Costume Designer Colleen Atwood: I Could Not Have Come Up With Anything Better

Incorporating all of the goth creepiness one expects from Burton, the film showcases the talent of costume designer Colleen Atwood in creating eccentric fashions from the buttoned-up 1790s and the campy 1970s.

Costume designer Colleen Atwood was more than up to the challenge after numerous previous collaborations with director Tim Burton (her efforts for the director's"Alice in Wonderland" earned her a 2010 Academy Award). This time around, instead of going down the rabbit hole, her challenge was to bring a touch of 18th century style to the coastal Maine of the Me Decade in a way that didn't alienate fans of the original gothic television soap opera, which became a cult classic during its run from 1966 to 1970.

Tim Burton's big-screen remake of "Dark Shadows" might not be everyone's cup of fresh AB-Negative, but since it reunited the director not only with Johnny Depp but with another frequent collaborator -- three-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood -- on a period movie set in 1972, we knew the costumes would be a rich vein to tap indeed.

My Q&A with Atwood about the costume inspirations (which include everything from a Virginia Slims ad to David Bailey books and DIY crafts) and the provenance of some of the key wardrobe pieces appears in this Sunday's Image section.

Among the things we learned from Atwood? Apparently American heads circa 1972 were a wee bit smaller, something she said made it challenging once she'd found the right vintage sunglasses for the characters.

"And, once I found the perfect pair for Johnny [Depp] I needed to get several pair made -- since he's a principal," she told us. "And I couldn't find anyone here willing to do it. Finally, when I got to London, I found someone there who would rise to the occasion."

For the '70s-inspired costumes, Atwood supplemented her memories of that trendy time with period magazine images. For instance, Eva Green's vengeful witch, Angelique, wears costumes reminiscent of a Virginia Slims cigarette ad. "My inspirations were also Ossie Clark, Biba and early YSL pantsuits -- very sleek women's tailoring."

Achieving cult status - Madonna's also a big fan - Dark Shadows has rarely been off American TV screens ever since.

The actor who many feel was the main reason Dark Shadows reached 20 million viewers in its hey day was leading man Jonathan Frid, who makes a cameo in Burton's movie, saying hello to Johnny at a party. And goodbye to Barnabas Collins, the character he had made him famous, and who was now being channeled by the biggest movie star in the world.

It's a moment made all the more moving by the fact that Jonathan Frid passed away in April, at the ripe old age of 87.

"It certainly adds a whole new layer to his cameo," says Atwood. "And to the movie itself. The love that was there for Jonathan when he shot his scene with Johnny was so apparent, and I'm sure he felt that. To have this big movie star treat you like an idol, that's got to feel pretty good..."

For Frid, that day on set must have also felt like a sort of homecoming, given that three of his former co-stars from the TV series - Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby - were also there for their turns as party guests.
"They were like this dysfunctional family, all meeting up after years of not talking to one another," smiles Atwood. "So, that was emotional to begin with. The nomadic life of the actor often sees people being very, very close during a shoot, and then just not seeing each other again after that. I'm just so glad Jonathan - who was very frail on the set - lived to have this special reunion. He was so excited that the movie was coming out..."

As for Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays the grand dame of the Collins family, she's stuck in an 18th century time warp. "She is very ladylike and still dresses for dinner, telegraphing the family's affluent past," says Atwood. Her costumes are a mix of newly made and vintage, including a black chiffon high-necked dress the costume designer discovered at a Los Angeles thrift store.

Says Atwood: "I could not have come up with anything better. Of course, it fit her perfectly, as everything does."

Costumes Of The Avengers Feature Hollywood Costumes

From wigs to light-up costumes, make the jump and check out specialized Halloween costumes & products based on the much-anticipated big-screen assembly of Marvel's The Avengers. Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, & directed by Joss Whedon from a screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble on May 4, 2012. The film is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. In addition to "Marvel's The Avengers," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Iron Man 3" on May 3, 2013!; and “Thor 2” on November 15, 2013.
　　

