00:00I always joke that she watched some YouTube videos over the summer, she learned how to define her curls, Erica took her shopping, you kind of see her come in looking a bit fresher for development day.
00:12Season 3 of Abbott Elementary sees Janine Teeks have a job glow up, going from teacher to school district employee, as well as a major style glow up.
00:20But there's more to her transformation than meets the eye.
00:23Creator and star Quinta Brunson, as well as the show's costume designer, head hairstylist, and head makeup artist all spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the story the ABC series is telling through Janine's on-screen evolution.
00:34Style-wise in season 1, her clothing was that of, you know, a girl, not only a teacher trying their best, but a girl trying her best in her 20s.
00:45It's like, Janine's not the coolest, she's a bit of a nerd, and honestly, clothes to her are a way to express what she's feeling on the inside, but that doesn't mean she's good at it.
00:56And I really wanted her to start from that place in season 1, and I knew it would garner some attention, but I really wanted that.
01:04I wanted it to, you know, evoke something in people of like, what is she wearing?
01:09But to not kind of tell the audience that you're going to be on a ride of evolution of style.
01:13This season, the clothes fit her, which is good.
01:16I mean, before it was just this really big stuff, and she would put it on right before she went and cinch it in with a belt, you know, and we would sort of fake alter it really quickly.
01:24And this season, everything, I deliberately went for knits to make them fitter better, and it was some prints, mostly stripes, not quite the same, and some lower necklines, and then the shorter skirts and the fitted blazers.
01:38I mean, it's such a strong visual to see her in something that actually fits her, like a dress, versus like the kind of crazier stuff, those like really full skirts.
01:50I mean, it's her progression to becoming like more together, more confident.
01:56The show isn't just communicating Janine's personal growth through her clothing, but her hair and makeup as well.
02:01I spoke with our hair team, you know, they constantly wanted to make the hair look better, and I so often was like, guys, I get it, but there's a story that I really want to tell with Janine, and you'll have those opportunities like with Ava and with guest cast, but with Janine, it's really important to protect the evolution of a person learning to take care of themselves, love themselves, and know themselves.
02:29As a hairstylist, as a cosmetologist, you naturally want to do a glam up or a makeover on everybody, but I love the fact that I'm able to tell stories every single season with the development of Janine's characters.
02:43I remember having a conversation with Mireya at the top of the season, and I was like, we're going to do a middle part this year.
02:49And it's really exciting for something so small to be that big to us, and not only to us, but the audience.
02:55Like when the season first came out, or just like even promos for the season first came out, people were like, follow Janine, bust down middle part.
03:02And I think it's really beautiful to be able to build those moments.
03:06This season meant so much for her to even, for Quinta to call me and text me and be like, girl, middle part.
03:12I'm like, okay, girl, what are you doing, man?
03:17Y'all don't understand.
03:18I've been trying to get this girl to switch from this side part for seasons.
03:22And she was like, nope, nope, nope.
03:23But it does fit her character, because the first thing after a breakup, what's the first thing we as women do after a breakup?
03:33We change our hair.
03:34Yeah, honey.
03:35Going online and Googling, okay, how can I make my curls more defined?
03:39Because you know, we as Black people, we know how to mix this, mix that in our kitchen and make it work.
03:44So that's basically the approach that we went for this season.
03:48Everyone sees themselves in Janine.
03:51She's a little part of everybody, but this season, because of her little hiccup with Gregory, and now she's at the district, of course, you got to kind of elevate.
03:59Like, she's been hanging around Barbara, she's been with Ava, and, you know, she's been on YouTube, and she's like, what can I do to, like, spruce myself up?
04:07And I feel this season, when we were discussing her character, like, she's more cognizant of what she's doing and how she speaks, and she wants that presence.
04:16And I went with more jewel tone eyeliners, because we all know the, what is that, her jelly bean belt that has all the different colors and stuff like that, that's Janine.
04:28So I was like, how can I bring teacher Janine into the district Janine?
04:32This season, I also went with more of lip liners with lip glosses and color in her lip, because usually she's just a lip gloss girly, and she's more toned down.
04:44But again, she's stepping it up.
04:46She's letting you know, you know what, I take myself more seriously now.
04:50I am still in the district, not making that much money, but I can be more presentable.
04:54I always wanted this evolution for Janine.
04:57There's still places I think we have to go with her, and while the evolutions for the other characters, as far as hair and makeup, are way more subtle, they're there.
05:09Like, they matter, and I don't need them to be smack in everybody's face, but, you know, they do make a difference in how we tell our stories.
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