, blocked the scene or they're rehearsing the scene and they have an idea about like. Or something just doesn't feel right all of a sudden. Yeah, I. I rarely push back. If I push back, I think it's because I believe that I actually have done more of the homework. And I see I can see a bigger picture for the storytelling. Because occasionally an actor, especially if they're super busy and they're coming in to a production that's already been underway and they're just figuring out the tone on that day, and maybe they work a couple days on a very longer production. And I have been there and I've been working on it, and I understand something that maybe they don't about the tone or their arc or, you know, whatever it is. That's the only time I'll really push back if I feel like I'm actually gonna help them be better and I'm gonna help the story work better by pushing back. It's never an aesthetic thing, really, for me, because, like I said, they have to feel good.

[Liv Perez]

What character for you was the hardest to crack?

[Heidi Bivens]

I actually think it was Sydney Sweeney's character, Cassie. And I've talked about this before, like, talked about it and the book I did with a 24. Because I just. I don't know. In the beginning, I was like, who is she? Because I think, like, when I was talking about how I relate to the characters in different ways, like, I. I didn't really relate to Cassie. Like, I've never been Cassie. I've never dressed like Cassie. Like, I. So Cassie, for me, was, like, a. A hard one. But then in. In trying to navigate and deciding, like, who this character is, because, you know, in the beginning also, like, you know, in communicating with the director, I pull references. And in thinking about, like, who can I reference for Cassie? I was looking at Instagram a lot, and I was looking at, like, it girls of the moment. And then I thought, like, Cassie is looking at Instagram. Cassie's looking at these it girls of the moment. And so for me, Cassie, from the beginning became someone who was, like, searching and sort of, like, trying on different ideas that she, you know, really has this longing to be accepted and to be loved. And so it really made sense to me that at that age, you know, a lot of girls are looking at social media and trying on different versions of who they think they want to be. And so I realized, like, I was sort of lost about who Cassie was because Cassie's kind of lost about who she is. And then it kind of clicked for me. And then from there, I, like, knew how to move forward. But there was a minute where I was a little stumped about Cassie. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Which makes sense, because I think she is equally as stumped. Yeah. For me, the most iconic episode kind of moment was the spiral of Cassie when she was dressing like Maddie, trying to get Nate's attention. And then she ends up in that, like, Oklahoma Style outfit in the bathroom. And actually, I remember that scene coming on TV and me seeing every single character in the bathroom dressed. So to them, that felt like an encore for me of just everyone being so typically themselves and just Cassie in that moment, there was so much storytelling with what she was wearing. That whole episode, I think, was about what she was wearing. How did you develop, basically, a spiral through clothes?

[Heidi Bivens]

Definitely full fantasy, you know, aspect of, like, in, you know, trying to get in Cassie's head, and then, you know, this, like, progression of manicness and then how I could work with hair and makeup to highlight that, because I think, like, you know, in these beats where she's, like, getting ready in the morning for school, that, for me, didn't have to necessarily have this crescendo that was forced because I had hair and makeup team to help add layers to that. But the look in the hallway when she sees Maddy, that wasn't on the page. That was something that I came up with. I love costume designing for comedy. It's really, I think, one of the most fun things for me, like to be able to like, lean into that. And I'm always putting myself in the place of the audience. And that's, I think, super important throughout any kind of costume design to like, actually it's like if you're writing and you're putting yourself in the place of the reader, but you know, visually to like, think like, okay, how. How are we gonna like if there's like these beats where she's getting more and more manic and more and more desperate. The final beat, like, how do we land that so that people understand that that's what was happening?

[Liv Perez]

You know, the clothes land the joke.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah, exactly. So I was really happy that Sam was into that idea and the girls were excited about it and that it worked because it obviously became a meme and it was incredible. And yeah, so like, I love making those kinds of contributions and that's one of the reasons why I'm definitely interested in doing more producing. To be able to be creatively involved beyond just the costumes, I think is really exciting. But yeah, that episode was so fun. And we know her Oklahoma. Look inspired by Dolly Parton was a fun one to build. She has really good instincts too, Sydney. She'll definitely let me know if there's something that she feels works or doesn't work. Yeah, she's great to collaborate with.

