“I like my money right where I can see it…hanging in my closet.”
—Carrie Bradshaw
"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak"
- Rachel Zoe
"Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman."
- Coco Chanel
“Fashion is what you’re offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose.”
—Lauren Hutton
"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn."
- Orson Welles
1.Find your own style and have the courage to stick to it.
2. Choose your clothes for your way of life.
3. Make your wardrobe as versatile as an actress. It should be able to play many roles.
4. Find your happiest colours - the ones that make you feel good.
5. Care for your clothes, like the good friends they are!”
― Joan Crawford
"It’s a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It’s all about the
individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic
labels, and up-and-coming designers all together."
— Alexander McQueen
"I was never the girl next door" Betty Paige
“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves and, of course,
each other. If girls dressed for boys they’d just walk around naked at
all times.”
― Betsey Johnson
"I don't consider my own clothing to be
outrageous... The truth is that people just don't have the same
references that I do. To me it's very beautiful and it's art, and to
them it's outrageous and crazy"
- Lady Gaga
“One is never over- or underdressed with a little black dress.”- Karl Lagerfeld
“Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.”- Yves Saint Laurent
“A woman’s dress should be a like a barbed-wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view.”- Sophia Loren
“Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.”- Ralph Lauren
"I don't do fashion, I am fashion." - Coco Chanel
"We must never confuse elegance with snobbery." Yves Saint Laurent
Thursday 20 February 2014
View my Pintrest page to see all products made from Pin Me Up Ireland
Hi Pinnies,
I wanted to share my link for my Pintrest page here as its the easiest place to view the variety of products Pin Me Up Ireland has to offer! Plus its really colourful and funky so it is definately worth a look. Here is the link: http://www.pinterest.com/hazelbreen/pin-me-up-ireland/
Here are some screen shots from it:
And another :)
Pin Me Up Ireland is owned by me and all products you see are designer by me unless stated otherwise. I make Pin Up Girl and Rockabilly style wire headbands in a variety of prints and fabrics. I make hair bows, dicky bows, shoe clips, unusual tees that I screen print or hand paint on aswell as customising the shape for a funky new look. I do a variety of clothing and accessories aswell as customizing clothes.
I recently started screen printing on T-shirts which is very exciting and can take orders for personalized tees and headbands. I will be doing Hens and Stags headbands and tees in the near future as it will be a one stop shop to get your outfits for you and your friends with whatever slogan and design you like.
I hope you enjoy the pintrest page. I am also on facebook www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland and twitter @pinmeupireland. I am on Asos Marketplace and Etsy and you can view the Pin Me Up Ireland website here www.pinmeupireland.com
If you like what you see please feel free to share the love :D thank you xxx
I wanted to share my link for my Pintrest page here as its the easiest place to view the variety of products Pin Me Up Ireland has to offer! Plus its really colourful and funky so it is definately worth a look. Here is the link: http://www.pinterest.com/hazelbreen/pin-me-up-ireland/
Here are some screen shots from it:
And another :)
Pin Me Up Ireland is owned by me and all products you see are designer by me unless stated otherwise. I make Pin Up Girl and Rockabilly style wire headbands in a variety of prints and fabrics. I make hair bows, dicky bows, shoe clips, unusual tees that I screen print or hand paint on aswell as customising the shape for a funky new look. I do a variety of clothing and accessories aswell as customizing clothes.
I recently started screen printing on T-shirts which is very exciting and can take orders for personalized tees and headbands. I will be doing Hens and Stags headbands and tees in the near future as it will be a one stop shop to get your outfits for you and your friends with whatever slogan and design you like.
I hope you enjoy the pintrest page. I am also on facebook www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland and twitter @pinmeupireland. I am on Asos Marketplace and Etsy and you can view the Pin Me Up Ireland website here www.pinmeupireland.com
If you like what you see please feel free to share the love :D thank you xxx
Pin Me Up Ireland - Following my dream and the start of something special
Hi,
Let me explain to you what Pin Me Up Ireland is.
Pin Me Up Ireland is my own creation and creation(s). I started Pin Me Up by making Pin Up Girl style wire headbands in a variety of colours and funky prints then launched the images on a new facebook page I created and ten minutes later it all started to take off!
I started P.M.U.I back in June 2012 after I went on holiday with family and friends and my mothers friend said something that really stuck with me even when I came home from holiday. She and a few others that where there were asking me why I am not doing something artisitc with my talents and what I learned through my Costume Design Course. I asked myself the same question all the time but always replied to myself and others with the same excuse "I will someday" but when my mothers friend said "NEVER SIT ON A DREAM" for some reason that stuck and I was inspired by a headband I had bought because I remember thinking I would love these in every colour and print. So when I came home I bought about 15 different fabrics with plain and funky prints and started making 27 headbands to start off with.
I thought there was a big gap in the market and loved the style of Pin Up Girls and Rockabilly but with a modern twist so this gave me my motivation.
I sewed up a big variety of headbands to start with and then set up my facebook page www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland
When I uploaded my images of the headbands I had made, it was an immediate success. I was quite shocked to see that 12.30am on a Saturday night that there was so much interest and even people placing orders!
I was really surprised to get any enquiry's, well I really did not expect it to happen that fast, therefore I was not prepared to answer their questions because it was all new to me.
I spent a few minutes thinking of how I would get the orders out to them and discovered that the only way I could do it for now was to deliver them and accept cash. So I told them I could deliver them if need be.
That is how it all started and I sold over 100 headbands by the end of the Summer. I was a bit overwhelmed when the orders where flying in as I had only made 27 to start off with and within a couple of weeks they were nearly gone then I had to make another batch of 30 which was fine but I had only started making them therefore I was not as quick as I am now at making them.
So by September, I was pretty drained and overworked just because of the unexpected success but I was really looking forward to my holiday in Japan in mid September.
I went on holiday and took a continued break when I came back. I was really looking forward to spotting new trends in Tokyo and I did and I wanted to bring back accessories to Ireland that I seen there as Japan is always a good year ahead of us with their fashion but unfortunately I lost a third of the money I brought over there that slipped out of a zipped pocket in my rucksack so I could not purchase the things I wanted after that so came back empty handed.
However I did notice a really cool trend over in Japan that were Tattoo Tights. When I came back I ordered these tights in an array of designs and put them up for sale. They did not sell too well at first as they images do not do them justice but at later fashion shows there was a lot of interest in them and when I wore my ones out people would ask me where they could get them.
I didn't really do anything with P.M.U.I until the end of November and I started making the odd Christmas Jumper. Then when January came I wanted to dive back into it with more determination and being more prepared this time around.
