A book that lifts the veil on the creative process behind the show’s Costume Design.

Having worked in fashion and costume design for many years, Heidi Bivens became a household name as the costume designer for the HBO teen drama Euphoria. As the creator behind the looks of the show, Bivens not only enhanced the spirit of its content but also influenced millions of fans to follow the clothing trends captured in each episode.

A24, the studio that produces this show, challenged Bivens to write a book about her creative process. She accepted and the result is “Euphoria Fashion,” a hard-cover book that reveals the process and thinking behind the most iconic looks of the series.

This interview was conducted at the Cannes Film Festival where Bivens launched the book and attended the premiere of The Idol, a TV show she co-produced.

You have received three consecutive Emmy nominations. What was the moment in your career that was the most decisive for your success?

It was working with American Vogue as a sittings editor. That’s when I knew I had been accepted in the industry in a real way. It was the first time I felt I could call my mom and she would understand what I did for a job. I felt I had arrived. This was after college. I worked for ten years at American Vogue and Teen Vogue.

What triggered your interest in fashion?

I actually thought about that when I started writing the book. My mother used to style me and my sister. She had a lot of vintage clothing around the house. She styled us all the time. My mother also collects magazines. She has every Vogue since the 70s. She would rip pictures of her favorite clothes and models out and make collages around the house. Even all the cabinets had her chosen imagery. If you believe in the art of manifesting, that’s what she was doing, even without realizing it. She was creating beauty in her life and that probably rubbed on me.

Why did you choose the title Euphoria Fashion for the book?

There was a reason why I didn’t want to use ‘costume design’ in the title. There has always been a divide between the world of costume design and fashion. Sometimes when you call a costume designer a stylist, they get offended. My background is fashion. I don’t have that preconception. I believe the two worlds can influence each other. There is a huge crossover. As this book was about the costumes for a TV show, I thought it would be interesting to place the word ‘fashion’ in the title.

When did you realize that the Euphoria costumes were becoming part of popular culture?

When I saw so many people dressing like the characters on Halloween. That’s when I understood it was a cultural phenomenon. As a costume designer, that’s what you aspire to. Seeing people recreate the characters with costumes is a big deal.

What’s the advice you would give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Do not limit yourself. You can cross any career boundaries. In the past, you had to focus on one thing. If you did more than one thing, people would assume you would not excel. That’s not true anymore. Follow your bliss. I went to school for filmmaking and journalism. I was working in magazines when I was in college. However, I really started to be interested in fashion and I pursued it. The sky is the limit.

According to Deadline, HBO’s head of drama, Francesca Orsi, says that “ideally” Euphoria S3 is expected to drop in 2025. The delays between S2 and S3 are due to the pandemic and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.