An Interview With Insecure Costume Designer Ayanna James
Only two seasons in, Insecure is already considered one of the most iconic, modern-day TV shows about friendship. The brainchild of actress/writer/producer Issa Rae, it beautifully captures the joys and complexities of black female relationships in the same tradition of Living Single and Girlfriends. At the same time, it's in a league of its own for boldly tackling issues like fluid sexuality and the gender pay gap through an unflinchingly honest lens. As a black woman, I can't recall seeing a television show that felt more relatable. Scenes like Lawrence encountering an L.A. cop, or Issa dealing with her co-worker's racial micro-aggressions, are like a mirror to my everyday existence functioning as a young black person in this world. Besides capturing the breadth of the black female experience, the show's take on relationships is so dynamic, it sparks impassioned debates across social media platforms (search #TeamIssa and #TeamLawrence on Twitter for proof).
Alongside the brilliant production, writing and acting, Insecure is notable for its innovative use of fashion. Fashion is weaved so seamlessly into the narrative that certain clothing items have become iconic in their own right. Consider Lawrence's Best Buy polo that was left hanging in Issa's closet after he moved out of their shared apartment. The abandoned shirt carried so much emotional significance that the ill-advised "Lawrence hive" now uses the polo emoji as their signature symbol. That viral moment came courtesy of Ayanna James, an L.A.-based costume designer and stylist who says she simply "fell into" fashion as a career path. In fact, Ayanna got her first big break when she approached a celebrity stylist on Twitter. As we prepare for the Insecure Season 2 finale, Ayanna sat down with Teen Vogue to chat about her career, the perfect date night look, and the art of storytelling through fashion. Read on for our interview — and stay tuned for the next two weeks of the show, as she chooses her favorite item from the upcoming episode.
1/13Teen Vogue: In Insecure, the clothes are such an integral part of the plotline. Who can forget when Lawrence left behind his Best Buy polo shirt? Or Issa's t-shirt and boy shorts for Lawrence's surprise visit? How do you weave clothes so seamlessly into the narrative?
Ayanna James: There's a lot of conversation before I even set foot in a store. I talk to the writers and producers about where each character is mentally and how we can showcase it authentically through the costumes. I know as soon as I set foot in the house, I take my pants off. I imagine Issa Dee would do the same. We pull from our experiences and talk about which elements feel good.
2/13TV: Walk us through the process when you're getting the script, selecting clothes, having fittings with the cast, etc.
AJ: We get a script. I'll do a breakdown of the script and then a mood board of images and share with my department. If we have a location, I'll look at the set and figure which color palettes could work. We'll have several meetings and break down the script with all of the department heads, where we work out the details. After, I'll shop with my team. I can't venture into stores and shop myself, so I have an amazing team of costumers who assist in bringing my vision to life. Once I have my selects, we invite the cast to fit. I'll put entire looks together and photograph for my scene breakdown board. Television moves very quickly, so I often have 5-10 fittings a day during prep for the next episode. I then line up top choices and have a meeting with the EP's where I go over my choices and we decide on what works best. It's a very collaborative effort and it moves so quickly.
3/13TV: Molly's wardrobe also tells it's own story. There's a lot of talk about Issa's viral shirts, but what designers do you gravitate toward for Molly's clothes? And what do the colors / shapes say about her character development?
AJ: Molly wears designers who are known for fashion. I tend to reach out to brands like Stella McCartney, M. Martin, Theory for her suiting. For her 'day/night out' clothing, we do a lot of Cushnie Et Ochs. Her silhouette is body-conscious and chic.
4/13TV: Are there ever fashion items that the characters won't wear?
AJ: Definitely. Molly and Issa are very different stylistically. Molly would never wear heavy prints, but Issa plays with that often. Lawrence would never wear what Daniel wears and vice versa. Each character has their own signature style and we get to see that more this season.