I made a few headbands in January but realized it was not the best of time of year to expect people to want these items, being straight after Christmas and that time of year where nothing is really on and Fashion is not at its prime.
I started making shoe clips as I thought they would be a great accessory to have to make an old shoe look new and match with different outfits. Here are some of the shoe clips I have done:
I loved these and so did everyone else. They give a nice kick to any plain outfit. Its always good to spice things up even if you are not the funkiest person in the world you can add small touches with accessories or statement pieces without going over the top. That is what I want for all my customers. I want them to stand out from the crowd and love breaking the boundaries!
I wanted to make something out this amazing fabric I came across so I made a cushion cover out of this really cool Alexander Henry Fabric. See the image below:
These were of great interest and I also made them in the same fabric in olive green for a customer too. I sold a lot of these cushion covers and really loved making them. I think it is very hard to find a nice cushion cover especially anything unusual.
I then went on to make Paddy's Day headbands. It might sounds ridiculous but you cannot buy Irish Tri-colour fabric ANYWHERE! I tried to look for fabric that had shamrocks or leprechauns but had no luck either (excuse the pun). I was actually in shock that no one in the world seemed to be producing these fabrics which is why this is one of my goals for 2014. I am going to design and make my own fabric and the first ones I will do is Irish designs seen as there is only metre of fabric in america with an irish design on it :P
This meant I had to buy green, white and orange cotton and sew the three colours together before I even started to make the headband to get the Irish flag. I did not want to use ribbon as you see that everywhere on St Patricks day. I wanted my customers to be unusual and have something no one would have. They turned out lovely.
Here is a pic of Kerry wearing my Paddys Day headbands. She is as Irish as you will get with her name, hair and lovely personality :) So cute.
It was approaching summer 2013 and I wanted to be prepared this time around. I learned a lot along the way since the starting Pin Me Up Ireland and failed a lot too. I think it is essential to fail to grow.
Here is something to inspire if you think you cannot do something or feel like giving up. This always sticks in my head and then I know I cannot give up because I have not tried enough.
Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." :)
I had wasted more money than I made on impulse fabric buys that did not work or where not what I was looking for, I made up headbands and at the last stitch I would go to cut the last hanging thread and cut the actual headband with my scissors therefore it had to be thrown away. I could go on and on but these things happen and I have learned from them
Anyway, summer was approaching and I wanted to be prepared for it. I started to buy in Levi 501 high waisted shorts and re-working them and customizing them for festival and holiday wear. I made summer headbands in a mix of bright fun colours and prints and made tie-dyed tees and got printed slogans on them, I made summer ponchos with wool fringe in aztec print and cool neon colours and I bought in fringe bikinis and cat-eye sunglasses which sold really well.
The summer was a great success and I had done my first 1950s themed fashion show which was amazing and had a stand at another fashion show where I donated levis and some other products to the charity for a raffle.
I had a great first year and I know there are many more to come. I have plenty of stories from the past few months also but for now I will just add images to show the progress in one year and how from starting from nothing your idea can become something amazing all you have to do is try! I would like to add that I did not take any loans to start Pin Me Up Ireland. I started small and built on the money I made, some of it wasted and some spent but now I use it wisely because I have learned to. I do not have any overheads and it is taking time but it is like anything, you need to give it time to expand it is not going to happen over night. Follow your dream and follow me on facebook, twitter and pinterest if you want to keep up with the progress and want to see what lovely new products I have in store for you :) www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland
Thank you for reading, if I inspired one person to act on their dreams instead of letting time pass by then it will make my day! It is never too late to try and you are only here one time so make it the best time xxx
To be continued..............
Let me explain to you what Pin Me Up Ireland is.
Pin Me Up Ireland is my own creation and creation(s). I started Pin Me Up by making Pin Up Girl style wire headbands in a variety of colours and funky prints then launched the images on a new facebook page I created and ten minutes later it all started to take off!
I started P.M.U.I back in June 2012 after I went on holiday with family and friends and my mothers friend said something that really stuck with me even when I came home from holiday. She and a few others that where there were asking me why I am not doing something artisitc with my talents and what I learned through my Costume Design Course. I asked myself the same question all the time but always replied to myself and others with the same excuse "I will someday" but when my mothers friend said "NEVER SIT ON A DREAM" for some reason that stuck and I was inspired by a headband I had bought because I remember thinking I would love these in every colour and print. So when I came home I bought about 15 different fabrics with plain and funky prints and started making 27 headbands to start off with.
I thought there was a big gap in the market and loved the style of Pin Up Girls and Rockabilly but with a modern twist so this gave me my motivation.
I sewed up a big variety of headbands to start with and then set up my facebook page www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland
When I uploaded my images of the headbands I had made, it was an immediate success. I was quite shocked to see that 12.30am on a Saturday night that there was so much interest and even people placing orders!
I was really surprised to get any enquiry's, well I really did not expect it to happen that fast, therefore I was not prepared to answer their questions because it was all new to me.
I spent a few minutes thinking of how I would get the orders out to them and discovered that the only way I could do it for now was to deliver them and accept cash. So I told them I could deliver them if need be.
That is how it all started and I sold over 100 headbands by the end of the Summer. I was a bit overwhelmed when the orders where flying in as I had only made 27 to start off with and within a couple of weeks they were nearly gone then I had to make another batch of 30 which was fine but I had only started making them therefore I was not as quick as I am now at making them.
So by September, I was pretty drained and overworked just because of the unexpected success but I was really looking forward to my holiday in Japan in mid September.
I went on holiday and took a continued break when I came back. I was really looking forward to spotting new trends in Tokyo and I did and I wanted to bring back accessories to Ireland that I seen there as Japan is always a good year ahead of us with their fashion but unfortunately I lost a third of the money I brought over there that slipped out of a zipped pocket in my rucksack so I could not purchase the things I wanted after that so came back empty handed.
However I did notice a really cool trend over in Japan that were Tattoo Tights. When I came back I ordered these tights in an array of designs and put them up for sale. They did not sell too well at first as they images do not do them justice but at later fashion shows there was a lot of interest in them and when I wore my ones out people would ask me where they could get them.
I didn't really do anything with P.M.U.I until the end of November and I started making the odd Christmas Jumper. Then when January came I wanted to dive back into it with more determination and being more prepared this time around.
I made a few headbands in January but realized it was not the best of time of year to expect people to want these items, being straight after Christmas and that time of year where nothing is really on and Fashion is not at its prime.
I started making shoe clips as I thought they would be a great accessory to have to make an old shoe look new and match with different outfits. Here are some of the shoe clips I have done:
I loved these and so did everyone else. They give a nice kick to any plain outfit. Its always good to spice things up even if you are not the funkiest person in the world you can add small touches with accessories or statement pieces without going over the top. That is what I want for all my customers. I want them to stand out from the crowd and love breaking the boundaries!
I wanted to make something out this amazing fabric I came across so I made a cushion cover out of this really cool Alexander Henry Fabric. See the image below:
These were of great interest and I also made them in the same fabric in olive green for a customer too. I sold a lot of these cushion covers and really loved making them. I think it is very hard to find a nice cushion cover especially anything unusual.
I then went on to make Paddy's Day headbands. It might sounds ridiculous but you cannot buy Irish Tri-colour fabric ANYWHERE! I tried to look for fabric that had shamrocks or leprechauns but had no luck either (excuse the pun). I was actually in shock that no one in the world seemed to be producing these fabrics which is why this is one of my goals for 2014. I am going to design and make my own fabric and the first ones I will do is Irish designs seen as there is only metre of fabric in america with an irish design on it :P
This meant I had to buy green, white and orange cotton and sew the three colours together before I even started to make the headband to get the Irish flag. I did not want to use ribbon as you see that everywhere on St Patricks day. I wanted my customers to be unusual and have something no one would have. They turned out lovely.
Here is a pic of Kerry wearing my Paddys Day headbands. She is as Irish as you will get with her name, hair and lovely personality :) So cute.
It was approaching summer 2013 and I wanted to be prepared this time around. I learned a lot along the way since the starting Pin Me Up Ireland and failed a lot too. I think it is essential to fail to grow.
Here is something to inspire if you think you cannot do something or feel like giving up. This always sticks in my head and then I know I cannot give up because I have not tried enough.
Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." :)
I had wasted more money than I made on impulse fabric buys that did not work or where not what I was looking for, I made up headbands and at the last stitch I would go to cut the last hanging thread and cut the actual headband with my scissors therefore it had to be thrown away. I could go on and on but these things happen and I have learned from them
Anyway, summer was approaching and I wanted to be prepared for it. I started to buy in Levi 501 high waisted shorts and re-working them and customizing them for festival and holiday wear. I made summer headbands in a mix of bright fun colours and prints and made tie-dyed tees and got printed slogans on them, I made summer ponchos with wool fringe in aztec print and cool neon colours and I bought in fringe bikinis and cat-eye sunglasses which sold really well.
The summer was a great success and I had done my first 1950s themed fashion show which was amazing and had a stand at another fashion show where I donated levis and some other products to the charity for a raffle.
I had a great first year and I know there are many more to come. I have plenty of stories from the past few months also but for now I will just add images to show the progress in one year and how from starting from nothing your idea can become something amazing all you have to do is try! I would like to add that I did not take any loans to start Pin Me Up Ireland. I started small and built on the money I made, some of it wasted and some spent but now I use it wisely because I have learned to. I do not have any overheads and it is taking time but it is like anything, you need to give it time to expand it is not going to happen over night. Follow your dream and follow me on facebook, twitter and pinterest if you want to keep up with the progress and want to see what lovely new products I have in store for you :) www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland
Thank you for reading, if I inspired one person to act on their dreams instead of letting time pass by then it will make my day! It is never too late to try and you are only here one time so make it the best time xxx
To be continued..............
Friday 25 October 2013
Kylie Minogues Costume and Fashion Inspiration
What better performer to start off with than Kylie Minogue for costume inspiration!
We know Kylie has been around for a long time and granted she had a patch where she was not so popular when she was testing out new types of music and looks and probably at that age where she was finding her indentity, although I have always loved her. She can do no wrong in my eyes. She looks amazing for her age, shes beat cancer, came back stronger and her fashion and stage wear has been incredible and stood the test of time.
Remember the classics? Lets rewind...
We all know the famous catsuit she wore in "Cant get you out of my head"
Before that, the famous gold hotpants in "I'm spinning around"? Safe to say they had heads spinning around.
And before that... back when she first hit the big time in her singing career remember the video to "Put your hands on your heart"? Remember the dresses with the big love hearts on them in all different colours? Here they are...
I would definately wear these dresses today and I think a lot of other people would too, whereas, there are not a lot of artists out there that you would wear what they wore in the late 80's! Shes amazing and her style is timeless.
So with those simple classics I move onto her STAGE COSTUME!
Kylie did her Showgirl tour in 2006. The tour was divided into seven strong acts: Showgirl, Smiley Kylie, Denial, What Kylie Wants, Kylie Gets, Dreams, Kylesque, Minx in Space. A designers dream to be able to play with so many themes and get lost in your imagination. The stage wear consisted bedazzled costumes that looked like they came right out of the The Carnaval Festival in Rio. No detail was spared with over the top feathers of every kind and colour, rhinestones, beading, trimming and all sorts of fabric and textures.
Her costumes are extravagant to say the least but full of detail, imagination and inspiration. And even though they are so out there, there is a sheek quality to them and a couture feel aswell as 1920's mix in there too. Prepare to be inspired! So here are some of my favourite stage costumes by Kylie, enjoy!
We know Kylie has been around for a long time and granted she had a patch where she was not so popular when she was testing out new types of music and looks and probably at that age where she was finding her indentity, although I have always loved her. She can do no wrong in my eyes. She looks amazing for her age, shes beat cancer, came back stronger and her fashion and stage wear has been incredible and stood the test of time.
Remember the classics? Lets rewind...
We all know the famous catsuit she wore in "Cant get you out of my head"
Before that, the famous gold hotpants in "I'm spinning around"? Safe to say they had heads spinning around.
And before that... back when she first hit the big time in her singing career remember the video to "Put your hands on your heart"? Remember the dresses with the big love hearts on them in all different colours? Here they are...
I would definately wear these dresses today and I think a lot of other people would too, whereas, there are not a lot of artists out there that you would wear what they wore in the late 80's! Shes amazing and her style is timeless.
So with those simple classics I move onto her STAGE COSTUME!
Kylie did her Showgirl tour in 2006. The tour was divided into seven strong acts: Showgirl, Smiley Kylie, Denial, What Kylie Wants, Kylie Gets, Dreams, Kylesque, Minx in Space. A designers dream to be able to play with so many themes and get lost in your imagination. The stage wear consisted bedazzled costumes that looked like they came right out of the The Carnaval Festival in Rio. No detail was spared with over the top feathers of every kind and colour, rhinestones, beading, trimming and all sorts of fabric and textures.
Her costumes are extravagant to say the least but full of detail, imagination and inspiration. And even though they are so out there, there is a sheek quality to them and a couture feel aswell as 1920's mix in there too. Prepare to be inspired! So here are some of my favourite stage costumes by Kylie, enjoy!
