‘American Born Chinese’ Made Art-in-Motion Out of Its Fantastic Costumes

If the drapes, pleats, and overall drama of the costumes on American Born Chinese have caught your eye, you can thank Joy Cretton. The costume designer, born and raised in Maui with series writer/co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton and their four siblings, was homeschooled and found inspiration in daily play with her family. The Crettons’ creative childhood led to careers in Hollywood, with Destin working as a writer and director, including helming Marvel’s Shang-Chi, and Joy developing a career as a costume designer. She worked as an assistant designer on The Glass Castle (2017) and Short Term 12 (2013), both directed by her brother, with their latest collaboration perhaps their most challenging yet.

For her work on Disney+’s adaptation of Gene Luen Yang’s seminal graphic novel, Cretton researched Chinese mythology, worked closely with star Michelle Yeoh, and learned to use TikTok, in order to dress the show’s teenage cast. On the day of the show’s eight-episode first season premiere in late May, Cretton and I spoke about the dizzying array of inspiration she employed to dress the series’ mythological characters, as well as how her unconventional childhood shaped her career.

What inspired you to become a costume designer?

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