Polly Smith

From Muppet Wiki

Polly worked for the Jim Henson Company since she was brought on board to create costumes for the Muppet Show in 1978 until today with the recently completed 2008 season of Sesame Street. In the years in between she has designed costumes for many of the Muppet film and television projects produced by the Jim Henson Company as well as the costumes for several other children’s television programs.

Polly received EMMY nominations for her designs for “The Jim Henson Hour” [1988] and “Muppets Tonight” [1996] and has received three EMMY awards for her designs on Sesame Street. Polly also co-designed costumes for the TV series “The Storyteller” [1986-88] which won a BAFTA award for Best Costumes in 1989 and TV series “Greek Myths” [1989] which received a BAFTA nomination for Best Costumes [1991].

Other television credits include “Dinosaurs”, “Fraggle Rock”, “The Muppet Wizard of Oz”, “ Blue’s Room”, “Jack’s Big Music Show” and “Bunnytown”.

Polly’s film credits include “Muppets from Space”, “The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland”, “Muppet Treasure Island” and “A Muppet Christmas Carol”. Polly was also part of the design teams for the films “Dark Crystal”, “Muppets Take Manhattan” and “Labyrinth”.

In addition to the work on films and television shows, until 2002 Polly oversaw the costumes for many of the Muppet commercials, photo shoots, personal appearances and also worked on many Muppet toy prototypes.

In 2002 Polly was chosen as one of only 200 women to show their work in the exhibit “Women Designers in the USA 1900-2000” at the New York City Bard Graduate Center.

Additionally, in 1977, while designing costumes for the Champlain Shakespeare Festival at the University of Vermont, Polly collaborated with two friends to create the first women’s sporting bra called “Jogbra”. This achievement has been recognized with a bronzed Jogbra on the wall at the University of Vermont and by inclusion in the costume collections of the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Polly’s two partners went on to create the company which produced and marketed the bra while Polly chose instead to go off and create undergarments for puppets and animals.

Henson/Muppet Credits

• The Muppets' Wizard of Oz - Costume Designer
• "A Very Merry Muppet Christmas" - Costume Designer
• The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
• Muppets from Space- Costume Designer
• Muppets Tonight- Costume Designer
• Muppet Treasure Island- Costume Designer
• The Muppet Christmas Carol - Costume Designer
• The StoryTeller: Greek Myths- Co-Costume Designer
• The Jim Henson Hour- Costume Designer
• "The Muppets at Walt Disney World Costume Designer
• "Dinosaurs" - Costume Designer
• The StoryTeller - Co-Costume Designer
• The Muppets Take ManhattanCo- Costume Designer
• The Muppet ShowMuppet Costume Designer 5th season
• Tale of the Bunny Rabbit's Picnic Costume Designer
• Fraggle Rock - Muppet Costume Designer
• "The John Denver Christmas Special" Co-Costume Designer
• Sesame Street - Costume Designer: Muppets 2003-2008
• Labyrinth - Associate Costume Designer: Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Alph and Ralph, Goblins and Riding Goblins
• Dark Crystal - Associate Costume Designer: Gelfling and Podlings

Non-Muppet Productions

• Jack's Big Music Show - Costume Designer
• " Bunnytown" - Costume Designer
• " Blue's Room" - Costume Designer