What does a Costume Designer do?
A costume designer develops the clothing and visual character of performers for theater, dance, film, television, opera, and other productions. The designer researches the story and period, creates concepts and renderings, collaborates with directors and performers, selects or commissions garments, and oversees fittings, budgets, schedules, and the costume team. Designs must support movement, storytelling, safety, durability, and the production’s overall visual world.
Costume designers, who tend to have at least a bachelor's degree and at most a master's in costuming, usually get their start as costume makers.
At a Glance
Costume designers, who tend to have at least a bachelor's degree and at most a master's in costuming, usually get their start as costume makers. They might begin by working on college or community productions or interning for university costume departments. From there, they progress to become assistant designers. Successful costume designers might work with prestigious theater companies on big-budget productions, transition into designing costumes for films and TV shows, or lead the design of entire concerts and tours as live show designers.
Most costume designers are freelancers who work on film, television, theater, and dance productions, although some do find full-time positions with large theater or opera companies. Costume designers might also work on music videos, concerts, tours, advertisements, and fashion shows. Due to the freelance nature of the job, networking and self-promotion are essential.
- Visual design
- Machine and hand sewing
- Tailoring garments
- Specialized design: cobbling, haberdashery, etc.
- Broad knowledge of fashion and costuming history
- Deep knowledge of fabrics and other materials
- Making design sketches and costume plots
- Budgeting
- Leadership
- Text analysis
- Time management
Costume designers are creative, resourceful, observant, and analytical. They have a deep knowledge of and curiosity about fashion and costuming history, and are experts in using clothing and accessories to enhance character and story. Additionally, they must have the attention to detail, leadership, and time management skills to get projects done on time. As for most in the theater business, networking and self-promotion are vital skills for finding work.
Costume designers typically begin researching and creating designs for a production months before it's staged, although production cycles can vary greatly. As with many jobs in performing arts, work days tend to grow longer and less predictable the closer it gets to showtime. At times, costume designers may work only a couple of hours per day; at other times, they could work ten-hour days or even all-nighters in the costume shop.
