FASHION DESIGNER, COSTUME DESIGNER AND FINE ARTIST, DEBRA’S CAREER HAS SPANNED ALMOST 50 YEARS.
Debra McGuire is an award-winning fine artist, fashion designer, and costume designer whose work spans film, television, and theatre. She is best known for her ten seasons designing Friends and for her long-standing collaborations with David Mamet, including the Emmy-nominated film Phil Spector, which earned her a nomination for Best Costume Design.
Debra has designed for many of Judd Apatow’s and Jake Kasdan’s projects and currently designs for Jennifer Aniston on The Morning Show (Seasons 2–5). Recent work includes the series Hysteria and the international feature film Mayday, starring Kenneth Branagh and Ryan Reynolds and premiering in May 2026.
Her theatre career began in Paris in the early 1980s, leading to an Ovation Award nomination for Boston Marriage and an NAACP Award for Atlanta at the Geffen Playhouse. She later designed the period musical I Only Have Eyes for You, which received multiple Ovation Award nominations.
A fine artist at heart, Debra began as a painter in the Bay Area before expanding into jewelry, accessories, fashion, couture (including a decade running her boutique in Pacific Palisades), and ultimately costume design. She has spoken and presented at galleries, art institutions, and festivals around the world—offering Master Classes at the Visegrad Film Festival in Bratislava and, most recently, at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, where she also served as a juror and presented the Best Actor and Best Production Designer Awards.
Throughout her career, Debra has been driven by imagination, collaboration, and deep respect for the creative process. She credits her loyal and dedicated crews as essential partners in bringing each visual world to life.
Her forthcoming book with producer Jim Stark is scheduled for release in early 2026.