Awareness post: Costume Design

Responsibilities of a costume designer include analysis of script and show, research of time period or area, planning and designing costumes, and finding or creating every article of clothing. They also must be able to sew and be knowledgeable about the fashion industry. Costume designers observe the characters and settings of a production and help to further portray a narrative through clothing. There are many different ways to become a costume designer, but the most common majors include costume design, theater arts, fashion design, and technical theater. There are many institutions across the country that have been recognized for their programs in fashion and costume design, like New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Center for Continuing Professional Studies, but on a more local level, VCU’s fashion design program, along with its fine arts majors have been nationally recognized as one of the best art institutions in the country.