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Euphoria first aired in 2019, and the show quickly became iconic for a number of reasons. The HBO series revolves around 17-year-old Rue Bennett after she is released from rehab. Euphoria‘s characters are unique, and they each have an individual style to match. Euphoria costume designer Heidi Bivens was concerned with choosing clothes that high school students could realistically afford in season 1. However, in Euphoria Season 2 she threw a bit more caution to the wind.

Maude Apatow as Lexi in Euphoria Season 2. Lexi's Euphoria costume includes a plaid Miu Miu dress and a black purse over her arm.
Maude Apatow as Lexi in ‘Euphoria’ Season 2 | Eddy Chen/HBO

‘Euphoria’ earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes

Bivens has been working in the industry for quite some time. The 45-year-old costume designer got her start working for W Magazine and WWD, according to Honey Artists. She went on to contribute as a fashion stylist to Purple, Vogue US, and i-D magazine. Bivens’ work can also be seen in the films Spring Breakers and Inland Empire.

When Euphoria first aired in 2019, the aesthetic caught everyone’s eye. Sure, the teenagers’ outfits were a little more risqué than what a normal high school might allow, but this worked for a show that’s over the top in many other ways. Euphoria earned a nomination for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes both for an episode in season 1 and for the special episode “F**k Anyone Who’s Not A Sea Blob,” according to emmys.com.

Heidi Bivens continues her work in ‘Euphoria’ Season 2

Bivens continues her costume work in Euphoria Season 2, and she has purposely steered a little further away from realism. For season 1, Bivens tried to keep the budget of a high school student in mind when choosing outfits for the characters. In season 2, she played a little more freely with this rule.

“In terms of style, I played it safe the first season,” Bivens told Interview Magazine. “I really tried to be conscious of making it realistic, so that the audience couldn’t really pick the story apart like, ‘Jules could never afford that purse.’ I know I sort of pushed the boundaries with some of the risqué looks that might not normally be allowed at school, but in general, I tried to be really consistent with what kids can actually afford.”

“This season, that went out the window, because I just wanted to have fun,” Bivens continued. “Maude Apatow’s character, for example, is wearing Miu Miu. Like, she can’t afford Miu Miu, her parents aren’t buying her Miu Miu, but I said, ‘F*** it. She looks great in it.'”

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Heidi Bivens was asked to do a cameo in ‘Euphoria’

Bivens had a lot on her plate putting together the iconic looks for Euphoria. Luckily, she had some help. “This season, even though I really respect all these designers I worked with, I have this kick-ass assistant costume designer who took the reins on calling clothes in and taught me about a lot of brands that I hadn’t heard of,” Bivens told Interview Magazine. “Angelina Vitto is her name.”

In a surprising turn of events, Bivens was even asked to appear in an episode of Euphoria. “I was asked to do a cameo and basically play myself,” the costume designer revealed. “I really prefer being behind the scenes. Angelina stepped in instead, so that’s a little surprise Easter egg.”

New episodes of Euphoria air Sundays on HBO and HBO Max at 9 p.m. EST.

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