[Liv Perez]

You've worked on so many sets. Spring Breakers, Euphoria. Is there a story that from working on set that has resonated most with you, Maybe because it was the biggest challenge or the biggest thing that you've learned?

[Heidi Bivens]

Well, I do feel like whenever I'm working with directors who see me as a collaborator and also trust me, that's such a huge gift. I think that's been the biggest thing for me knowing that the difference. I have learned that when, like with filmmaking, when I am going to sign on to a project, if I love the script and I take a meeting, that I also have to interview the director in a way that if I am coming from a place of like, oh, I want a job, I want to do this, and it's not a two way street, it can often feel later like one sided and not like a true kind of collaboration that, that I hope to have. So I think, you know, part of what I focus on now when I meet with directors for the first time is, do I want to work with this person? Not just like, oh, do they like me? Do they like what I have to offer? Will they offer me the job? It's more. It's a two way street. It's like, what do I have to. I have to consider, like, what do I think I have to bring to the table creatively? Do I want to tell this story? Is this director a collaborative type of director, that kind of thing. But I always tell young people who, like, ask me for career advice and stuff, just, you know, I think it's so important to find your collaborators. That's like one of the most important things to do early on, to focus on that, to like, find people who are like minded, who, you know, can become collaborators, consistent collaborators, who you can build with and who respect you and will, you know, listen, listen creatively and value you.

[Liv Perez]

I love that.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Even now I feel like in my career there are so many people that I met in college that I still work with and that's so special.

[Heidi Bivens]

Absolutely.

[Liv Perez]

Again, you've worked on iconic sets. And I remember when Spring breakers came out, that was the Halloween costume of the year. And when Euphoria came out, that was also the Halloween costume of the year. How do you feel about having built a costume almost that, you know, for a show that has changed global trends.

[Heidi Bivens]

It'S so fun to be able to do something that you know is going to become a Halloween costume. I think both times with Spring breakers and with Euphoria, I didn't anticipate that for whatever reason. I think now, because it's happened several times now, I can anticipate it. And this project I just finished, there are several looks in the film where on set, like as a joke to my team and everyone on set, I would say out loud while they were on camera, you're welcome, Halloween. Because there is. You're like, I'm giving it to you.

[Liv Perez]

On a silver platter.

[Heidi Bivens]

Oh, yeah. It's so fun. And like, when I work with great directors, they make me better. So Dylan Meyer, who's a good friend who just directed this film, I worked on the Wrong Girls. It was one of the iconic looks for the two lead characters played by Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat. One of the looks that we did, it was her idea. It wasn't on the page. She came to me and she was like, I think we should do. And so, yeah, so whenever I work with directors who have a singular vision and who are, you know, because Dylan wrote the script, it's like Loosely based on her experience with her best friend and. But yeah, when. When directors have, like, a strong vision and they bring it, then it just. It makes me better.

[Liv Perez]

You just know what's happening. Yeah, I love that. So we were talking earlier. You're not doing season three of Euphoria. You have so many other projects going on. You just did the Wrong Girls and a few other producing projects, which I can't wait to see you produce.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah, it's so fun to be involved from the beginning of a. To develop a project. Just producing has been such a joy. Cause to have, like, the big picture in mind instead of just, like, the minutiae of the costumes and to be able to bring on costume designers who I really admire. It's been so exciting. Like, Angelina Vito came onto a film that I associate produced for my friend Hayley Benton Gates that won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance.

[Liv Perez]

Congrats.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah, it's called Atropia. It's. It's really, like, an amazing film. It was a big swing for Haley and it really paid off. It's so exciting. It's Callum Turner and Ali Shawkat, and I just can't wait for people to see it. But. But Angelina did amazing work on that film. And so, yeah, to be able to, like, tap designers who I believe in, and it's just been really fun and. And also just to develop stuff from the ground up.

[Liv Perez]

That's awesome. You're working on the wrong girls or you just wrapped the wrong girls, right?

[Heidi Bivens]

We just wrapped the wrong girls. We shot in la.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, my God, I love that.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah. We started prom prep the week the fires happened, which was, you know, really intense for everyone here and. But, you know, made it through and had an amazing shoot. And now Kristen and Dylan are getting married this weekend. So so many big, big events for. For them as a couple. Kristin directed her first film, Chronology of Water, that will. She's finishing the edit, so, you know, TBD when that will be released, but super exciting for her. And then Dylan just directed her first feature that she wrote and. And directed. So, yeah, big, big year for them.

[Liv Perez]

Fun. I mean, I can't imagine. I would love to hear from you what it's like working with Kristen on set because she has such an incredible fashion identity already that, like, I would be like, just come as you are. Like, just tell me what you want to wear.

[Heidi Bivens]

Well, her. The character she plays is loosely based on Dylan, and they have very similar style. But when. But, you know, it's a fictional character. So when I first started, you know, Dreaming up what the girls were gonna wear. I thought it was important for Frankie, as the character Kristen plays, for Frankie to not sort of mimic what Kristen wears in her daily life, because I didn't want her to look like Kristen. I wanted her to look like Frank, who Frankie should be, and. And also for the audience not to think I was being lazy. But it just worked out that, like, a lot of what Frankie wears, does it fit into Criston's wheelhouse? Because it made sense. Dylan, you know, has a similar style, and then it. You know, so there we found that there wasn't a real need to think too much outside of the box just for the sake of that, because what really was right for the character was to sort of lean into. To that personal style that you see Kristen and.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, I mean, I love her style. She's an icon and one of the.

[Heidi Bivens]

Kindest human beings I've ever met.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, I love that. What's inspiring you, like, out in the world right now, like, what are you seeing? Whether it's, like, on Instagram, on tv, whatever it is. Like, what is just kind of percolating in your brain?

[Heidi Bivens]

That's a good question, because I think, like, everything's, like, so oversaturated. It's like. I think what we have, like, distributed decision fatigue, all of us. Yeah, it's. It's intense. I mean, I'm always really inspired by, you know, my friends, like, personal style, like, street style. You know, I do look at Runway. I do look at what's happening in the collections and. And. And get inspired there. I mean, you know, I always love what Prada and Miu Miu are doing. I think, you know, there's definitely designers who I think are doing important and interesting work. I've been working with Stella McCartney a bunch the past couple years, and. And just her whole messaging behind, you know, how she develops fabrics and sustainability and not using fur. And the most recent campaign I worked on is all about promoting save what you love and not using fur and feathers, specifically feathers, because there's so many designers that use feathers. And so, yeah, I think, you know, going back to this idea of, like, in terms of inspiration for fashion, you know, as, you know, someone consuming that, you know, we have, like, choices. Choices to make. And so I do really try to shop vintage as much as possible in the arts. I mean, I'm definitely inspired by music. And there's. There's an artist, Nala Senefro, who has a album that came out recently who I think is incredible, and she did the Soundtrack for Benny Safdie's new movie that's coming out that I worked on, the Smashing Machine. And yeah, she's incredible and very, like, ethereal. I think I'm inspired by so many different things. I like to think that, like, inspiration for projects I work on is kind of like a mashup. It's like, you know, it's a true mood board. I'm borrowing from, like, lots of different places and then it kind of like comes together and hopefully feels fresh.

[Liv Perez]

Looking forward for you, what is the next world that you want to costume design? Like, what's on your bucket list?

[Heidi Bivens]

Ooh. I'm doing a film with a director, Panos Cosmatos, who did a film called Mandy that I absolutely loved with Nicolas Cage. It's like a horror film and he is making a film. It's like a 80s, early 80s vampire film with Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaacs. But it's, it's. It's like world building for sure. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Die for him.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah, yeah. And he's a producer on it as well. And I'm really excited about that. I've already been in creative talks with panels about, like, what we're gonna do and yeah, just it's. It's like, like, almost like has sci fi elements in a way where, like, it's not like a straight. Straight vampire genre. Hopefully it'll be something. I know it will be something people haven't seen before and. And just to be able to, like, dream up those costumes is going to be really fun.

[Liv Perez]

That's amazing.

[Heidi Bivens]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Thank you so much for coming on the show.

[Heidi Bivens]

Thanks for having me.

[Liv Perez]

Amazing to hear about your career. Truly. Like, thank you so, so great to have you here and I can't wait to share this with everyone. Me too. Yay. Thank you.

[Heidi Bivens]

Thank you.

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