COSTUME DESIGNER

SKILLS NECESSARY FOR THE JOB

• Creativity
• Imagination
• Good communication skills
• Able to work under pressure
• Must be organized
• Able to work with strict budgets
• Has to break down the story and plot
• Must work well with others

TRAINING NECESSARY

• Sewing
• Knowledge of seams, hems, darts, pleats, and other basic elements of sewing
• Close reading of text and character interpretation

EDUCATION

• A degree or post graduate in costume design, fashion, theatre, design, or performing arts
• Associates or Bachelors degree in Fashion Design

MEDIAN SALARY

• The average salary for May of 2014 was 64,030 dollars a year
• But the starting salary for a costume designer varies case by case but the average is 18,930 dollars per year

TYPICAL WORK DAY EXAMPLE

• Their day starts earlier than the majority of the crew
• Meets with production team
• Research
• Starts rough sketches
• Run their designs by the director
• Starts constructing the costumes
• Work hours depend on the tasks needed to be met that day
• Can work late at night

SKILLS APPLICABLE TO OTHER WORK

• Sewing- you could be a company seamstress, personal seamstress, or work in an altercation
• Design- fashion designer

FAMOUS COSTUME DESIGNERS

• Edith Head
• Colleen Atwood
• Irene Sharaff
• Adrian Adolph Greenberg
• Orry-Kelly
• Eiko Ishioka

WORKS IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH

• Make-up artist
• Director
• Set designer
• Actors
• Production team
• Hair stylist