The Art of Costume Design

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t creating costumes. Some of my earliest memories involve draping my Barbie dolls in scraps of fabric held together with hairband belts. They only looked great from the front which was probably a clue that I would one day end up in a theatre where the razzle-dazzle is all in front of the curtain. Once I learned to sew, my brother and cousins became my canvas, and I created an endless assortment of gowns, tunics, and capes so that we could stage elaborate Narnia-inspired adventures in our backyard. In high school, I was introduced to the art of dance and how it could be used to worship the Lord. This allowed me to create a tangible expression of my love for Jesus using movement and my growing costume skills.

After high school, my educational journey took me to Messiah College (now University) where I received a B.A. in Art with a Textiles Concentration. I am forever grateful to that school for not only giving me the time to play with dye vats, a loom, and my sewing machine but also exposing me to so many other mediums. My graphic design class would one day enable me to reinvent how I sketched using a digital platform. Messiah also found me in charge of costuming for Acclamation Dance Ministry where I learned to work with other artists through tight budgets and time restraints while creating costumes for a variety of themes and dance styles. Looking back at my time at Messiah, I can see God’s hand at work, putting so many foundational elements of my career into place: a knowledge of textiles, experience in digital design and communication, and practice with a large group of performers.

In October of 2004, I relocated to Lancaster, PA, to work at Sight and Sound Theatres, an organization dedicated to bringing the Bible to life onstage through large musical productions. I began as a seamstress, learning their particular brand of millinery from one of the original members of the costume staff. In 2006, the costume designer found herself with too many things on her plate and so our manager asked me to sketch a proposal of what clothing could have looked like from the birth of Cain to the death of Adam. That led to designing the costumes for Act 2 of Sight and Sound’s production of In The Beginning. Since then, I’ve found myself immersed in the lives of some of my Biblical heroes as I designed for the shows: Joseph, Jonah, Noah, Moses, Samson, Jesus, Esther, and David.

As a costume designer, my goal is to create characters that can tell the story before a word is ever spoken. At Sight and Sound where we visualize and dramatize the scriptures, that means lots of time spent in the Bible. I read and reread each story as part of my design process. Living with each of these stories, usually for two to three years at a time, has revolutionized and challenged the way that I live. It’s also given me an appreciation for the way that God inspired the writers of his story to include those little, almost theatrical details, that allow us to create pictures of what these people looked like. Just to name a few, we have the fig leaves of Adam and Eve, Joseph’s richly embroidered coat, the colors of Mordecai’s robes as he left the presence of the Persian King, and even the very dress code of heaven. God has filled his Word with images that come alive!

At Sight & Sound, as with any theatre, the success of my work depends on how well I can listen to and communicate with the rest of my team. Each of the approximately 350 designs that will end up on stage in a show begins with a conversation between the producer and the rest of the design team about the story we’re trying to tell, show themes, and the scenes, characters, and settings. From there I’m gathering inspiration, from the Biblical text, the script, historical research, film, fashion, and anything else that inspires us. A lot of my time is spent shopping for materials that will enable me to realize my designs within the budget and scope of our build timeline. Simultaneously I’m creating sketches (using Adobe Photoshop and those Graphic Design skills I acquired at Messiah) that reflect both the artistic goal of my designs and the practical aspects of the build that my team is about to accomplish. Designs are approved by the producer, through a review process including inspiration, design sketches, and draping of materials. I work with my technical team of pattern and sample makers to achieve prototypes of costumes that can then be taken back to the design team for sharing and more approvals. Many of the costumes will be tested with sets, props, and movement to see if they are capturing those early ideas and themes. We’ll also run practical tests for laundry, wearability, and speed in getting in and out of the look. As we get nearer to rehearsals, I am a part of the fittings for our cast. Dress rehearsal finds me in the theatre space troubleshooting artistic and logistical problems as we finally put all our elements onstage and finalize the production for opening day.

For someone who wants to pursue work as a costume designer, I recommend practice, practice, and more practice. Each one of my costume adventures, from dolls to cousins to dancers and beyond, built up the technical skills and the interactions with others that led to the communication and artistic skills that I utilize every day. You may pursue the route of studying theatrical design at the college level and beyond or you can build up a portfolio by working in a church, school, or community setting.  It's also important to assess your personality and giftings and know that there are many ways to be creative within a theatrical costume shop. The technical, administrative, and artistic all have to play together for success.

As I look back on my path, the impulse to create is always present. I believe that this impulse is a vital part of every human’s nature because we were created in the image of God. What does God do? He creates! The Bible literally opens with “In the beginning God created,” and then the Lord proceeds to weave the most complex, detailed, and magnificent story of salvation. Every day we are invited to be a part of that story, and as artists, we can wake up to the question, “What shall we create today?”