Red Stewart chats with costume designer Stephanie Maslansky…
Stephanie Maslansky is an American costume designer who has been working in the film and television industries since the late-80s. She is best known for her work on high profile television shows like Oz, White Collar, and most of the Netflix branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her latest designs were for the second season of Luke Cage, which premiered on Friday, June 22nd.
Flickering Myth had the privilege to speak with her and I had the honor to conduct it:
It is a complete honor to be speaking with you ma’am. As a comic book fan, you’ve done a great job bringing that graphic novel look to live action with your costume designs for all the Marvel Netflix shows. I’m curious, what made you want to become a costume designer in the first place?
Thank you very much for your interest. Growing up, my interests included sewing and designing clothing and costumes. I was very crafty and loved using a sewing machine. I was intrigued by fashion and enjoyed studying the history of clothing. I also liked taking and looking at photographs. I didn’t know until I graduated from college that all of that would add up to a good background for becoming a costume designer. When I realized that was what I wanted to do, I felt a wave of relief. I knew that it would impassion me and it has!
For Daredevil and Jessica Jones, IMDB credits you as the costume designer alongside several other individuals, while on Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders, you’re credited as the sole designer. Is this true, and if so what’s the biggest difference for you as an artist between collaborating with others versus working on your own?
In fact, I’ve not collaborated with other designers on those shows. I designed the first season of all the Marvel/Netflix superhero series with the exception of The Punisher, and the second seasons of Luke Cage and Iron Fist. It has been a matter of timing, as the shows were then shot two or three at a time after the first seasons of all of them.
Were you asked beforehand to do all five shows, or were the producers so impressed by your work on Daredevil that you were brought on for the rest? What’s it been like to move between these different worlds with the different visual aesthetics?
I was asked to do Daredevil first. After that, I was offered the opportunity to meet with each showrunner. Fortunately, it worked out that they each wished to hire me and Marvel continued to recommend me. I’m very fortunate and grateful for the opportunities I’ve had within the Marvel Universe!
Now, I know you did a lot of police procedural shows like Law & Order and Third Watch before you did Daredevil. Did those serials help you when it came to approaching the criminal world of Daredevil? Or was it so different that you can’t compare?
It depends upon the income level of said criminal. I’ve often been asked why the villains in the shows I design are dressed so well. The response is, they love money! They like to dress and live very well…why else become a criminal? That said, the procedurals tend to be closer to real life, whereas these shows–although grounded in a gritty, authentic NY–are still based on comic book characters, so there is definitely more of an over-the-top element. I enjoy determining how to blend heightened style with authenticity.
What’s the biggest difference for you as a costume designer between doing work for a cable TV show like Black Box versus a streaming service show like the Marvel Netflix ones? Does the budget for example differ or the level of freedom you have?
It can be both. Budgets historically have been higher on network shows, but that is changing. Also, there are as many people involved on streaming shows now as there are on network or cable. Studio executives, as well as cable and network executives, have a vested (no pun intended!) interest in the creative aspects of the show and are instrumental in the initial processes of deciding how a show should look and what direction the main characters’ costumes should take. It’s all a collaboration and the exchange of ideas and information is very important.
I remember speaking to another costume designer, and she told me that she loved to collaborate with other departments like the cinematography and production design areas to help maintain a unified look for the show. Have you ever done the same?
Always. It’s very important to collaborate with all the departments. We are all telling the same story and we must be unified in that way.
Last, but certainly not least, can you share any information on whether or not we will see Jessica Jones or Danny Rand get their comic book costumes in the future?
I cannot speak for Jessica Jones, but as for Iron Fist, you can perhaps look forward to versions of the comic book costumes—as per usual I can’t/nor do I want to give anything away. There was one, you may remember at the end of The Defenders.
Flickering Myth would like to thank Ms. Maslansky for taking the time out of her day to speak with us. Luke Cage season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.
Red Stewart
