The Costume Designer is the person whose responsibility it is to design the outfits, or costumes, in the entertainment industry - television, stage and film productions. This person is considered to be a part of the "production team" and as such works alongside the director, the lighting and scenic designers, and the sound designers. The costume designers also work closely with the hair and makeup designers.

Costume Designer's jobs require them to take the vision from sketch to reality. Their job is to make the movie, opera, stage, and television show character "believable". Even if the theme or plot is fantasy.

Costume Designers need to possess strong, creative artistic skills.

Costume Designers must possess a thorough knowledge of fabric and textiles, patterns and pattern development, draping, and fitting. They must have a solid understanding of the history of fashion and costumes.

Designers must also be able to visualize how the costumes will move during a production, how the lighting works with the costumes. Performers want to have a say in their costumes, how they fit, move, and the direction they want to take their character, so the designers must be flexible.

In the Carol Burnett picture, she has 'fashioned' her own costume using a curtain hanging off stage. She is one actor who can take a simple object, like a curtain, and turn it into a fashion/comedy sketch. You will learn to see the potential in ordinary objects and turn them into fantastic costume design.

Costume designer's job is to seek to enhance the character's personality, depict changes in social status or time periods through the design of garments and other means of dressing, as well as distorting and enhancing the body - all to the specifications of the director's vision.

There have been many movies made that carry you from a characters youth through senior years.  Along with the changes in costumes, both by covering a long span of time with fashion and style changes, make up artists work magic on the actors features.  Aging them gracefully, or quickly.   Costume designers will have racks of clothing set aside since the director will shoot scenes out of sequence.

The costumes must be durable, some stage productions can run for months, even years. They must allow for weight gain/loss of the actors and understudies.

Costumes can range from historical clothing (Gone with the Wind) to aliens (Alien), from robots (The Terminator) to animals (Cats). From fantasy (Spiderman and The X-Men) to reality (The Color Purple) Costumes for performing music artists like Cher, to television stars like Carol Burnett. You can be a 'Bob Mackey' in your own right!

Freelance

The freelance designer is hired for a specific production by the dance. theatre or opera company, and may or may not actually be local to the theater that they are designing for.

Traditionally freelance designers are paid in three installments: Upon hire, on the delivery of final renderings, and opening night of the production. The may find themselves designing for several productions at the same time.

Academic

The Academic Designers is a person who holds a position as a teaching professor. This designer is generally an instructor, however, may also be a residential designer as well. As their schedule allows they may also take on freelance jobs. It is becoming increasingly required that a professor possess a Master of Fine Arts degree in order to teach

Residential

This designers is generally employed by a particular theater, opera or dance company. This may be a contract for an extended production - some have lasted years, or a short contract like "summer stock". Generally when a residential designer is under contract, they cannot obtain freelance jobs, or are limited in the work they are allowed to accept. A residential designer must be on hand (often referred to as 'on location') at that theater, working constantly with the production teams.

In any theater there is always a costume shop, where the Residential and Academic Designers act as the Shop Master (or Mistress). This shop also includes the stitchers, cutters, drapers, and craft artisans (beading, accessorizing, etc)

You'll need to know how to paint and draw. You'll need to be able to present your costume ideas as colored sketches. You'll need to be able to sketch quickly and accurately. One skill you'll need to possess is the ability to draw the body, how it moves, with the costumes.

You'll need to know how to sew. Costume designers, generally, have taken advanced classes in tailoring and costume making. 

You'll need a solid background in Mathematics and Fashion Designing, and Art History.  A good Art School will have a program of core educational classes as well as the specialized courses that will give you the knowledge and skills you'll need to possess for this field.  You should obtain a degree in Fashion design.

In an academic environment there is a Costume Design shop similar to those found in theaters. In the school, the 'staff' are students who are learning about all aspects of costume design and construction. Most of the schools require their students to work in the shop a specified number of hours per term, as part of their course work.  You should work in the Theater department to gain experience in designing and creating clothing and accessories.

Personal Characteristics and Skills:

Along with your educational, technical and volunteer work, you'll need to possess the ability to work with other professionals, the ability to handle high amounts of stress - both from the deadlines and the professionals you work with. 

Job Opportunities:

Employment opportunities for costume designers depends largely upon the Entertainment Industry. As demand in the entertainment field grows and productions become increasingly richer in design and costumes, demand for costume designers should follow.

Aspiring costume designers usually start as assistants - more often as unpaid volunteers in college productions. With the right skills, experience, perseverance, and a little luck, this hard work should enable the designer to land a higher paying job in the entertainment industries.

Salary Range:

(These are approximate)

Entry level pay may range from $500/ production

Experienced pay is around $20,000/production

Top names can make around $150,000/production

If this career interests you - Grab your sewing kit, colored pencils and lots of creativity, and begin designing!