DEBRA MCGUIRE - Costume Designer, Fine Artist, Fashion Designer - Tales From A Costume Designer | Lyssna här

This week's episode features the iconic costume designer and artist Debra McGuire! We chat about her book that just came out last week called Dressing the Story: The Art of Costume Design and tales from her initials beginnings in the world and stories from incredible career thus far. Make sure you order the book from the links below!

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Costume Designer Debra McGuire

Credits include: Friends, Freaks and Geeks, The Morning Show, Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Walk Hard

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Debra McGuire is an award-winning fine artist, fashion designer, and costume designer whose work spans film, television, and theatre. She is best known for her ten seasons designing Friends and for her long-standing collaborations with David Mamet, including the Emmy-nominated film Phil Spector, which earned her a nomination for Best Costume Design.

Debra has designed for many of Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan's projects and currently designs for Jennifer Aniston on The Morning Show (Seasons 2–5). Recent work includes the international feature film Mayday, starring Kenneth Branagh and Ryan Reynolds and premiering in May 2026, and Super Troopers 3, due for release on August 7, 2026.

Her theatre career began in Paris in the early 1980s, leading to an Ovation Award nomination for Boston Marriage and an NAACP Award for Atlanta at the Geffen Playhouse. She later designed the period musical I Only Have Eyes for You, which received multiple Ovation Award nominations.

A fine artist at heart, Debra began as a painter in the Bay Area before expanding into jewelry, accessories, fashion, couture (including a decade running her boutique in Pacific Palisades), and ultimately costume design. She has spoken and presented at galleries, art institutions, and festivals around the world—offering Master Classes at the Visegrad Film Festival in Bratislava and, most recently, at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, where she also served as a juror and presented the Best Actor and Best Production Designer Awards.

Throughout her career, Debra has been driven by imagination, collaboration, and deep respect for the creative process. She credits her loyal and dedicated crews as essential partners in bringing each visual world to life.

Her book "Dressing The Story: The Art of Costume Design" with producer Jim Stark was released in May 2026.

Debra McGuire Links:

Website: debramcguire.com

Costume Design Instagram: @bydebramcguire

Art Instagram: @debramcguireart

Jewelry Instagram: @debrafineyohai

IMDb: Debra MaGuire

Order Debra's book Dressing the Story!

Order Dressing the Story at B&N

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TFACD Links:

Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer