*If there is anything you want me to expand on in this post please leave a comment and I will do a post about it*
A Costume Designer's role is to design and make costumes for a production or for manufacturing. Quite like the role of a fashion designer only more complicated and more to it.
If designing costumes for a production be it a play, film, advertisement or stage there is a big process to it.
If hired for a production you would generally meet with the Director to get a brief for the production itself. They will give you a script to which you need to read through with a fine tooth comb to understand the plot but to also be able to design the right costumes for it.
You will then do a costume plot. This means that you go through every scene in the production and take note of all characters in each scene and then start planning what they are supposed to look like and wear. What era is the production/play/film/show set in? What type of character are you designing for? Every character has their own personality so you need to jump into them and imagine what that type of person would wear and what you might think their style is then you move onto the scenes.
Here is an example: If you had Mary, John and Ann in a scene sitting in the back garden drinking tea and eating scones on a summers day that automatically tells you that you need two womens costumes, one mans and that it will be summer wear.
Say for instance John is 39 with green eyes and brown hair. He is a business man that is always away on business but has a couple of days off so is spending it with his family. He is not worried about fashion in fact his fashion taste comprised of corporate suits for work and for formal wear. You would assume he is in a suit, but wait it is summer and he is out sitting in the sun and his wife Mary likes to dress John when she gets a chance so he is not showing her up and looking corporate all the time, she likes to take over for such occasions, tell him what to wear and organize his outfit. Then I would think he would be wearing perhaps canvas coloured light summer slacks with a cream linen shirt that is light and airy for the hot weather.
But... you have started to imagine only one character in one scene's costume.
Now what would Mary be wearing? She is 33 which blue eyes and mousy blonde hair. She is a stay at home wife with a lot of hobbies that keeps her part of the community and keeps her busy while her husband is away. She likes to up-keep her garden and home and bake and do all those nice things to fill her day. Therefore, when John is home she likes to invite people around for tea and show off her lovely home and be social. She is quite content with this life for the time being and quite a simple person who is not into brands but likes to look like a lady and keep up appearances so she makes sure her hair is neat and that she looks well not a crease in sight so she that she is nothing to be talked about in the community so she plays it safe with her fashion and styling. I'm thinking put her in a nice summer dress with perhaps a pastel paisley print.
Now you have an idea of how you are going to dress Mary in that one scene and her one dress. Of course some scripts may have the whole story told in one day but that would be too easy :)
Now for our third character in this scene, Ann. Ann is John's sister and is not from the small town they live but lives in a big city and is quite fond of her fashion and does not care what small town folk think. She is in her late twenties with green eyes and black hair, pale skinned and has a vintage look about her. She likes to show her chest and often wears day dresses as her normal routine clothing along with evening gowns. She is single but not short of pursuers although she is fussy and knows what she wants her potential husband to be. She constantly comments on the fact that John is away from home too often and that Mary should come to visit her in the city more and have a bit more fun. She thinks John needs to work closer to home if they plan to have a family which makes Mary very uncomfortable as she does not how to respond because she knows she is right and worries that she might not want to have a child with John if he is never going to be there. So I would imagine Ann in deep purple or burgundy low front wrap dress to her knee, feminine and sheek.
Now you have a rough guess of what these three will be wearing in this scene but it is not final. Next you do the same with all characters and all scenes. Then you would sit down and finalize a few options, sketch out your characters in their costume and have a second option to show the director, then go get your swatches of material in different shades and fabrics to pin to a board with your sketch so you can start to picture it coming together. After you have done all this you would meet with the director and if he approves your ideas you have to go ahead to start and are more than likely given a budget to stick to.
NOTE! From experience the director's change their mind like the weather so expect to sew up full costumes and for him/her to change their mind about them right before you start a show or filming. You just have to try get it as right as you think you can. You might also like to change an idea if in the end if just does not suit or you just do not like it when it is made.
This is a quick post about what a costume designer is and what they do but it is not as black and white. It is very hard work. It can take a long time to do a costume plot and sketch out your ideas, colour them in, get fabric swatches to match your idea, etc and the director might tell you to scrap most of it and come up with other ideas. Then there is measuring the cast and doing fittings whenever the cast are free to see you and sometimes that can be very stressful as you might be really stuck for time. Hitting deadlines are crucial in this business.
Along with that when you do start making your costumes you need a team of helpers to get your vision completed. You need a costume assistant and wardrobe staff. Wardrobe have it hard too they have to do all the shitty jobs like when all the costumes are done and you have to lug them all to a van to bring to the location then to hang them up then to steam them then to dress the cast then to undress and pack everything away. It is quite tedious!
Not to mention it is all on the costume designers head to make sure everyone is doing their work well and that everything is prepared for each scene and everything is perfect. There can be a lot of problems along the way eg: "Where is Marys shoes for the tea party scene"? Answer = missing = panic stations = get random pair that might fit her! A million things can go wrong it is quite like a wedding day.
Set is tiring also you may watch the same scene being shot for hours and it could be only one minute of the film. Same goes for rehearsals in plays. The work is long and treacherous but quite fulfilling! The result is the reward.
When production is over the job is not done, everything needs to be put away and back in stock. I think the longest haul of working on a production as a costume designer, costume assistant or wardrobe person is the preparation for it, beforehand things are crazy as it is the unknown to will everything get done on time etc. All in all it is great fun really. I hope this gave you an insight into what a costume designer is. If you want me to write in more detail about anything mentioned in this post please comment or email me and I will do so.
Ps: The manufacturing side for me was sewing huge detailed costumes in a room that you would not swing a cat in so I hope you have plenty of room if you plan to make costumes from home to sell. In saying that this week I managed to make a cardboard Cuckoo Clock costume in my house, chopping thick cardboard with a stanley blade that took forever, painting it, glueing etc it was not glamorous but it is still possible with small space! So give it a bash anything is possible :D and a lot of fun when you see the result!
