Costume Designer
What does a Costume Designer do?
What does a Costume Designer do?
The COSTUME DESIGNER transforms the actors into their characters through the use of clothing and helps situate a production in a specific time and place through the visual cues of clothing. They design, research, source, and construct the clothes for all the actors in a production. Their job responsibilities may also include those of a MAKE-UP ARTIST or WIG SPECIALIST.
Skills
Sewing | Sketching | Drawing | Attention to detail
Pathways
Degree in design, production, and/or fashion | Internship | Wardrobe Assistant
How to become a Costume Designer
How to become a Costume Designer
Many colleges and universities offer degrees and concentrations in production and design, as well as opportunities to work on school or student-led productions. Broadway costume designers can also attend schools that focus on the creation and study of fashion and garment-making. Those just starting out may want to explore available classes, workshops, amateur productions, and volunteer opportunities available in their region for training and experience as costume designers and sewers.
Union/Organization Affiliation
Resources
- Fashionista’s “The Fascinating Process Behind How Broadway’s Most Spectacular Costumes Are Made”
- The Hollywood Reporter’s “How the Costume Designer for Broadway’s ‘Beetlejuice’ Reinterpreted the Film’s Iconic Looks”
- Playbill’s “From Moulin Rouge! to My Fair Lady, Catherine Zuber Unpacks Her Favorite Broadway Costume Designs”
Spotlight on Broadway’s “William Ivey Long Costume Designer”
PBS LearningMedia’s “ANNIE ON BROADWAY: What Does a Costume Designer Do?”
Broadway.com’s “ANASTASIA Costume Designer Linda Cho”
'Hamilton' Costume Designer Paul Tazewell Talks Creative Process, video courtesy of TheProducersPerspective.com.
"Behind the Curtain" Linda Cho, Costume Designer for Anastasia