Steven Prusakowski
Costume Designers in general seem to have a really fun job. Who wouldn’t like dressing the most beautiful of people, or simulating great moments in history? To do it well, though, takes talent. Designer and stylist Jeriana San Juan sure has talent, as shown by her Emmy nomination for the looks of Halston, on Netflix. Recently, we were lucky enough to talk to her about how it all came together.
Enjoy our interview with Halston‘s Jeriana San Juan:
Awards Radar: Hi Jeriana, congrats on your Emmy nomination! What does it mean to you to receive this nomination for your work on Halston?
The nomination is incredibly flattering and humbling. I feel blessed to be nominated alongside my peers and those who I have looked up to and I am incredibly pleased to have been nominated for this project for which I have a heartfelt connection to.
AR: What attracted you to Halston?
With my background in fashion, I have a personal love of Halston’s work. I love his aesthetic and how he pushed forward American fashion. I also love how his work has a way of transcending time. It was great to have a chance to show off Halston to an audience who may or may not have been familiar with his work.
AR: With the show being a period piece, how did you approach research? How much artistic license was involved?
There is always an artistic license in a period piece because we are rooting authenticity into a fictionalized story. There is a great amount of research that goes into the preparation of the story. We started with as many research points to obtain as possible to give truth to Halston’s story. We looked at archival pieces, looked through libraries, Women’s Wear Daily, Conde Nast archives, and I spoke to many people who had relationships with Halston. Once I gained a real solid foundation of knowledge, I was able to make those creative decisions that stray from reality and move towards enhancing the story.
AR: How many costumes did you make for the show?
It’s hard to quantify how many pieces I made. I was designing costumes for characters who never wore the same costume twice. The many background actors had costumes as well and their costumes were specifically designed to contrast Halston’s work.
AR: One of my favorite moments from the season was Versailles. Can you tell us about the work that went into creating the costumes for that episode?
Versailles was a contrast between an American point of view and a European point of view. It was a black tie event, so those in the audience had to look the part. We wanted to represent each designer beyond their own style. In being able to highlight the contrast, the goal was always to show how forward thinking and how modern the Americans were in the show and to especially find the levels within the American designers so we could pull focus on Halston and his work. Each look in the episode was custom created.
AR: What was the highlight of working on the show? Do you have any favorite costumes that you created?
The highlight of my work was collaborating with Daniel Minahan, the show’s director, and all of the actors. I also had the opportunity to work with talented tailors, seamstresses, dyers, and craftspeople that helped me bring these costumes to life. Halston was a very special project for me because it was more than just creating costumes. I also had the chance to work as a consultant and help actors get into character.
AR: Do you have any upcoming projects you can speak about at all?
I am currently in the trenches of another film project that I am extremely excited about!
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