Maybe a suit of Mark VII armor is too expensive to make, you say, or that security wouldn’t let you inside with a viking helmet and a giant hammer. Maybe your physique doesn’t lend itself to being half-nude and painted green or stuffed into a form-fitting black leather one-piece. Well, I have good news for you, my crafty friends! In a sponsorship deal for The Avengers, Farmers Insurance (of all people) have some do-it-yourself costume guides tailor-made to each of your favorite superheroes. Just in time for Comic-Con 2012! Hit the jump to check them out.
　　

The red, white and blue shield. The red and gold armor. The red cape, giant hammer and silver helmet with little wings. Marvel took on a tall order when they began bringing their iconic super heroes to the silver screen, and in this spring’s upcoming blockbuster — The Avengers — they were tasked with costuming Hollywood A-listers to look like Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Sure, it’s easier with some than others — Hulk just needs some big ol’ ripped up purple pants — but with fans being notoriously nitpicky, it’s easy to make a super-powered fashion faux pas that will send blogs across the internet talking. So we’re going to take a look at how Joss Whedon’s team took decades of comic book costume history and made it a real world mega-movie reality.

Costume Ideas May Come From Traditional Culture

Coming up with funny Halloween costume ideas can be tricky. Butcostume ideas abound if you think about culture. Your own culture, pop culture, or the cosmopolitan spot you happen to be living in at the moment, offer great costume ideas.
　　
While Halloween comes mostly from Celtic origin, people in North America have taken the celebration - in particular the costume party - to new heights. Over 60 percent of Americans decorate their homes in October, too.
　　
Americans love to dress up as television or movie characters. For example, you will likely see renditions of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow for a few years to come, given the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series. A coupe of years back, my nephew dressed up as the Joker from the Dark Knight movie. His outfit had an eery combination of humor and evil. Quite creepy it was, and perfect for the October occasion.
　　
When I lived in Japan, culture popped out at me on Halloween.I saw strange masks and costumes I couldn’t figure out.That first year, I learned a lot about Japanese mythology just from partying in Tokyo. I discovered, too, that culture can play a strong role in how different people relate to funny Halloween costume ideas.
　　
One of my earliest memories has to do with the story Pinocchio. My mother read me the original version of the tale--which is a lot scarier than the Disney version. In one scene, Pinocchio gets tired of the cricket's constant lectures. So he takes a big wooden mallet and smashes the cricket against the wall. Later, Pinocchio falls asleep with his feet on the wood-burning stove and burns both his feet off!
　　
Thanks to Pinocchio, I always liked the idea of a wooden puppet coming to life. And so I eventually invented Slappy and wrote three Night of the Living Dummy books for the Goosebumps series.

