Dustbowl: Swatches

My windowsill if covered in swatches for Dustbowl air-drying from this morning's over-dying. I spent this morning in the costume shop over pots in variations of taupe, ecru, and pearl grey dye vats. They're a little dark right now and I can't wait to see them when they dry and lighten up. I had previously overdyed these during a class in tans and cocoa browns but my professor proclaimed them to be too Oklahoma! because the browns were too red. Hopefully I've knocked the musical theatre right out of my color palette!

Female of the Species: Need Some Tweaking

 

Here's a peak at some of my renderings for The Female of the Species, a show I'm working on for a class project. Now that I'm looking at them together I'm seeing bits here and there where I need to give them a bit more character. Once everything is finished I'll be sure to post the whole show!

 

Dustbowl: Thumbnail

In one of my classes this quarter we are working on designing costumes for From Dust Thou Art, a play about the California migrant workers who moved from Oklahoma/Alabama/Texas during the 1930s due to the dustbowl phenomenon. It's such a powerful story based completely off of first hand accounts from those workers who came to California with next to nothing and had to make do.

This is a quickie thumbnail of one of the female characters Emily. I'm still working on the specifics but this this is just me thinking out her overall look.

Museum Sketches

I had posted earlier this year about my visit to the MET to do sketches for a museum studies project for a class. I'm also taking photoshop classes and thought I'd fix two of them up a bit more.

Election Eve

 

Right now I'm working on costumes for a short film called Election Eve. We start shooting tomorrow and political buttons and press badges need to be made. I couldn't find a place that would make the buttons in time, so a trip to Michael's to buy circular key chains and the unearthing of my glue gun and I'm ready to be inventive!

**Yes, that is a New Moon cup you see in the background and their ain't no shame in it! Everyone needs a sparkly vampire in their life.**

My Serious Face

It was a 1930s apparel sketching class. The more beat up the items the better as we are working on the play From Dust Thou Art, a play about the collective stories of people from the dust bowl states who migrated to California and had to make ends meet through crop work.

As you can see I am really focused on drawing the boot in front of me.

FIDM Costume Exhibit

 In front of Star Trek, designed by Michael Kaplan

I was unbelievably excited to attend the FIDM Hollywood 2010: The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design opening last Saturday!! I was recruited, along with a few other MFA Costume Designers, by Kristin Burke from Frocktalk.com to interview attendees and take photos. We got to meet so many amazing people like Audrey Fisher, designer for True Blood and Mona May, the designer for Clueless and Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, and Monique Prudhomme,  the designer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus to say the least!

The highlight of the evening was meeting Helen Butler, who had her beautiful costumes for My One And Only on display. We talked for a good length of time and her and her husband were absolutely lovely. 

On top of all the amazing people there, of course gorgeous costumes on display too.

Check out how the costume designer Ann Roth made Meryl Streep so tall in Julie & Julia.

And this leather jacket from Sherlock Holmes, designed by Jenny Beavan, is rather underwhelming in person but was incredible on screen thanks to the standing of the collar and the richness of the leather. 

 Young Victoria, designed by Sandy Powell 

Nine, designed by Colleen Atwood 

Bright Star, designed by Janet Patterson

Coraline, designed by Deborah Cook and Margaret Meyer

Pirate Radio, designed by Joanna Johnston

Body Paint Extravaganza

A few of us MFA Costume Design students got invited to a M.A.C. Body Paint event last Friday. We were unsure what to expect but were not disappointed. Models were completely covered in shades of paint set up as art installations with lights projected to enhance their looks. It was all very LA and quite fabulous.

Here we all are out on the town: Caitlin, Me, Kaitlin, Sarah & Laura