My name is Dona Adrian. I am a Fashion & Costume Designer.
Dona Adrian Gibson has spent more than four decades shaping the way people look, feel, and tell their stories through clothing. Drawn from an early age to the sumptuous textures of luxurious fabrics and the theatrical magic of costume, she transformed a lifelong passion for fashion into a multifaceted career spanning haute couture, television, film, theater, and custom design.
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Dona is the creative force behind Dona Adrian Couture, her design house dedicated to distinctive style, exceptional craftsmanship, and the art of dressing the individual. A graduate of Bauder Fashion College in Atlanta, Georgia, she built her career as a freelance fashion designer before expanding into the entertainment industry, where her eye for detail, understanding of silhouette, and instinct for character became defining strengths.
Dona’s career in film and television reflects a distinctive combination of technical expertise, creative instinct, and an intimate understanding of how clothing brings a story to life. As a Costume Supervisor, she worked on HBO’s groundbreaking series The Wire from its inception through its conclusion, contributing to the visual world of a production that would leave an enduring mark on television history.
Her extensive credits span acclaimed television series and feature films, including HBO’s The Wire, Treme, Something the Lord Made, and We Own This City; AMC’s TURN: Washington’s Spies; BET’s Being Mary Jane and The Game; The Walking Dead; Marvel’s Iron Fist; Selma; and Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It and BlacKkKlansman, among other productions.
Her experience extends to national commercials, theater, and touring Broadway productions.
Throughout her career, Dona has collaborated on productions featuring an impressive roster of acclaimed performers, including Wumni Musaku, Idris Elba, Wendell Pierce, Jamie Hector, Dominic West, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Timothy Olyphant, and Jon Bernthal, among many others. Working across diverse genres, eras, and storytelling styles has deepened her understanding of the relationship between clothing, character, and performance.
For Dona, costume design is an exercise in observation and interpretation. It requires understanding the person behind the character, recognizing the significance of a silhouette, and discovering the details that make a wardrobe feel lived-in rather than simply assembled. Her approach balances imagination and whimsical with a strong foundation in realism, allowing clothing to communicate what words sometimes cannot.
With over 35 years experience in fashion design, Dona has been given many great opportunities to work on successful projects in television, film, commercials and theater. A few of her television and film credits, where she played a supervisory role include: The Wire, Treme, Something the Lord Made (HBO); TURN (AMC); Being Mary Jane and The Game (BET); The Walking Dead (Stalwart Films); Selma (Ruth Carter/Ava Duvernay); Same Kind of Different as Me (SKODAM Films); She's Gotta Have it (NETFLIX/Spike Lee), Black Klansman (Spike Lee), Iron Fist (Marvel)Since 2018, Dona Adrian has worked as a Costume Designer on a range of productions, including Manhunt (Assistant Costume Designer), Quiet In My Town (Costume Designer), HBO’s We Own This City (Costume Designer), FX’s Justified: City Primeval (Costume Designer), Closure (Costume Designer), and most recently, Moses the Black. In addition to her film and television work, her credits include numerous national commercials and several touring Broadway productions. As a freelance designer, Dona Adrian has built a reputation for delivering a distinctive blend of sophistication and versatility—hallmarks of her creative signature. Her approach to fashion is rooted in a classic sensibility, while her costume design balances imagination and whimsy with a strong foundation in realism. She has a keen ability to merge contemporary trends with each client’s unique personality and aesthetic.