Yes, chef! Today, we step into the world of The Bear for an in-depth conversation with the creatives behind its Emmy-nominated costumes: costume designer Courtney Wheeler and assistant costume designer Lariana Santiago. They share the meticulous research in kitchens and attention to detail that go into crafting the authentic looks of the show’s characters. The discussion also delves into the fan-favorite episode “Fishes” from season two, highlighting the challenge of sourcing vintage pieces and the collaboration with Jamie Lee Curtis to bring the complex character of Donna to life. From matching Christmas outfits to the unique challenge of dressing a character who’s “been rich for one year,” this episode unveils the artistry behind the costumes that have resonated with fans of The Bear.
Spencer Williams: I am so excited to welcome costume designer Courtney Wheeler and assistant costume designer Lariana Santiago from The Bear. Hey, you two! I’m thrilled to dig deep into all these characters. But first, before we get into it, both of you were just nominated for your first Emmy, which is so exciting. How does it feel? What were your reactions when the news came out?
Lariana Santiago: We were together when it happened. My partner called us. We were working on another job, and I was so caught up in the workflow that I completely forgot it was the day.
Courtney Wheeler: I didn’t want to tell anyone. I knew it was happening, but in the morning, I was like, “You know what? Put it out of your mind.” We were shopping in Raleigh at a vintage store, and I completely forgot about it because I didn’t want to think about it. I was so nervous, and then all of a sudden, I hear—
Lariana Santiago: I collapsed. My partner FaceTimed me, and I was like, “What? Is something wrong?” He never FaceTimes me. So I answered, thinking it was an emergency, and he said, “How does it feel to be Emmy-nominated?” I was like, “What?” And then we both just started tearing up.
Courtney Wheeler: It was just us in the store with the owner at the register, and we were like, “It’s surreal. It’s very surreal.” It blew us away. The nominations for the entire cast and crew were so meaningful to us. It’s a show we love working on and being a part of with a team we love. So yeah, it’s amazing!
Spencer Williams: Yeah, it’s incredible. I wish I had seen the shop owner’s reaction, too, because that must have been a sight to behold.
Lariana Santiago: Unhinged! She probably thought we were insane. We’ve gotten very close to her now.
Spencer Williams: Congratulations to you both. You really do deserve it, and I’m so happy for you and everyone on this team because it is such an outstanding show. How would you describe the process between the two of you, being a costume designer and assistant costume designer?
Courtney Wheeler: Oh, I think it’s really collaborative. I should tell you how we met. We met over Zoom or FaceTime—it was sudden. Lariana didn’t know it was Cristina Spiridakis and me who had done the pilot, and we were looking for a shopper for the first season. So Cristina and I set up the meeting but didn’t tell Lariana it would be a FaceTime call.
Spencer Williams: Nice surprise!
Courtney Wheeler: We love a FaceTime. It was an immediate synergy. Even though we come from different places and perspectives, we clicked in terms of how we shop and our overall approach. Working with her through the rest of season one and into season two, people always ask us, “How long have you been working together?” And we’re like, “Oh, we just met.”
Spencer Williams: That’s insane.
Lariana Santiago: Yeah, so I got bamboozled into a Zoom that I thought was a three-way call. It was evening, so I showered and put on a night dress. If I recall, you guys had glasses of rosé, and I was like, “Oh.”
Courtney Wheeler: We said, “Hey, we just want to talk about shopping, clothes, style, and characters.” We love specificity and characters who can stand alone. We shop small businesses where we can thrift and buy secondhand and vintage items. That’s so important to us.
You’ll never walk into a restaurant the same way again after working on The Bear. You start looking at what front-of-house staff are wearing, what the kitchen is wearing, and even what they have on their feet. Each job is approached with that level of detail, especially something like The Bear where you want to stay true to the world you’re building. It’s about talking to as many people as possible and learning about the world we’re creating.
Lariana Santiago: I think that’s what makes our relationship work so well—we’re both willing to go to whatever lengths it takes to get everything as accurate as possible. We’d visit every restaurant where we would film and say, “Well, it’s research.” If there were a chef’s table where we could look into the kitchen, we’d ask to sit there to observe everything, even down to people’s shoes. We’d get so excited when we visited a new restaurant and already knew the trends—streetwear and specific shoes. It made us feel like we were in it with them somehow.
