Netflix’s Wednesday Costume Designers Colleen Atwood and Mark Sutherland on Evolving the Iconic Looks in Season 2

Watch the full interview below!

Returning for Season 2 of Wednesday, Emmy-winning costume designers Colleen Atwood and Mark Sutherland weren't looking to reinvent the show's signature aesthetic. Instead, their goal was to let the costumes evolve alongside the characters while staying true to the visual identity fans already know.

"The characters have evolved from Season 1 to Season 2," Sutherland explains. "You've got to show that they have matured a little."

That philosophy shaped every aspect of the season's wardrobe. Wednesday begins the season in "detective mode," prompting a Sherlock Holmes inspired coat that blends Edwardian influences with a modern silhouette, while Enid's wardrobe trades its candy colored sweetness for richer tones and Japanese street-style influences that reflect her growing confidence.

"It was about evolving the characters and their costumes without losing the essence of the characters themselves," Sutherland says.

For Atwood, every costume also had to serve the story in motion, and not just in still images. One of her favorite examples is Morticia's gown, which hides flashes of deep red that only become visible as she moves.

"You don't suddenly see she's got a red stripe," Atwood says. "But as soon as she does something, then you get a kick of it."

One of the season's biggest creative challenges came with Wednesday and Enid's body-swap episode. Rather than simply swapping wardrobes, they worked closely with Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers, whose performances helped shape how the costumes evolved throughout the episode.

"They just did such an amazing job with it," Atwood says. "They really helped the process immensely."

They also discussed the massive undertaking behind the season's Venetian-inspired gala, where Atwood, Sutherland, and their team created nearly 400 handcrafted costumes, requiring months of preparation and multiple versions for stunt performers, dance doubles, and action sequences.

"It's almost like couture work," Atwood says. "Everything is handmade."

For Sutherland, seeing the finished ballroom filled with hundreds of uniquely dressed characters became one of the most rewarding moments of the production.

"We've dressed every single person in that room," he says. "They all have their own identity and their own costumes."

Watch below: