I’ve worked as a costume designer since 1990, though have been making things for
as long as I can remember.
Theatre, opera, events, dance, puppetry, mask – I understand that each discipline requires a different approach to design. They
all have in common
‘the performer’, but those performers use their bodies in different ways and each has their own
special preoccupations. It is essential to respect the specific demands of each
discipline and be able to adapt the design of a costume accordingly.
I love the transient nature of Events - their lavish unpretentious sense of
spectacle. Costumes get to show off in Events! They can go out and be gorgeous
and not worry about the intention of text or the psychology of character.
However that
’s exactly where my interest lies in designing for theatre… delving into the personality of each character to work out what they should
wear and why
… finding an actor the Right shoes.
I work very hard. How I work depends on the scale of the production and the
budget involved. If necessary I can hire a workshop, fill it with machines and
put together a team of talented assistants. Or I can work alone on a project,
get my hands dirty, design and make everything myself.
I enjoy what I do. That’s important, isn't it!
“Trust me, I'm a costume designer...”