Polly Smith

Polly Smith has worked for the Jim Henson Company since she was brought on board to create costumes for The Muppet Show in 1978 and continues to design for Sesame Street. In the years in between, she has designed costumes for many of the Muppet film and television projects produced by the Henson Company, as well as the costumes for several other children's television programs.
Smith received Emmy nominations for her designs for The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight, and has received seven Emmy Awards for her designs on Sesame Street. Smith also co-designed costumes for the TV series The StoryTeller, which won a BAFTA Award for Best Costumes in 1989, and The StoryTeller: Greek Myths, which received a BAFTA nomination for Best Costumes in 1991.
Other non-Henson television credits include Blue's Room, Jack's Big Music Show, and Bunnytown.
In addition to the work on films and television shows, until 2002 Smith oversaw the costumes for many of the Muppet commercials, photo shoots, and personal appearances, and also worked on many Muppet toy prototypes.
In 2002, Smith was chosen as one of 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, Smith collaborated with two friends to create the first women's sports bra called the "Jogbra." This achievement has been recognized with a bronzed Jogbra on the wall at the University of Vermont, by inclusion in the costume collections of the Smithsonian Institution and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and, in 2022, induction into the Inventor's Hall of Fame. Smith's two partners went on to create the company which produced and marketed the bra while Smith chose instead to go off and create undergarments for puppets and animals.
Polly Smith received her BFA in Fashion Design from Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia. Smith was recognized as a distinguished alumna by the College in 2005.
In various interviews with Gonzo regarding his clothing, Smith (who made many of his outfits) is attributed under the alias "Pipi Sanchez."Tough Pigs: To Introduce Our Guest Star - Episode Five: Dave Goelz (01:06:20)
==Muppet/Henson credits==
*John Denver & the Muppets: A Christmas Together: Nativity Muppets, costumes
*The Muppet Show: Muppet costume designer (season 5)
*The Dark Crystal: Associate costume designer: Gelflings (Jen and Kira) and Podlings
*I Love Liberty: Miss Piggy's costumes, others
*The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show: "Miss Piggy's Adoring Staff"
*Fraggle Rock: Muppet builder; co-built Junior Gorg
*Rocky Mountain Holiday: Muppet costumes
*The Muppets Take Manhattan: Costume designer (with Karen Roston and Calista Hendrickson)
*The Muppet Show: On Tour!: Additional costume design
*The Tale of the Bunny Picnic: Costume design
*Labyrinth: Creature costume design; Creature Workshop team: Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Alph and Ralph, Goblins, and Riding Goblins
*Muppet Babies Live!: Additional costume design
*The StoryTeller: Costume designer (with Ann Hollowood)
*Inner Tube: Costumes
*A Muppet Family Christmas: Costume designer
*The Jim Henson Hour: Costume designer
**Dog City: Dog costumes
**Miss Piggy's Hollywood: Costumes
*Silly Dancing: Additional costumes
*The Muppets at Walt Disney World: Costume design
*Let's Play School: Additional costumes
*Dinosaurs: Costume design (uncredited)included in Pangaea's Funniest Home Injuries in-show gag credits as head of wardrobe
*The StoryTeller: Greek Myths: Co-costume designer
*The Muppet Christmas Carol: Costume designer
*Muppet Classic Theater: Costumes
*The Animal Show (seasons 1 and 3)
*Muppet Treasure Island: Costume designer
*Muppets Tonight: Costume designer
*The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (season 2, uncredited)"Daytime Emmy Nominees List 3." Variety, March 11, 1999.
*Muppets from Space: Costume designer
*The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Costume designer
*Sesame English
*Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola
*Carnival: Puppet costuming
*It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie: Costume designer
*Sesame Street: Costume designer (credited seasons 35 to 52)
*The Muppets' Wizard of Oz: Costume designer
*Abby in Wonderland: Puppet Workshop crew
*Pajanimals
*The Muppets (2011): Muppet costumes
*The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
*Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock: Costumer
*Tall Poppy
==Sources==
==External links==
* National Inventors Hall of Fame: "2020 NIHF Inductee Polly Smith"
* Vulture: "How The Muppet Show Turned Kermit, Piggy & Co. Into Style Icons," by Shannon Carlin, March 4, 2021
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Category:Designers