Want to be a Costume Designer? Find out how
So you want to be a Costume Designer? And why would'nt you? Cool job right?
Yes it is :)
It is not easy though. If you are serious about this occupation it is definatley achievable like anything if you really want it bad enough. But you need to realise that it is hard work, long hours and can get very stressful but the results are very satisfying. My aim in this post is to give you information on how to get your foot in the door then it is up to you from there.
What is a Costume Designer? Click here
Hints and tips How to draw designs for becoming a Costume Designer
Click here for my story on How I became a Costume Designer
Key steps to making it as a great Costume Designer:
1. Sketch, sketch and sketch some more, practise designing costumes and fashion on paper. This will also show you have an interest in it. Draw as much variety as you muster up, as this will all add to your knowledge, experience, sketching skills and it will make you more aware of how costumes should look.
2. Learn to sew. Learn to handsew first then try sew on a machine if you have one. If not try borrow one to see if you really like it. You will need to learn how to set up your machine if you are going to use it and practise on it. I would suggest a short beginners course and it will teach you basic stitches to get your started.
3. Once youve learnt how to sew the basics, give yourself projects! Start with making a cushion or a simple A-line skirt. Each time you finish a product and are happy with it give yourself a slightly more difficult project and learn from your mistakes along the way. We all make them, do not get disheartened, because we all need to fail a few times before we succeed.
4. Work on a portfolio in school and/or at home based on Costume Design/Fashion Design. You can use a variety of artwork but your work should show that you are serious in becoming a Costume Designer for when you want to apply to college. Remember quality over quantity!
5. Do a course in Costume Design. You really need to go to college as teaching yourself to sew is not good enough as there more to it than knowing how to sew. You will learn Costume Theory, Costume History, Costume Design, Pattern Drafting, How to design for a production, Experience in a real production, learn to Work in a Team and so much more.You could do a course in Fashion Design too but I would suggest doing a Costume Design course too then you have the best of both worlds.
6. When you finish college, get out there and get work experience in a theatre or film. You might of already had a taster for this in your course but you want to fill that C.V. Ask a theatre or film production company can you help out for two weeks to get an insight into the world of a Costume Designer.
Get your foot in the door and work your way up,,, how you ask? Read on
Forget emailing or even calling for that matter. Think of all the emails you get that you ignore or how easy it is to fob someone off a call. Emails = no effort, it shows that you have not put any effort into insuring you get the job because you just sent an email and left it at that. Did you follow up with a call? If you did that is ok but you are still not showing your desire to be a costume designer. You need to get up, get out and knock on doors. If you want someone to believe how passionate you are about getting into the Costume industry then you need to show them by showing your persistence. I do not mean hound the employer but if you heard of an opening for an internship or an actual job, then go the place where they are hiring and ask to speak with the employer, be polite, tell them you will not take up too much of their time but that you want to hand in your C.V. in person and show them a couple of pieces from you portfolio.
This is your time to shine. You might only have a minute gap so say all you need to say in a short and to the point kind of way. Tell them you are really interested in this position and are a really passionate and hard working individual and if you got the opportunity to work with them you that they would not be dissappointed!
THEN and only THEN will you be remembered. You will stand out in comparison to the others that emailed or just called. You went the extra mile and were not afraid to ask for what you want, which shows courage and determination. Get your foot in the door and keep moving up.
Before you know it you will receive calls for work from employers recommending you and passing your contact details on. Sometimes its not what you know, its who you know. You need to get yourself known then what you know and your talent can shine through your work.
Always remember to stay focused on your goal, if its being nominated for Best Costume Designer Awards then so be it. Never doubt yourself, work hard and beleive in your dreams and they will come true...
Best of luck...
If you would like to ask me something about my career please contact me through www.pinmeupireland.com or www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland
Yes it is :)
It is not easy though. If you are serious about this occupation it is definatley achievable like anything if you really want it bad enough. But you need to realise that it is hard work, long hours and can get very stressful but the results are very satisfying. My aim in this post is to give you information on how to get your foot in the door then it is up to you from there.
What is a Costume Designer? Click here
Hints and tips How to draw designs for becoming a Costume Designer
Click here for my story on How I became a Costume Designer
Key steps to making it as a great Costume Designer:
1. Sketch, sketch and sketch some more, practise designing costumes and fashion on paper. This will also show you have an interest in it. Draw as much variety as you muster up, as this will all add to your knowledge, experience, sketching skills and it will make you more aware of how costumes should look.
2. Learn to sew. Learn to handsew first then try sew on a machine if you have one. If not try borrow one to see if you really like it. You will need to learn how to set up your machine if you are going to use it and practise on it. I would suggest a short beginners course and it will teach you basic stitches to get your started.
3. Once youve learnt how to sew the basics, give yourself projects! Start with making a cushion or a simple A-line skirt. Each time you finish a product and are happy with it give yourself a slightly more difficult project and learn from your mistakes along the way. We all make them, do not get disheartened, because we all need to fail a few times before we succeed.
4. Work on a portfolio in school and/or at home based on Costume Design/Fashion Design. You can use a variety of artwork but your work should show that you are serious in becoming a Costume Designer for when you want to apply to college. Remember quality over quantity!
5. Do a course in Costume Design. You really need to go to college as teaching yourself to sew is not good enough as there more to it than knowing how to sew. You will learn Costume Theory, Costume History, Costume Design, Pattern Drafting, How to design for a production, Experience in a real production, learn to Work in a Team and so much more.You could do a course in Fashion Design too but I would suggest doing a Costume Design course too then you have the best of both worlds.
6. When you finish college, get out there and get work experience in a theatre or film. You might of already had a taster for this in your course but you want to fill that C.V. Ask a theatre or film production company can you help out for two weeks to get an insight into the world of a Costume Designer.
Get your foot in the door and work your way up,,, how you ask? Read on
Forget emailing or even calling for that matter. Think of all the emails you get that you ignore or how easy it is to fob someone off a call. Emails = no effort, it shows that you have not put any effort into insuring you get the job because you just sent an email and left it at that. Did you follow up with a call? If you did that is ok but you are still not showing your desire to be a costume designer. You need to get up, get out and knock on doors. If you want someone to believe how passionate you are about getting into the Costume industry then you need to show them by showing your persistence. I do not mean hound the employer but if you heard of an opening for an internship or an actual job, then go the place where they are hiring and ask to speak with the employer, be polite, tell them you will not take up too much of their time but that you want to hand in your C.V. in person and show them a couple of pieces from you portfolio.
This is your time to shine. You might only have a minute gap so say all you need to say in a short and to the point kind of way. Tell them you are really interested in this position and are a really passionate and hard working individual and if you got the opportunity to work with them you that they would not be dissappointed!
