'Insecure' Costume Designer Ayanna James Dishes on What Takes Season 2 to the Next Level

Issa is a newly single lady in a pair of stacked Gucci espadrilles, Molly is still killing the flawless full weave bobs and Kelli has lost a gang of weight in the new trailer for Season 2 of HBO’s hit Insecure. We can’t wait to see what these lovable and relatable characters bring to the table on the July 23rd’ premiere, but mostly we just want to see what they’re going to wear.
 
At the helm of the costume department is Ayanna James who designed all of the looks for Season 1 and 2 of Insecure. With an eye for storytelling costume design, Ayanna was in charge of wardrobe for some 200 characters, including the male and female main characters.
 
West Indian born and bred, James’ bio reveals that a twist of fate brought her to Los Angeles. After she and a few of her FAMU friends collaborated on a fashion blog about DIY style, she soon she found herself assisting with styling clients like Usher, Carmelo Anthony and Luke Cage’s Simone Missick. James was able to seamlessly take the helm when the opportunity to design a new HBO series presented itself.
 
“This is a very collaborative effort,” says James over the phone while dishing on the wardrobe for our new favorite TV characters. “There are a lot of conversations that take place especially how a character is feeling at the time.”
 
With the world of fashion at her hands, Ayanna uses everyone inside of Insecure’s Season 2, from local LA designers like Kenzo (we pulled a runway sample) to stores inside of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, Glamour Girl that carries plus size apparel. “There’s a scene where Issa is walking through Leimert Park during an African Dance Circle,” remembers James. “It only makes sense that she would be wearing jewelry from one of the vendors.”
 
This season promises to be full of fashion attention-grabbers including the Gucci platforms included in Issa’s “Sexy Walk scene, to the vintage tees and underwear scenes that all play a memorable part of why Issa Rae’s Insecure 2 promises to be a classic.