Manufacturers and retailers predict that this year's top costumes will be inspired by the same Hollywood characters that dominated the big and small screens.
　　
The National Retail Federation picks princesses and pirates, often of the Disney variety, and Spider-Man to be the top children's costumes of the year, while Yahoo! Shopping adds "Star Wars," "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical" as favorites with trick-or-treaters.
　　
"Sometimes I feel I'm either on Wall Street or a movie mogul, I pay such attention to the box office," says Mary Ellen Turner, Party City's divisional vice president of seasonal departments -- aka the company's "queen of Halloween."
　　
At Party City, "Transformers" and "Hannah Montana" costumes are on top, while Amazon.com's Halloween store suggests "Harry Potter," "Shrek" and "High School Musical."
　　
And it's not just movies -- the big names in toys are another source of costume inspiration. Barbie-themed costumes are consistent performers, and Transformers were in toy chests before they stormed the movie industry, notes Mark Randall, vice president of toys and baby for Amazon.com. Randall will be looking at the fall '08 toys next week for inspiration for next year's costumes.
　　
"A licensed character is a powerful engine, whether it starts with a DVD, a Saturday morning cartoon, a network or a book like 'Narnia' or 'Harry Potter,"' agrees Turner. "They're such powerful influencers for children and, quite frankly, adults, too."
　
As you might expect, Halloween was my favorite holiday when I was a kid. I always wanted to be something really scary. A ghost. A mummy. A--duck? One year, my mother bought me a duck suit. Other kids thought it was pretty funny, but I didn't think it was funny at all. When I wrote The Haunted Mask for Goosebumps, I remembered that duck costume and how embarrassing it was. And so I gave Carly Beth, the girl in the book, a duck costume, too.
　　
The idea for the Goosebumps book Stay Out of the Basement all started with a crazy picture that flashed into my mind. I imagined a father taking off his baseball cap. Leaves were growing on his head instead of hair. How did the leaves get there? Who is the father? Is he turning into a plant? Is he ALREADY a plant?
　　
The Avengers – Although “Avenger” themed costumes will be sported mostly on an individual level, it would make for an excellent group costume theme. This would a perfect time for the costumes, as “The Avengers” film is due out next May. Those who choose these costumes would be ahead of the game in previewing a major attraction for next summer. “The Avengers” combination is also great because no one has to fight much over who gets to be whom since every character is equally awesome. Thor and Captain America will be especially popular alone after their hit films from this summer, coupled with Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, Nick Fury and Hawkeye. The villain Loki could also be incorporated, as well as other “Avengers” that did not make it into the film for legal reasons. If the group is too big for these names given, Spiderman and a couple X-Men could be seamlessly included for a superhero filled night.
　　
The Dark Knight Rises – This group costume theme would again be a preview of a major film release coming out next summer. It would be great to base costumes off the upcoming film this Halloween to beat the crowd that will inevitably be around next Halloween after the film is released. Batman is obviously the titular character from the movie and is always a favorite, but newcomers Catwoman and Bane would be fun costumes to incorporate. For those who want to avoid looking at spoilerish pictures online, Warner Brothers have released official photos of Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman and Tom Hardy’s Bane. Just like “The Avengers,” several other Batman characters could be added to the group that will not be appearing in this film. The Joker and Two-Face from “The Dark Knight” would still serve as great costumes, as well as the Scarecrow from “Batman Begins.”
　　
The Walking Dead – AMC’s television series begs to be used as a group-themed costume. The zombies are obviously a major attraction, as many members of the group could all share this role. Group members could have a ton of fun creating differing and horrifying zombie makeup and clothing. Additionally, Rick’s sheriff costume would stand out and juxtapose well with the zombies. The characters of Shane, Dale, Glenn and Daryl could be included, even though they are slightly less exciting than Rick’s outfit. They would still be fun and something different.
　　
Eastbound and Down – Kenny Powers has been a popular costume since “Eastbound and Down” premiered in 2009. With the mullet being the key contribution to the outfit, any other combination of Kenny’s various attires could be used. His multiple baseball uniforms and all black attire would be the best options. Additionally, the characters Stevie Janowski and Ashley Schaeffer would be fun costumes to create, though Stevie would be a little challenging, with his hard to imitate hairstyle being the only main feature. The costume would be more in the performance, as his voice is easy to imitate and his dialogue is hilarious. Ashley Schaeffer – played by Will Ferrell – sports flowing white hair and cheap, outrageous suits. This themed group would be perfect for a group of three guys.

Costume Cost Is A Big Expense In A Film Making

When you hire someone to make a costume for you, you have to take into account the cost of their labor, as well as the fabric costume costs. And fabric isn't cheap. Especially if screen accurate fabric is available. The flightsuit fabric for the Battlestar Galactica flight suits is $33/yd, for example. Then there is trim (which can run up to $10/yd or more), buttons, and other details. To quote Isabella, "Since there isn't a commercial pattern avaliable for this outfit yet, the seamstress you would hire would need to draft a pattern, based on your measurements, completely on her own.

This not only takes a lot of skill, but a lot of time. Even for something basic, the the pants, a good seamstress would first make a muslin copy of the uniform to make sure it would fit you properly and then work on the acutal outfit. She would also have to research the different uniforms, the different cuts, and colors to make sure you recieved a quality product. All this research also takes a while."

Most costumers sew in their spare time, and often have full time jobs, not to mention family and other responsibilities - so their time is worth something to them - and it comes at a price, if it is even available at all.

So, please consider these things before you email a costumer expecting a lot for a little money! Custom costumes are not the same thing that you get in a bag at a Halloween store.

If you're here you probably recently suffered from custom seamstress sticker shock. Perhaps you are looking to commission a costume or dress for a special event. Maybe you want a corset or outfit made to your special size and body shape. Whatever the reason you wanted it to be perfect. However, when you emailed around you were quoted prices that seemed outrageous! Where do sewers get off in charging that much?