Spencer Williams: That ties into my next question. I think contemporary costume design is one of the most challenging types because you’re trying to portray these characters with minimal changes, and every piece of the costume adds to the story. When you’re doing research for The Bear, how do you prepare?
Courtney Wheeler: We started by talking to the people who work in restaurants and kitchens. We had a fantastic resource in Matty Matheson and Courtney Storer. We’d talk to them and get their opinions about the latest kitchen brands people wore. Their unique sense of style influenced our work a lot. We’d research them, contact them, and build relationships with them.
Lariana Santiago: One example is Bragard uniforms, which makes the blue aprons. They were on back order, but we had them dig in the back of their warehouse to find any aprons they had left. They found some slightly flawed and not for sale, but we didn’t take no for an answer. We have in-house tailors and dyers, so we made it work.
Spencer Williams: That’s amazing. Kitchens are such high-paced, stressful environments—food flying everywhere, things getting smashed. How do you make these costumes look lived-in while ensuring they’re practical enough for the actors to perform in?
Courtney Wheeler: We have an incredible ager/dyer, Jessica, who is so talented. She can take anything and make it look perfectly worn. We’ll give an actor their costume, and they’ll come back thinking it’s completely different because she’s worked her magic.
Lariana Santiago: Jessica will wear oversized men’s shoes or giant jeans around the office, softening them up. If we can’t find the right color locally, she’ll use acrylic paint to get us there. She’s a magician.
Courtney Wheeler: Speaking of dishes, while we were filming the episode with Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna, she starts pretty put together, but by the end, she’s covered in pasta sauce, with buttons popping off. We shot that episode mostly in order, so we got real pasta sauce on her. But for continuity, Jess would take the stained shirt and pants and match the pasta sauce stains exactly on multiple sets so we could wash the dirty ones and keep filming.
Spencer Williams: That’s insane!
Lariana Santiago: She started painting butter stains—it was crazy. And not with actual food; she mixes up her own concoctions to seal them and uses them repeatedly. She’s a true artist.
Spencer Williams: So, Lariana, you’re from Chicago, right? I was curious about how the show’s setting influenced the costume design of The Bear.
Lariana Santiago: I’ve lived here for ten years, but I’m originally from Puerto Rico. I went to college there before moving to Chicago. One important thing to Courtney during the hiring process was ensuring that we stayed authentic to Chicago. My local connections with vendors, vintage dealers, and small business owners were crucial in ensuring that most of the clothing came from Chicago. Of course, we sourced some items from outside the city, but many of them are authentically local.
Spencer Williams: That authenticity really comes through and adds to the show’s impact. Let’s talk about Carmy for a moment. Jeremy Allen White is phenomenal in this role. His character maintains a sure consistency—no matter how chaotic everything around him gets, he’s always professional and aware of what he’s wearing. How did you approach designing his costumes, Courtney?
Courtney Wheeler: We wanted to reflect that even though Carmy is constantly surrounded by chaos, his clothing stays relatively consistent. He appreciates quality, cut, and design, but he doesn’t want his clothes to be loud or add to the chaos of his life. I imagine him buying items with intention, but he’s probably just grabbing things off the floor daily. Everything he owns goes together because he’s stuck to a specific color palette, but he’s not overthinking it. He cares about his appearance, but not in the way Sidney does—who’s more intentional in making sure her clothes communicate her point of view.
Spencer Williams: Speaking of Sidney, she’s evolving in her role and influence within the restaurant and honing her craft. How did you reflect that evolution in her costumes, Lariana?
Lariana Santiago: When we first met her in season one, she was very buttoned up—there’s simplicity in her look with the white shirts and neat appearance. As the seasons progress, you see more of her personal style emerge as she gains confidence and finds her place within the world.
Spencer Williams: Let’s dive into the episode Fishes, the one submitted for the Emmy nomination. It’s an intense, almost chaotic flashback to a Christmas dinner at the Berzatto family home. Watching it last night had my heart racing. What were your first thoughts when you saw the script?
