Mitchell Travers on Costuming Netflix's 'Little House on the Prairie' Through a Child's Lens

Costume designer Mitchell Travers discusses his approach to the new Netflix adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Little House on the Prairie' series, emphasizing a child's perspective. Travers, who read the books as a child and revisited them via audiobooks, aimed to capture the expansive and surprising quality of childhood. The color palette was inspired by prairie wildflowers, with hues of blue skies and green grasses. Costumes were handcrafted using 19th-century techniques, informed by diaries of westward travelers that detailed clothing as a means of expression. Travers collaborated with Osage artisan Julie O'Keefe to create over 3,200 native-made pieces, including 1,127 handmade by Osage artisans, showcasing diverse Osage clothing from buffalo hunt attire to formal council dress. The production used traditional methods, with Netflix supporting the time and resources needed for authenticity.