Honestly, sticker shock is common among first-time commissioning clients. In most cases, however, the price really is justified. This is to help you understand how legitimate stitchers price their creations so that you can understand why they cost so much as well as make you better able to spot a rip off if you encounter one.

First you need to understand that clothing in much of the developed world nowadays is grossly underpriced. Most clothing is sewn in China, where workers are paid an average of $1 a day for their work. Even the lucky few who work in the most elite shops are paid around $5 a day, which is a high standard of living (farm workers make less than .80 a day). Even clothes that are made in the United States are done much cheaper than minimum wage. Workers are not paid by the hour, they are instead 'contract workers' who are paid per piece they complete, often .10-.40 per garment. Even with three or four people working on a garment the labor costs are still minimal. Is this legal? No, not in the United States. These low wages, combined with grueling work hours, make up the infamous stitching sweatshops. Yet they still exist, and even prosper, in the garment industry, even in the United States. In fact, the US Department of Labor estimates that over 50% of garment shops in the US are illegal sweatshops. However there are not enough inspectors and regulators to shut them down, and companies keep hiring for lower and lower prices, encouraging the lawbreakers.

So when you commission a garment what are you paying for? Usually the breakdown is materials and time. You have to pay for all the fabric and tools the stitcher uses to create your outfit, and you have to pay for the time they take to do it. But that's a very generic answer, so we'll breakdown each part.

First, materials. Materials breaks down into two major categories: disposable and permanent. First, the permanent materials. These are everything the stitcher uses to create your garment that they keep after they're done. Things like sewing machines, scissors, pins, needles, and irons are not included in the garment you are given, but they are all necessary for making that garment. Also included in this price is the cost of the building where they are kept, electricity to run them, and materials and repair to maintain them. It's just like when you go to the dentist: your visit cost includes not only the salary paid to the dentist, but the salary paid to his assistant, receptionist, and janitor as well as the cost of the building, the chair you sat on, the magazine you read, and the elevator music you listened to.

How long does it take to create the look of Elizabeth's character? It took three hours every day to complete the hair, make up and wardrobe for the character of Elizabeth; with the wigs already prepped and ready to go on the head.

Do you work closely with wardrobe on the make-up look? Alex Byrne is an inspirational costume designer and artist and I went to all the costume fittings to work out the wig styles in tandem with her. Everything has to work together, and Alex would give me the jewels to dress into the wigs to match the costumes. The balance of the size of the wigs and the shade of red hair was important for each different costume.

How do you keep the make-up looking consistent while filming? All the different looks and scenes are photographed with a digital camera, and documented. Sometimes we will shoot the beginning of a scene on one day, and finish the same scene 6 weeks later!

What tips and tricks can you share for film set makeup? Film make-up has to last a 16-hour day in front of the cameras. Good skin is the basis of a good make-up. I used SKII products, on the Elizabeth character, and MAC's Prep and Prime as a base for the foundation. This means an easier, smoother foundation application, and longer-lasting make-up. Occasional mists of Evian hydrate the make-up and the skin throughout the day and plenty of lip balm and 'Refresh' eye drops keep the features fresh.

What products did you use to create the different looks in the film? To create Elizabeth's white make-up, I prepped the character's skin with MAC Prep and Prime. I then applied Full Coverage Foundation in NW15, and stippled over it with Studio Fix powder foundation. I powdered initially with Shu Uemura loose powder in colorless matte and added MAC loose powder in Porcelaine for a lighter effect, or La Prairie translucent No.1 to soften the tone and the skin texture. I used a mixture of Pinch O' Peach and Fleur Power powder blushes on the cheeks and over the sockets of the eyes. The eyebrows and lashes I bleached almost white, so I defined gently under the eyes with 'Strada' powder colour. For the lips I used a mixture of Lorac's lip tint in Red-Brown, and MAC's stick liner in Red Enriched and Portside gently rubbed onto the lips after lipbalm.

A Video For You To DIY Spooky Costumes

On a budget? Forgot what month it is and now it's slim pickings in the costume aisles? Perhaps this goes against Halloween principles, but have no fear. HuffPost has compiled a list of 25 easy, DIY spooky costumes that you can throw together this year.