Lariana Santiago: The script was wild, and the fact that we didn’t have casting at first made it even more challenging. You have this insane script, but you’re trying to visualize what these characters will look like without knowing who’s playing them.
Courtney Wheeler: Yeah, it was definitely a “Wow, this is incredible” moment, but also overwhelming with so much going on. You’re getting these glimpses into the past that help put characters like Richie, Carmy, Sugar, and Michael into context. You see them outside of the restaurant, and it really helps explain why they are the way they are.
Lariana Santiago: It’s like peeling back an onion. We were discovering these layers along with the audience as we read the script. It gave us a better understanding of Carmy and Richie.
Spencer Williams: That episode made me see The Bear in a new light. But with all these guest stars—Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, John Mulaney, Sarah Paulson, John Bernthal—how did you work with such an extensive and star-studded cast? It seems like a lot to juggle.
Courtney Wheeler: We got the casting maybe two and a half to three weeks before filming, which isn’t a lot of time considering who we were working with.
When we finally got everything together, it was a whirlwind. Due to scheduling, we had flown to LA to fit Bob, and the rest of the cast came in just a few days before shooting. Since the scenes were set in the past, we didn’t need the clothes to look like they were just bought. Much of our work involved scouring eBay, secondhand shops, and Poshmark to find multiple pieces, as we were filming over a week. It was a good challenge—there’s always pressure to get the right clothes, but the fittings were fantastic. Everyone was so kind, collaborative, and committed to becoming their characters. It was fulfilling for everyone involved.
Spencer Williams: I’ve had several costume designers who’ve worked with Jamie Lee Curtis tell me she’s such a cheerleader, giving 110% no matter how long she’s on set. Donna, her character in The Bear, is incredible. She becomes more disheveled and unhinged as the story progresses. How did you both approach bringing this iconic character to life?
Courtney Wheeler: From our first conversation, it was clear that Donna was a deeply layered character. Jamie and I discussed where Donna would shop—places like Filene’s Basement. These are stores from a time in her life when she was doing better financially, and she still has those clothes. She’s a bit flashy, wants to be sexy, and you never know who she might run into, especially at Christmas dinner. Jamie was so game for it all, even sending us a few pieces she found on eBay. She cares so much about Donna and is incredibly empathetic towards the character. It made the fitting process a joy—everything was truly collaborative, embodying the show’s spirit.
Lariana Santiago: One note from Christopher Storer that stuck with us was about dressing Donna like she had been rich for one year. Everyone knows someone like that who splurged on designer items during their one successful year. The set design played into this, too, with the velvet bedspread and that leopard statue. There was a seamless crossover between the set and Donna’s clothes, and it reflected who she was perfectly.
Spencer Williams: I have to go back and rewatch the episode because there are so many details to catch. And speaking of details, I loved the matching outfits of Neil and Theodore. It was such a funny and adorable moment. Was it easy to settle on those costumes?
Lariana Santiago: Yes, it was! Those two have become their characters.
Courtney Wheeler: Matching outfits have become a Christmas tradition for them, and that’s what they showed up in. It’s their thing, and it was perfect for the scene.
Spencer Williams: Looking back on season two, now that you’re both Emmy nominees, what are you most proud of? What do you hope viewers take away from your work on The Bear?
Lariana Santiago: It feels incredible to be recognized for this episode because of the attention to detail and everything I learned from Courtney. She was meticulous, ensuring everything was accurate to the period, down to the smallest details. Whether or not those details are visible on camera, we know they’re there, and that’s what matters. I hope that level of commitment shows through.
Courtney Wheeler: I hope viewers feel a connection to these characters, recognizing parts of themselves or people they know. Whether that connection is positive, emotional, or both, I want them to feel a sense of familiarity and connection with the show.
Spencer Williams: Costume designer Courtney Wheeler and assistant costume designer Lariana Santiago, thank you so much for joining me today. Congratulations on your Emmy nominations. I’m so excited to continue watching the show—I’m deeply obsessed. Thank you again!