THEN and only THEN will you be remembered. You will stand out in comparison to the others that emailed or just called. You went the extra mile and were not afraid to ask for what you want, which shows courage and determination. Get your foot in the door and keep moving up.
Before you know it you will receive calls for work from employers recommending you and passing your contact details on. Sometimes its not what you know, its who you know. You need to get yourself known then what you know and your talent can shine through your work.
Always remember to stay focused on your goal, if its being nominated for Best Costume Designer Awards then so be it. Never doubt yourself, work hard and beleive in your dreams and they will come true...
Best of luck...
If you would like to ask me something about my career please contact me through www.pinmeupireland.com or www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland
Monday 21 January 2013
How to draw designs for becoming a Costume Designer
You might like drawing and have always been doing it or you might be new to it and it might be a bit daunting but fear not you do not have to be Picasso to be a designer but you do need to be able to draw your idea clearly so that it can be brought to life. Eg: You need to be able to tell whether it is a man or women :P
Learn how to draw the female and male figure first for adults and children. Then start drawing!
Basics: Once you feel you have the hang of drawing the human form start adding clothing to it. It is quite like drawing for Fashion Design but more fun. You need to learn how to draw clothes too, to be aware of the way clothes fall and the creases they make as this will add to your design and make it more realistic to be able to picture the character in it.
I would suggest picking a character then try to draw a costume design for that character. Here is a little exercise to get your started.
Exercise one: Pick a character. Do not give yourself anything too hard to deal with for now. Draw the shape and form of that character first, lightly with a pencil. Then start to draw a basic costume. When you have this done it would be a good place to start manipulating that character (not literally) but start re-drawing the form and shape with say one arm up and keep changing the shape and form of the character while re-drawing the costume so that you will learn to see how things take shape on a design for a costume.
Exercise three: You have the basics now lets take it up a notch. Give yourself a harder challenge, Try to draw a detailed sketch of a character with a detailed costume. Eg: Frodo Costume from "The Lord of the Rings".
Exercise two: If you feel like you are getting the hang of this great! Take it up another notch.Try drawing a really detailed costume design, use Marie Antoinette for inspiration as this is quite complicated. This will teach you all about folds in fabric and small details that can make all the difference in a design. If you can draw this then you are getting good.
After these exercises you need to repeat this over and over. I am not suggesting you become a good designer by copying other costumes designed by other costume designers as this is just to practise your drawing skills.
Your next step is making your own design now for a character.
Exercise 4: Take Marie Antoinette for an example. Imagine you got a job on a production and this was your main character. Start using your imagination and try to come up with your own design for this character remembering not to veer off track. Do your research on the character. Click this link to find out more about this, A Great Costume Designer is only as good as their research. You need to know what clothes the character was known for, the era in which they lived, their status, their personality, research other designs and most importantly do not get the fashion wrong from that period in time, everyone will notice and it will make you look bad. You should really know all you can about this character is they have a history and then you ready to create a great design while fully understanding what the character is all about.
Take a wide variety of characters and try to draw them. You should take a story, script, play or film and try to design all the costumes for each character and each scene this will give you a great insight into How to become a Costume Designer. It will also look great in your portfolio that you are able to design for a whole cast. Keep practising as we all know practise makes perfect. You can find more links on the steps involved in becoming and being a great costume designer on my blog.
You should check out this book A History of Costume for inspiration and period costume aswell as patterns from these periods so that you can attempt making a period costume in the future.
Happy Sketching!
Learn how to draw the female and male figure first for adults and children. Then start drawing!
Basics: Once you feel you have the hang of drawing the human form start adding clothing to it. It is quite like drawing for Fashion Design but more fun. You need to learn how to draw clothes too, to be aware of the way clothes fall and the creases they make as this will add to your design and make it more realistic to be able to picture the character in it.
I would suggest picking a character then try to draw a costume design for that character. Here is a little exercise to get your started.
Exercise one: Pick a character. Do not give yourself anything too hard to deal with for now. Draw the shape and form of that character first, lightly with a pencil. Then start to draw a basic costume. When you have this done it would be a good place to start manipulating that character (not literally) but start re-drawing the form and shape with say one arm up and keep changing the shape and form of the character while re-drawing the costume so that you will learn to see how things take shape on a design for a costume.
Exercise three: You have the basics now lets take it up a notch. Give yourself a harder challenge, Try to draw a detailed sketch of a character with a detailed costume. Eg: Frodo Costume from "The Lord of the Rings".
Exercise two: If you feel like you are getting the hang of this great! Take it up another notch.Try drawing a really detailed costume design, use Marie Antoinette for inspiration as this is quite complicated. This will teach you all about folds in fabric and small details that can make all the difference in a design. If you can draw this then you are getting good.
After these exercises you need to repeat this over and over. I am not suggesting you become a good designer by copying other costumes designed by other costume designers as this is just to practise your drawing skills.
Your next step is making your own design now for a character.
Exercise 4: Take Marie Antoinette for an example. Imagine you got a job on a production and this was your main character. Start using your imagination and try to come up with your own design for this character remembering not to veer off track. Do your research on the character. Click this link to find out more about this, A Great Costume Designer is only as good as their research. You need to know what clothes the character was known for, the era in which they lived, their status, their personality, research other designs and most importantly do not get the fashion wrong from that period in time, everyone will notice and it will make you look bad. You should really know all you can about this character is they have a history and then you ready to create a great design while fully understanding what the character is all about.
Take a wide variety of characters and try to draw them. You should take a story, script, play or film and try to design all the costumes for each character and each scene this will give you a great insight into How to become a Costume Designer. It will also look great in your portfolio that you are able to design for a whole cast. Keep practising as we all know practise makes perfect. You can find more links on the steps involved in becoming and being a great costume designer on my blog.
You should check out this book A History of Costume for inspiration and period costume aswell as patterns from these periods so that you can attempt making a period costume in the future.
Happy Sketching!
How I became a Costume Designer
How I became a Costume Designer...
I always wanted to be a Fashion Designer since I was a young child and as soon as I could put a pencil to paper (or perhaps a crayon back then) I started to sketch the human form and all sorts of costume, fashion and accessories to go onto it.
So from years of drawing and designing I was convinced this is all I wanted to do. I had told my mother that she would make the clothes as she was a great seamstress and I would design them and we would work together when I was older. She did encourage and thought me to knit and how to thread and needle and use a sewing machine.
I did art all through school and continued to sketch at home until many a sketch pad ran out of space with mostly female designs. In secondary school I picked art as a subject for my junior and leaving certificate exams and all I cared about was doing great in them to get me into college. I did want to do well in my other subjects but art took over to say the least.
