costume designer miyako bellizzi on creating a character through costume, working in the fashion closet, and how her grandmother introduced her to vintage

This month, we’re revisiting our interview with costume designer Miyako Bellizzi, the brain behind the character-defining looks for movies like Uncut Gems and Good Time, and the miniseries Scenes from a Marriage. Miyako sees her role as that of a “cultural anthropologist with a specialization in clothing.” Born in the Bay Area, Miyako moved to NYC almost two decades ago to embark on a multi-faceted career across film, TV, editorial, and print that is marked by patience and her DIY attitude. When she isn’t away from the city for work (which happens more than she’d like), Miyako can usually be spotted hunting for inspiration on an early morning stroll in her Lower East Side neighborhood, or reading at home during a precious moment of relaxation. We spoke to the fashion maven about growing up in a family of stylish women, her research process, and home-made beauty remedies.

read our interview with miyako

“Every film has a slightly different process, which keeps it interesting! I like to start by reading a script for the first time front to back and begin visualizing the world. It’s not until the second time around that I start taking notes. Then I gather reference images and really get into the research aspect. This is my favorite part of the process and the most creative. It’s where I can dream and really start thinking of ideas per character. Research can be as simple as going for a walk and looking at people in different environments. It can be going into the homes of people who inspire the character and taking a look at what’s in their closet, but it could also be more traditional like going to the library. It’s also at this point I like to have conversations with the director and exchange ideas.”

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