Celebrating Emmy-Winning Celebrity Costume Designer Colleen Atwood from Washington State

If you live in Washington state, did you know that you are ONE degree away from the 2024 Emmys? Well, kind of. You see, the Emmys are coming up on January 15th and we've got a special connection to one of Hollywood's biggest nights.

Isn’t it something when an actor’s outfits in a movie or TV show become almost a character of its own?

Take for instance, the outfits worn by actress Jenny Ortega in the hit Netflix series, Wednesday. The outfits packed such a punch and captivated millions of viewers that even my 12-year-old daughter Willow loved Wednesday’s dresses, and she informed me that she wants to dress "in the Wednesday aesthetic." Her words, not mine.

I was excited to let Willow know that Colleen Atwood is the costume fashion maven behind the outfits worn by the cast of Wednesday, and that she hails from Yakima like she does!

FUN FACT: The prom dress that Wednesday wore was found in a store on Bond Street in London called Alaia boutique. It was modified by Atwood and then several copies of the new modified dress were made for production.

Colleen Atwood has come a long way from her humble beginnings in sleepy-town Washington. She went to high school in Quincy, but dropped out before graduation. In 1984, she got her first big break as a costume designer for the movie Firstborn, which featured Teri Garr, Peter Weller, Corey Haim, Robert Downey Jr., Sarah Jessica Parker, and Christopher Collet as Jake.

Today, Colleen is now considered an industry heavyweight and Hollywood movie costume and fashion industry legend.

She has designed costumes for many major motion picture films including The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Wyatt Earp, Little Women, That Thing You Do!, Mars Attacks, Planet of the Apes, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Mission Impossible III, all of the Fantastic Beasts movies, and Top Gun: Maverick. Her next Netflix series is out now, Pain Hustlers, starring Andy Garcia, Catherine O'Hara, Chris Evans, and Emily Blunt.

Get our free mobile app

DID YOU KNOW: A costume designer must work closely with the production designer so that they know which colors will be used on set. This helps the costume designer narrow down which color hues of fabric will make the most impact on camera.

Atwood has won several Emmys and Oscars! She even owns a house in London. She's also one of Tim Burton’s favorite costume designers, working with him on classic movies like Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, and his latest Netflix series hit, Wednesday.

You can see Collen's latest costume designs in the upcoming Warner Bros. movie, Beetlejuice 2.

SEE ALSO: See Where These 42 Famous People Went to High School in WA State

MORE TO READ:

• 10 Cringey Things Washington State Needs to Leave Behind in 2024

• Celebrities Love These 8 Hot L.A. and Beverly Hills Restaurants

[carbongallery id=6078aa1214708569c687d098"]