According to The Daily Green, Halloween can be a wasteful time in the U.S. as millions of Americans purchase costumes that are used once and inevitably end up in landfills. With some creative DIY skills, you will be able to save money and go green this Halloween -- reduce your purchases of new items, and reuse what you've got lying around.

The Today Show had some interesting ideas recently, and Fox News offered rules for this year's festivities: Don't over think it, and ditch the sarcasm and abstract ideas.

Perhaps we didn't fully follow their rules with our list below, but it's solid advice, nonetheless. October is flying by, Halloween is almost here and it’s time to start thinking about costume ideas! If you’re still trying to figure out what you want to go as for Halloween this year, there’s no better place to look for inspiration than the Internet. From popular YouTube video characters to popular memes, Facebook, Twitter and more, we’ve put together a list of 15 topical Halloween costumes for 2011, inspired by memes and social media.

For more on what to do or what not to do this Halloween, check out Halloween Costume Ideas From New York Comic Con , unsexy halloween costumes,costumes inspired by 2011's best movies and a collection of sibling and family costumes found around the web.

Check out the last minute Halloween costume ideas listed below:

Remember Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice that went viral and had his life changed back in January? He would make a pretty simple Halloween costume. Grab a camouflage jacket and a messy wig and, as a final touch, grab a piece of cardboard and write out Ted’s signature sign: “I have a God given gift of voice. I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. Please! Any help will be greatly appreciated.” Of course, it doesn’t hurt if you’ve got a great radio voice as well.

Netflix has been going through some tough times lately, what with hiking their prices, splitting off their DVD-by-mail service into a separate service called Qwikster and then changing their mind about Qwikster. A lot of users have or are threatening to cancel their service and Netflix has taken quite a beating. So why not go as Netflix for Halloween? Wear all red or make a giant Netflix envelope out of poster board or paper and use makeup to give yourself a black eye.

Twitter lovers, this one’s for you! Go as a hashtag costume critic. Make a giant hashtag on your shirt and then bring along a collection of words that could be used to describe Halloween costumes (FAIL, Sexy, Cute, Funny, Scary, etc.) and stand next to people, displaying the appropriate word next to your hashtag. You’ll be the life of the party as everyone waits to see which hashtag you’ll tag them with, and it’s a great excuse for approaching people you might like to talk to.

Speaking of great excuses to approach people—why not go as Facebook notifications? This one requires a bit of creativity on your part, but has big potential. Create a red notification bubble with the number 1 on it. Then, walk up to people to let them know they’ve got a notification. They can find out what the notification is by flipping the bubble around and reading what’s on the other side. You can prepare a variety of messages from “YOUR NAME Wants to be friends” to “YOUR NAME has poked you,” “YOUR NAME likes your costume” and more.

Costume Designers Start Working On Films At The Beginning Of Pre-Production

The Costume Department is responsible for the design, fitting, hire, purchase, manufacture, continuity and care of all costume items on feature films. The term 'Costume' refers to the clothes that the actors wear, and these differ enormously from production to production, ranging from contemporary urban fashion to period ball gowns, and even wetsuits. The Costume Department is also responsible for jewellery, footwear, corsetry, hosiery, millinery and sometimes wig work. Costume is integral in defining the overall 'look' of the film. It provides the audience with information about the period, culture and society the actors inhabit and, on a more subtle level, the underlying themes of the film itself.

Work in the Costume Department is divided between two 'wardrobes': the 'making wardrobe', which incorporates the design, acquisition and creation of costume during pre-production; and the 'running wardrobe', which takes care of the organization, maintenance and continuity of costumes during the film shoot.

The costume designer is the head of the department, and works closely with the production designer and director to ensure that costumes blend into the overall production design. The costume designer oversees a team that usually includes a costume design assistant, costume supervisor, costume assistants and costume dailies. On larger productions, the costume designer may employ a team of skilled technicians in a costume workshop, which could include cutters, makers, finishers, dyers and milliners. There may also be a wardrobe supervisor to oversee the running wardrobe.

Job responsibilities for personnel in the Costume Department vary enormously from production to production, depending on the requirements of the costume designer. As a result, the boundaries between job roles are blurred, particularly in the case of costume design assistants, costume supervisors and wardrobe supervisors. During the shoot costume personnel ensure that costumes are available when required, assist performers with dressing, oversee costume continuity, and maintain and service costumes when not in use. After the shoot costume personnel ensure that costumes are safely stored, packed and returned to the relevant sources, or sold.