Nearing the second half of secondary school I shared my dream with my art teacher and asked her to help me build a good portfolio that would get me into college. She tried to steer me towards a more sensible and realistic career as she tried to be a fashion designer and it did not work out so she did not want me to get my hopes up! I did not listen as I do not believe that anyone cannot do anything they want to do so I ignored her warning and I was very happy that I did. My mother started thinking the same thing because she thought I should work in an office.
At the end of school I got the results I wanted from art and went on to do a one year portfolio course to enhance my portfolio before I applied for the best fashion course in Dublin which was in the National College for Art and Design. I had great fun doing this course and learned a lot from it. I learned graphics, photography, painting, sculpturing, screen printing etc and it all helped in my progression in art and design.
Although I was enjoying the course thoroughly and the direction I was going, when it came to the end of the year and when gathering my portfolio together I seen that there was a Costume Design, make up and wig course in the college that I was already in. This intrigued me as I had never heard of Costume Design specifically and never really thought of it to be honest even though I enjoyed pantomime and theatre. When I enquired into it I found it really interesting and it changed my mind about going into Fashion for the moment.
The course included Costume making, theory, and design along with stage make up and styling and making wigs. I loved the combination of creative aspects to it. So I applied for the course and got in. I can safely say these two years where one of the best times in my life to date.
We learned everything from learning how to sew, using a sewing machine, an over locker, pattern drafting, designing costumes, learning all about the stages through history of costume and fashion, different types of fabrics, manipulating fabric, designing from a script coming up with a costume plot for every character and scene and then actually making costumes for assignments and productions and the biggest challenge was making a period costume at the end of the course.
In the first year we made many a costume and had our first production "Godspell" and helped the second years with their main production of a Shakespeare's play. It was a real insight to the costume world and what was involved. I was starting to really enjoy it.
After the first year in college I received a missed call from an unknown number and when I listened to my voice mail I nearly had heart failure because I could hear most of it but not all of it. I listened to it again when I got home to try figure how I would call this person back. The gist of it was that this employer wanted to hire me to work on the film "King Arthur" for the summer and she had got my number of so and so. Immediately I rang the contact she gave and asked what it was all about and for the number to call back.
When I called back, the lady Sandra said that she was wondering if I would be interested working on the film in the Wig Department for the summer at least and that it would be long hours and it would not be based in Dublin. I did not need to think twice and said yes right away.
I met with the production team and a few of my classmates that got the call too and we started working away on the biggest budget film that ever came to Ireland to date. We worked in Wicklow mountains and lived in holiday homes 5 days of the week and went home at weekends (mainly to sleep). We were working 80 hours a week some weeks when there was a lot of extras. We were styling and placing wigs on all the extras on the film which was up to 900 at one time. We had an amazing time and loved every minute of it even though it was tiresome work.
We all tried to delay going back to college a few days so we could continue to work on the film as long as possible but soon enough we were dragged back as our tutor had work for us to do and could not let us stay any longer. We did not mind too much we were just so grateful for the experience and the money was brilliant. It also gave you the confidence that you could get a job out of this work and a great one at that.
So back to college we went for our second year where myself and my classmate received another job! This time a freelance job that we did not tell our tutor about because we were supposed to be diligently working on our final project, The Period Costume (which took 5 weeks to make)! An advertising company approached us to make costumes for their "Lords of the Leap" Christmas campaign for a photo shoot that would be featured in a popular Irish newspaper.
We worked out of hours and got two costumes made in the theme of Robin Hood for two dancers one male one female that would be leaping into the air for the killer shot. We only got rough sizes of the dancers and thankfully the costumes fit perfect on the day. The photo shoot was good crack and we had a lot of fun, although we realised we were underpaid in comparison to the dancers but we did not mind as we were still quite rich from the film work and we were only starting out.
Back in college we had already made exquisite garments eg: corsets, bodices and started working on our third production of "The Winters Tale" by William Shakespeare. We both received two characters each to work on although I drew the last straw and had to make three. I would not of minded but one of those characters was the king therefore one of the main characters. We picked out material and went over budget by a mile and the principal was not happy but told us to make it look like we went over budget. So we worked hard and the production was a great success.
In the middle of the second year we were each assigned our work experience. I was picked to work on a pantomime "Cinderella" for the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin City Centre, which was a prestigious theatre in Dublin and Ireland for that fact, therefore I was over the moon! Myself and two other classmates worked for two weeks before the start of the production for 6 days a week, 10 to 10 at night some days. It was hard but I really loved it and did not care about the hours. It made me realise just like film that it is not all glamour and glitz that you would think, more like running under the stage back and forth throughout the whole theatre non stop to different dressing rooms and running to one of end of Dublin to another on foot with bags of costumes either collecting them or buying materials. The actors can treat you like crap if you let them and the staff just the same as we had a Fashion Designer over us and she blamed every error she made on us because she did not know the lingo or what certain garments where in costume. That was quite stressful but we ignored her our tutor told us to a lot of the time and she was the Costume Designer on the whole play so she was the one to listen to. We received a pass as a mark from the Fashion Designer which deemed a tad unfair for the work we did but not to worry we moved on and enjoyed our experience and took as much as we could from it.
After this college was nearing an end and we finished our Period Costumes ... finally. Mine was from the year 1485 for which I used a royal navy velour with cream and gold brocade trimmings and cream chiffon with navy ribbons for detail. It turned out great although it was a huge challenge as most of it had to be hand sewn on the outside to resemble the way they would have sewn it in 1485.
Finally we had to showcase all of our best work in an exhibition which was great fun and got us some contacts into the industry. We also had to wear our Period Costumes on the open day of the college which was hilarious but it felt really nice walking around in such garment that to us was our best piece of art.
When we graduated we were given a big surprise and told that we had raised the standards of the course to a Diploma as it was only a Certificate course beforehand and the principle was not as annoyed anymore that we went over budget as he was quite proud of the results. This was the icing on the cake for all of us.
After college I worked in a bank for the summer to gain some office experience as a back up to please my mother and get her off my back. During that period I started making costumes for people I knew and formal wear and for production companies that rang the college and offered me work that I could do at home from my room with my little sewing machine. Then I went around Dublin with my big leather portfolio approaching costume mills and film sets to ask Costume Designers to sign a form for me to get into the Union where it would be easier to get picked for jobs.
When I approached one of the costume designers on my list, she asked me what I was up to and if I was working at the moment? I told her I was only working from home doing costumes for productions and other bits and bobs I got. She asked me if I wanted to work on the film "The Honeymooners" I said of course I would love to. She told me that the one thing she expects off her girls that work for her is no bitching. I said I would keep out of any drama because I agreed with her that it was best to stay out of all that especially if you are working up to 14 hours a day with these people.
