Breaking Rules with Euphoria Costume Designer Heidi Bivens

There are a lot of things you can say about Euphoria (to start: its instantly iconic soundtrack, its heavily stylized, color-saturated production design, its penchant to do the opposite of shy away from heavy-hitting storylines). Central to Euphoria’s cinematic universe? The costume design, which has functioned as a gateway for characters’ self-expression, personal style, and backstories–not to mention served as the impetus for the inception of an entire genre of dress-up party (google “Euphoria party” for proof).

Enter Heidi Bivens, Euphoria’s costume designer-slash-visionary, who helped build the show’s multisensory world via the outfits the characters wear. And, as we know, no outfit is complete without jewelry–not even bad gal Maddy Perez could resist her own Mejuri moment when she rounded out her birthday outfit with our Silver Tube Hoops in season two. While wearing some of her favorite pieces, we visited Heidi at her home in upstate New York to chat world-building for film and TV, ditching the jewelry rulebook, the art of individuality, and more.

What does it mean to use jewelry when creating characters for film and TV?
I think it’s important to have an idea of the backstory, even if it doesn’t exist in the script. To have an idea of where the character’s jewelry came from—whether it has sentimental value, was gifted to them, how long they’ve owned it, or how it speaks to their personal style. I think it’s important to come up with this idea of their personal history.

Tell us about using Mejuri pieces in Euphoria.
Mejuri was such a great resource for me when designing the show, because a character like Maddy needed so many options—she has different jewelry with every outfit. Mejuri has such a varied collection, and is making jewelry that feels very classic and timeless, but also modern. It’s this idea of what is the future classic? I feel like Maddy really embodies that, and Mejuri was such a great resource for her character.

When it comes to jewelry, what are your do’s and don'ts?
I don’t really know that there are any do’s and don'ts anymore. I can remember when people used to say not to wear white after Labor Day. I think the same thing used to go for mixing metals like gold and silver, but there aren’t any rules anymore–it’s really refreshing. I think anything goes. It’s all about having fun, expressing yourself, and individuality.

Do you have a piece of jewelry that’s a memento, or sentimental to you?
I do—a signet ring that I wear every day. It was probably the first piece of real jewelry that I bought for myself, and it’s become a part of me. To me, it represents my financial independence.

What inspires you? How do you escape?
I’m definitely inspired by my friends, art, music, and kindness—I find kindness to be the most inspiring. For costumes, I’m always inspired by people I see walking down the street. For a good escape, I love a good book, being in the country, traveling, being around animals, and a good movie, like a Turner Classic.