Ann Foley is no stranger to a big project. Having worked on a slew of splashy intellectual properties like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Godzilla vs. Kong, and The Spiderwick Chronicles, she’s experienced at bringing established worlds to new life with quality realism and authenticity. “I was a huge fan of season one even before I was asked to do season two.” Picking up HBO’s smash series from Cynthia Ann Summers’ Emmy-nominated first season, The Last of Us might be her biggest project to date.

Adapted from the best-selling PlayStation game of the same name, The Last of Us picks up five years after the first season, as Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) settle into a more domesticated life in Jackson, Wyoming. While the postapocalyptic nature of the Cordyceps fungus is still present, denizens of Wyoming have found a way to make things work, surviving and even living a relatively normal life. Family, like Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), are close by, and friends, like Dina (Isabela Merced), are welcome additions. But that peace is threatened by the presence of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who is on a vengeful quest to find and confront Joel.

For an already huge show, season two further expands the world, presenting all kinds of new opportunities. “I had an amazing meeting with creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann,” Foley states. “I connected with both of them immediately.” While she admits she’s not a big gamer, Foley sat down and watched a full play-through of the game as part of her research, drafting a series of individual and group mood boards from what she saw. Those boards, especially the ones for the tribalistic and Luddite Seraphites, are what interested Mazin and Druckmann the most. “They create their own world,” she says of the group. “The clothes are woven; everything is made by hand, whether it’s their weapons or their clothing. That opportunity to create all of these really organic fabrics, textures, and colors—it was so much fun.”

The result was a massive effort, with over 2,000 fittings and just under a thousand garments made. Foley states it was “probably one of the largest crews” she’s worked with, topping out at 64. “It takes a village to create these shows,” she proudly says. “My team was one of the best I’ve ever had the honor of working with. They all brought their A game and I will always be grateful to them for that. You can see it on screen.”

In early scenes, the likely sartorial standout for many will be Tommy (Gabriel Luna) who is introduced in a bold and bright shearling plaid jacket, complete with leather-trimmed shoulder patches. It’s not the first collaboration for Luna and Foley, as they worked together on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “It was so great to see him again,” she says. “Getting to do two iconic characters for Gabe—Ghost Rider and Tommy—has been a real treat.”

The striking nature of Tommy’s custom-made jacket serves a thematic purpose. The relaxed domesticity the characters find themselves in is expressed in brighter hues or bolder prints. “That was something Craig and I spoke about at the beginning,” she says. “He wanted to bring more color because they’re more settled 
into Jackson.”

The other detail eagle-eyed viewers may notice is a direct foreshadowing of the eventual collision between Abby and Ellie, right from the very beginning. When we first see them in the premiere, they are in similar shades of blue. “I feel like Ellie and Abby are mirrors of each other in their journey,” she observes. “There was definitely intention there.” The clothing is a way to draw the two together from the start before the events put them on a direct pathway toward one another. Sharp, smart, and considered details such as this make an already engaging story even richer.

Another unexpected delight is how Foley’s work influences the real world and vice versa. Wrangler issued a collection inspired by the second season. The first drop was released in mid-April with the tagline, “Will you be dressed to survive?” Foley outfitted Luna in a pair of Wranglers for the show, so having the work boomerang back around was a thrill. “That was really cool to see,” she says. “It’s a huge honor.”