I started working on "The Honeymooners" that starred actor's like Cedric the Entertainer etc. I enjoyed it. It was filmed in Shelbourne race course and was all about a greyhound. The film did not turn out great but I learned a lot on it. I was dressing people in what I thought they should wear for their role in the film which was a new role as in styling. I was put in the men's changing room which was a tad awkward as I did not know where to look when they were dressing. I did anything from pressing clothes, organising, sewing small things, being on set, bringing blankets to extras when the Director yelled cut to keep them warm. We worked some night shoots which took its tole on me as I was eating my dinner at 12.30 at night and it kind of messed with my body clock. It was quite tiring as the films always are but good fun too. A lot of the girls tried to involved me in their dramas which I just ignored as I did not want to loose my job for something so ridiculous.
During this filming another costumer designer was calling all the time asking were there any spare staff to help her on her film she was working on but we could not abandon what we were doing, plus I was working under Joan Bergin. One of Ireland's top costume designers if not the best in the film industry in Ireland.
It came to an end and I wondered where I would work. My boss on "The Honeymooners" got me some work on the film "Breakfast at Pluto". I was called to Grangegorman mental hospital to start work which I thought very strange. It turned out that we were using a space in the hospital to stock all the costumes and maintain them before they were going to be needed. Liam Nielson and Cillian Murphy were starring on this film. I was slightly excited ;) I really wanted to see them both as I love them as actors and Cillian Muprhy is hot. Unfortunately, the day I was due to go on set I was really sick due to my body clock being all over the place with no time to recover from the last film so I never got to see them. That work was short and I started to feel like I needed a stable job for when this money ran out. I got an office job and decided I would do all my work from home in relation to costume.
I continued to work and make costumes for production companies, friends, family and through word of mouth. I was starting to get known everywhere for being a costume designer that can do anything (even though it was not true) but I succeeded in any new challenge I received. I made clothes for myself that people loved. I made debutant dresses etc but when more requests kept coming for making clothes I had to start turning the work down as I am not a fashion designer by trade so I was limited to what I could do.
I learned a lot since then and worked in the Abbey Theatre after work at night helping with two plays, worked with the Supreme's doing their wardrobe along with Garfunkel. I then went into the make up and hair side of things and did a few fashion shows with contestants from Britain's Next Top Model and Jodie Marshes girlfriend. I have been fortunate to land on my feet all the time but it is because I believed in myself and my skills and you can do it too if you have passion for it the world is yours!
Nowadays I have my own accessory business where I make pin up girl headbands, hair bows, scarves, shoe clips etc. It is called Pin Me Up Ireland www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland
I have a long run with costume and needed to change things up so I went back to college and became a graphic designer and I still do my bits from home but get to work at what I love which is design full time. I hope this helps you in your quest to become a costume designer as it is easier than you think. Once you get to know a few people you will in demand. Best of luck to you future costume designers out there.
I always wanted to be a Fashion Designer since I was a young child and as soon as I could put a pencil to paper (or perhaps a crayon back then) I started to sketch the human form and all sorts of costume, fashion and accessories to go onto it.
So from years of drawing and designing I was convinced this is all I wanted to do. I had told my mother that she would make the clothes as she was a great seamstress and I would design them and we would work together when I was older. She did encourage and thought me to knit and how to thread and needle and use a sewing machine.
I did art all through school and continued to sketch at home until many a sketch pad ran out of space with mostly female designs. In secondary school I picked art as a subject for my junior and leaving certificate exams and all I cared about was doing great in them to get me into college. I did want to do well in my other subjects but art took over to say the least.
Nearing the second half of secondary school I shared my dream with my art teacher and asked her to help me build a good portfolio that would get me into college. She tried to steer me towards a more sensible and realistic career as she tried to be a fashion designer and it did not work out so she did not want me to get my hopes up! I did not listen as I do not believe that anyone cannot do anything they want to do so I ignored her warning and I was very happy that I did. My mother started thinking the same thing because she thought I should work in an office.
At the end of school I got the results I wanted from art and went on to do a one year portfolio course to enhance my portfolio before I applied for the best fashion course in Dublin which was in the National College for Art and Design. I had great fun doing this course and learned a lot from it. I learned graphics, photography, painting, sculpturing, screen printing etc and it all helped in my progression in art and design.
Although I was enjoying the course thoroughly and the direction I was going, when it came to the end of the year and when gathering my portfolio together I seen that there was a Costume Design, make up and wig course in the college that I was already in. This intrigued me as I had never heard of Costume Design specifically and never really thought of it to be honest even though I enjoyed pantomime and theatre. When I enquired into it I found it really interesting and it changed my mind about going into Fashion for the moment.
The course included Costume making, theory, and design along with stage make up and styling and making wigs. I loved the combination of creative aspects to it. So I applied for the course and got in. I can safely say these two years where one of the best times in my life to date.
We learned everything from learning how to sew, using a sewing machine, an over locker, pattern drafting, designing costumes, learning all about the stages through history of costume and fashion, different types of fabrics, manipulating fabric, designing from a script coming up with a costume plot for every character and scene and then actually making costumes for assignments and productions and the biggest challenge was making a period costume at the end of the course.
In the first year we made many a costume and had our first production "Godspell" and helped the second years with their main production of a Shakespeare's play. It was a real insight to the costume world and what was involved. I was starting to really enjoy it.
After the first year in college I received a missed call from an unknown number and when I listened to my voice mail I nearly had heart failure because I could hear most of it but not all of it. I listened to it again when I got home to try figure how I would call this person back. The gist of it was that this employer wanted to hire me to work on the film "King Arthur" for the summer and she had got my number of so and so. Immediately I rang the contact she gave and asked what it was all about and for the number to call back.
When I called back, the lady Sandra said that she was wondering if I would be interested working on the film in the Wig Department for the summer at least and that it would be long hours and it would not be based in Dublin. I did not need to think twice and said yes right away.
I met with the production team and a few of my classmates that got the call too and we started working away on the biggest budget film that ever came to Ireland to date. We worked in Wicklow mountains and lived in holiday homes 5 days of the week and went home at weekends (mainly to sleep). We were working 80 hours a week some weeks when there was a lot of extras. We were styling and placing wigs on all the extras on the film which was up to 900 at one time. We had an amazing time and loved every minute of it even though it was tiresome work.
We all tried to delay going back to college a few days so we could continue to work on the film as long as possible but soon enough we were dragged back as our tutor had work for us to do and could not let us stay any longer. We did not mind too much we were just so grateful for the experience and the money was brilliant. It also gave you the confidence that you could get a job out of this work and a great one at that.
