THE SKETCHBOOK
In Netflix's Godless, a mining disaster
in La Belle, New Mexico, eradicates
the male population of a frontier town,
leaving behind only women. They trade
their girdles for gunbelts in a gritty
world carefully considered and crafted
by Costume Designer Betsy Heimann.
Heimann wields a restrained palette to
capture a feeling of vitality and authen-
ticity.
The scope of the series is vast. The
ensemble cast includes outlaws,
lawmen, ranchers, miners, Native
Americans, Pinkertons, and Buffalo
Soldiers. Assistant Costume Designer
Maria Tortu says, "My nickname for the
show was Relentless. It was like doing
three movies all at the same time, back
to back." Capturing the collision of cul-
tures was research-intensive. But since
Heimann trained under legand Luster
Bayless early in her career, she was in
her element. "It was like a homecoming
for me to come back and do what he
taught me and," she says.
Costume Designer Betsy Heimann
Assistant Costume Designer Maria Tortu
Illustration by Gina DeDomenico Flanagan