What do Costume Designers do?

Costume Designers start working on films at the beginning of pre-production. They are in charge of designing, creating, acquiring and hiring all costumes for actors and extras. This must be achieved within strict budgets, and to tight schedules. Costume Designers' work is integral to defining the overall 'look' of films, and their role requires a great deal of expertise. Their creative work ranges from designing original costumes, to overseeing the purchase and adaptation of ready made outfits. As heads of the costume department, Costume Designers are responsible for staffing, and for managing a team of skilled personnel. Costume Designers also supervise practical issues, such as departmental budgets and schedules, the organization of running wardrobes, and costume continuity.

Responsibilities:

During pre-production Costume Designers break down scripts scene by scene, in order to work out how many characters are involved, and what costumes are required. They then begin the more complex task of developing costume plots for each character. These plots ensure that colors and styles do not mimic each other in the same scene, and highlight the characters' emotional journeys by varying the intensity and depth of colors.

Costume Designers must carry out research in to the costume styles, designs and construction methods which are appropriate for the productions' time period, using a number of resources including libraries, museums and the Internet. They may also discuss costume and character ideas with performers. They deliver initial ideas to directors about the overall costume vision, character plots and original costume designs, using sketches and fabric samples. They also discuss color palettes with the director of photography and the production designer.

Throughout the production process Costume Designers ensure that accurate financial records are kept, and that weekly expenditure reports are produced. They prepare overall production schedules, as well as directing the day to day breakdowns of responsibilities. Costume Designers select and hire appropriate suppliers and costume makers, negotiating terms with them, and communicating design requirements. They make sure that fittings for actors and extras are arranged. They supervise fabric research and purchase, and ensure that garments are completed to deadlines.

Depending on the numbers of costumes to be created, and the scale of budgets, Costume Designers may decide to create a dedicated costume workshop. They should be on set whenever a new costume is worn for the first time, to make sure that performers are comfortable, to explain special features, and to oversee any alterations. Once filming is completed, Costume Designers are responsible for the return of hired outfits, and the sale or disposal of any remaining costumes.

Skills:

Costume Designers must be highly organized, with good presentation skills and the confidence to manage and motivate their teams effectively. They should be able to work under pressure, to meet external and departmental deadlines, and must have stamina and be adaptable to changes. They need to be able to listen to the ideas and concerns of others, while at the same time trusting their own opinions and instincts. They work closely with actors in a physical sense, and must therefore be tactful and able to put people at their ease.

Costume Designers need good descriptive abilities, and they must be able to break down scripts in terms of costume plots, and have knowledge of story structure and character arcs. They must understand the research process, and know how to source information. They need creative flair, a strong sense of color and design and the ability to draw. They should be confident in their knowledge of period costume, jewellery, corsetry, hosiery, millinery, footwear, costume accessories, etc. They must be experts on fabric qualities, clothing cuts, fits and techniques, pattern making and sewing. Creatively, they should know how to dress to particular faces or physiques to create characters.

Costume Designers must be highly organized, with good presentation skills and the confidence to manage and motivate their teams effectively. They should be able to work under pressure, to meet external and departmental deadlines, and must have stamina and be adaptable to changes. They need to be able to listen to the ideas and concerns of others, while at the same time trusting their own opinions and instincts. They work closely with actors in a physical sense, and must therefore be tactful and able to put people at their ease.

Costume Designers need good descriptive abilities, and they must be able to break down scripts in terms of costume plots, and have knowledge of story structure and character arcs. They must understand the research process, and know how to source information. They need creative flair, a strong sense of color and design and the ability to draw. They should be confident in their knowledge of period costume, jewellery, corsetry, hosiery, millinery, footwear, costume accessories, etc. They must be experts on fabric qualities, clothing cuts, fits and techniques, pattern making and sewing. Creatively, they should know how to dress to particular faces or physiques to create characters.

Overall Costume Designers need a wide ranging cultural knowledge base, not only in terms of fashion, but also art and literature, film, and textiles. Costume Designers should be familiar with the requirements of all relevant health and safety legislation and procedures.