So back to college we went for our second year where myself and my classmate received another job! This time a freelance job that we did not tell our tutor about because we were supposed to be diligently working on our final project, The Period Costume (which took 5 weeks to make)! An advertising company approached us to make costumes for their "Lords of the Leap" Christmas campaign for a photo shoot that would be featured in a popular Irish newspaper.
We worked out of hours and got two costumes made in the theme of Robin Hood for two dancers one male one female that would be leaping into the air for the killer shot. We only got rough sizes of the dancers and thankfully the costumes fit perfect on the day. The photo shoot was good crack and we had a lot of fun, although we realised we were underpaid in comparison to the dancers but we did not mind as we were still quite rich from the film work and we were only starting out.
Back in college we had already made exquisite garments eg: corsets, bodices and started working on our third production of "The Winters Tale" by William Shakespeare. We both received two characters each to work on although I drew the last straw and had to make three. I would not of minded but one of those characters was the king therefore one of the main characters. We picked out material and went over budget by a mile and the principal was not happy but told us to make it look like we went over budget. So we worked hard and the production was a great success.
In the middle of the second year we were each assigned our work experience. I was picked to work on a pantomime "Cinderella" for the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin City Centre, which was a prestigious theatre in Dublin and Ireland for that fact, therefore I was over the moon! Myself and two other classmates worked for two weeks before the start of the production for 6 days a week, 10 to 10 at night some days. It was hard but I really loved it and did not care about the hours. It made me realise just like film that it is not all glamour and glitz that you would think, more like running under the stage back and forth throughout the whole theatre non stop to different dressing rooms and running to one of end of Dublin to another on foot with bags of costumes either collecting them or buying materials. The actors can treat you like crap if you let them and the staff just the same as we had a Fashion Designer over us and she blamed every error she made on us because she did not know the lingo or what certain garments where in costume. That was quite stressful but we ignored her our tutor told us to a lot of the time and she was the Costume Designer on the whole play so she was the one to listen to. We received a pass as a mark from the Fashion Designer which deemed a tad unfair for the work we did but not to worry we moved on and enjoyed our experience and took as much as we could from it.
After this college was nearing an end and we finished our Period Costumes ... finally. Mine was from the year 1485 for which I used a royal navy velour with cream and gold brocade trimmings and cream chiffon with navy ribbons for detail. It turned out great although it was a huge challenge as most of it had to be hand sewn on the outside to resemble the way they would have sewn it in 1485.
Finally we had to showcase all of our best work in an exhibition which was great fun and got us some contacts into the industry. We also had to wear our Period Costumes on the open day of the college which was hilarious but it felt really nice walking around in such garment that to us was our best piece of art.
When we graduated we were given a big surprise and told that we had raised the standards of the course to a Diploma as it was only a Certificate course beforehand and the principle was not as annoyed anymore that we went over budget as he was quite proud of the results. This was the icing on the cake for all of us.
After college I worked in a bank for the summer to gain some office experience as a back up to please my mother and get her off my back. During that period I started making costumes for people I knew and formal wear and for production companies that rang the college and offered me work that I could do at home from my room with my little sewing machine. Then I went around Dublin with my big leather portfolio approaching costume mills and film sets to ask Costume Designers to sign a form for me to get into the Union where it would be easier to get picked for jobs.
When I approached one of the costume designers on my list, she asked me what I was up to and if I was working at the moment? I told her I was only working from home doing costumes for productions and other bits and bobs I got. She asked me if I wanted to work on the film "The Honeymooners" I said of course I would love to. She told me that the one thing she expects off her girls that work for her is no bitching. I said I would keep out of any drama because I agreed with her that it was best to stay out of all that especially if you are working up to 14 hours a day with these people.
I started working on "The Honeymooners" that starred actor's like Cedric the Entertainer etc. I enjoyed it. It was filmed in Shelbourne race course and was all about a greyhound. The film did not turn out great but I learned a lot on it. I was dressing people in what I thought they should wear for their role in the film which was a new role as in styling. I was put in the men's changing room which was a tad awkward as I did not know where to look when they were dressing. I did anything from pressing clothes, organising, sewing small things, being on set, bringing blankets to extras when the Director yelled cut to keep them warm. We worked some night shoots which took its tole on me as I was eating my dinner at 12.30 at night and it kind of messed with my body clock. It was quite tiring as the films always are but good fun too. A lot of the girls tried to involved me in their dramas which I just ignored as I did not want to loose my job for something so ridiculous.
During this filming another costumer designer was calling all the time asking were there any spare staff to help her on her film she was working on but we could not abandon what we were doing, plus I was working under Joan Bergin. One of Ireland's top costume designers if not the best in the film industry in Ireland.
It came to an end and I wondered where I would work. My boss on "The Honeymooners" got me some work on the film "Breakfast at Pluto". I was called to Grangegorman mental hospital to start work which I thought very strange. It turned out that we were using a space in the hospital to stock all the costumes and maintain them before they were going to be needed. Liam Nielson and Cillian Murphy were starring on this film. I was slightly excited ;) I really wanted to see them both as I love them as actors and Cillian Muprhy is hot. Unfortunately, the day I was due to go on set I was really sick due to my body clock being all over the place with no time to recover from the last film so I never got to see them. That work was short and I started to feel like I needed a stable job for when this money ran out. I got an office job and decided I would do all my work from home in relation to costume.
I continued to work and make costumes for production companies, friends, family and through word of mouth. I was starting to get known everywhere for being a costume designer that can do anything (even though it was not true) but I succeeded in any new challenge I received. I made clothes for myself that people loved. I made debutant dresses etc but when more requests kept coming for making clothes I had to start turning the work down as I am not a fashion designer by trade so I was limited to what I could do.
I learned a lot since then and worked in the Abbey Theatre after work at night helping with two plays, worked with the Supreme's doing their wardrobe along with Garfunkel. I then went into the make up and hair side of things and did a few fashion shows with contestants from Britain's Next Top Model and Jodie Marshes girlfriend. I have been fortunate to land on my feet all the time but it is because I believed in myself and my skills and you can do it too if you have passion for it the world is yours!
Nowadays I have my own accessory business where I make pin up girl headbands, hair bows, scarves, shoe clips etc. It is called Pin Me Up Ireland www.facebook.com/pinmeupireland
I have a long run with costume and needed to change things up so I went back to college and became a graphic designer and I still do my bits from home but get to work at what I love which is design full time. I hope this helps you in your quest to become a costume designer as it is easier than you think. Once you get to know a few people you will in demand. Best of luck to you future costume designers out there.
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