Costume Design
Designs & Budgeting for 27 Wagons Full of Cotton
I recently completed the Costume Design and Wardrobe Technician certification program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. This was an incredible and intensive course to prepare me to work in the costume design industry for film and theater. I have learned a lot about costume design. Below you will find my completed project for this course. The task was to analyze the play 27 Wagons Full of Cotton by Tennessee Williams and design costumes for the characters without researching past productions of the play. The budget for all the clothing, accessories and general wardrobe items was $600. Before designing I researched the style of dress for the time period and region. I created research boards to demonstrate this. I created design statements, costume plots, costume collages, and budget breakdowns showing each item I found. I then imagined what the characters would wear if the play was turned into a T.V. series.
Costume Design & Wardrobe Technician Certification
Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC
Summer 2022
Costume Design for Mabel Mora
Only Murders in the Building has been my favorite T.V. show since 2021. I watched it while I was taking fashion classes in NYC for the first time. It felt so special to walk the streets of New York by day and go home and watch the characters do the same in the evening. I grew up watching Steve Martin and Martin Short in Father of the Bride and Cheaper by the Dozen and Selena Gomez on Disney Channel. I am living for Selena’s character Mabel Mora’s oversized winter coats and combat boots in the show. I love how she tends to avoid feminine colors like pink and purple but also doesn’t resort to a minimalist black and white style. Here is my design for a look I think she should wear for season 3 of Only Murders in the Building.
Since the last two seasons took place in Fall and Winter, I hope that we can see some summer style next. My design is inspired by the 1960s mod summer wear. Mabel has worn lots of turtlenecks in the past two seasons. Here we have Mabel wearing a sleeveless, chunky turtleneck for summer paired with a mod, large checkered skirt. Her top is marigold, which is a significant color she wears in the series. It is the color of death and loss in Mexican culture. I thought that the mint green would be a nice contrast to the yellow. Mint was a color popular in the early 60s but something we don’t see anymore. As always, she keeps jewelry simple, wearing her gold hoop earrings. She is also sporting floral clogs (if anyone can bring back clogs it’s Selena) which would be a summer counterpart to her Doc Martins. Mabel is often surrounded by men and tends to avoid showing skin. I added these knee-high cotton socks as I don’t imagine she would feel comfortable showing off her legs. I hope to see Mabel change up her hairstyle with a bob. What I love about Mabel’s style is it’s playful element. She would be wearing these kiddie hair clips that pair perfectly with the green and orange on her clogs.
Costume Design for 500 Days of Summer As a Musical
This is my costume design if the movie 500 Days of Summer was turned into a musical. In every scene of the film, Summer wears a shade of blue to match her sky blue eyes. In fact, no one else on the set was allowed to wear blue. The only exception to this was the dance sequence when Tom danced to the song “You Make My Dreams” to reflect Tom’s infatuation with her. Here is what I imagine Summer to wear in the first scene of the 500 Days of Summer Musical. In the film, Summer has a vintage style. Apart from wearing shades of blue, she wears 1950s to early 1960s style dresses. This includes Peter Pan collars, full skirts, pencil skirts, and a swing dress. In my design, Summer wears a mod style overall dress. Her blouse is a light yellow which paired with the color of her dress evokes summer sky and creates a welcoming appearance for Tom to approach her. The frills and eyelet lace Peter Pan collar on summer’s blouse give this simple look a hint of femininity that suits the manic pixie dream girl trope. Summer’s brown belt and Oxford heels are two important accessories that bring this look out of the ‘50s/’60s into 2010s “twee.” While the belt and shoes look like they came from a vintage shop, the combination of this outfit with these accessories is characteristically late 2000s, early 2010s. Finally anyone who plays Summer would have to have her signature dark hair and long bangs. Her plaid blue headband adds the whimsical element that we also see in her apartment decor.
If you are interested in my costume design services for your next project, please fill out the form below. I would love to get to know you and hear about what you are working on!