5/13TV: We love the scenes when Issa tries on several looks for an important event, whether for her plus-one party or for an event where she hopes to run into Daniel. As she changes clothes in the mirror, she adopts different personas with each outfit. What's the creative process behind those brilliant scenes? Do the clothes inspire Issa's monologues, or vice versa?
AJ: It starts with Issa and the writing staff. When we read a script, I'll ask them to explain how they envision the scene and I'll up it stylistically. For the +1 montage, Issa would be trying on her version of her sexy outfits - so we wanted to show her awkwardness as sexy.
6/13TV: You've dressed the Insecure characters in every brand from Omondi to Luvvie to Kashmir Thompson. Do you make a conscious effort to include emerging designers of color? Where do you discover a lot of their pieces?
AJ: I make a huge effort to support emerging designers of color. It's important to give a platform to those who supported from the beginning and those that can truly benefit from this. The average consumer shops online most of the time now, so it's much easier to find and support brands that truly represent some of us. Additionally, it allows for nuance and details with characters when I do a bit of digging. It helps layer the show with culture.
7/13TV: How did you get your start in fashion, and how did you end up in wardrobe design?
AJ: I fell into it. I started a blog while in college with a few of my friends where we talked mostly about fashion and who wore what. I realized I had a talent for identifying trends and styles while working as a store manager at American Apparel. One day, I took a chance and replied to a celebrity stylist I was following on Twitter at the time. She tweeted she needed an assistant. She brought me in for an interview and hired me on the spot. It was my first time ever hearing the word "pull". I was let go a few months later and decided to try celebrity styling on my own. I got BoB as a client one week after being let go. I never looked back. While styling, I was introduced to a woman who worked on television shows as a costumer. I never knew there were stylists for television but we struck up a friendship through our love for fashion. She received an opportunity to design a show and brought me on as an assistant and I immediately loved it. I loved all the moving parts that had to come together to create a scene. After the project wrapped, I started searching for costume department gigs online and would work on as many projects as I possibly could to gain experience. That led me to working with Issa on a few of her web series, which ultimately paved the way for Insecure.
8/13TV: What's your best advice for teens who may want to follow in your footsteps?
AJ: Do the work. You can achieve any goal you set out if you just work for it. And be nice: the world needs it.
Gilbert Carrasquillo9/13TV: You've styled Usher, Jidenna and Issa Rae (outside the show) in the past. How is TV styling different than styling for celebrities?
AJ: TV styling is designing because the costumes are not based on just one character. We have to take into consideration all characters and their mental states, the set or location, the dialogue, the camera angles. There's much more thinking that goes into one scene than it takes to style someone for red carpet. Celebrity styling has one goal, make the client look their absolute best. Which isn't always the case in television: sometimes its my job to make the character look terrible.
10/13TV: It's hard to believe this is your first time designing for a TV show on a major network. How is designing for Insecure different than designing for Awkward Black Girl? Also, what challenges did you face when you started out in wardrobe design, and how have you grown from them?
AJ: Going from low budget projects to a network show was definitely a change. On smaller projects, it was often just me as the costume department. I played every role from shopper to costume supervisor. It's sometimes easier because, everything you need is all in your head. Delegating responsibilities and trusting my crew to carry out my vision is where I've seen the most growth. It requires me to be conscious of how I communicate with them. It takes making sure I'm clear with the design details, because we often don't have time to go back and revisit. I love working on network shows because I get to collaborate more with other departments and make great television.
11/13TV: Can you give us any hints to how the characters' style will evolve over this season?
AJ: You'll see the biggest change in Issa and Lawrence. With both of the characters being single and trying to figure out their lives as single adults, we'll see what they think is their best 'single wardrobe'.
12/13TV: We see Issa will be dating a lot this season. What does the perfect first date night look consist of?
AJ: Whatever makes you feel your very best. Feel good, look good. Accentuate your assets and the parts of your body you're most proud of. Dress for the occasion with a confident look. I believe when you feel perfect, the clothing immediately follows suit.
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