The Costume Designer - Spring 2006

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vol. 2, issue 2

FEATURE The Immortal Costume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Union Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 President’s Letter From the Desk of the Executive Director Assistant Executive Director’s Report

The Costume Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Designers Express New Technology Meet the Illustrators From the East History of Dress A-Z

What’s On / What’s Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 In Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Boldface Names

Scrapbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD 4730 Woodman Ave., Suite 430 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-2400 phone: 818.905.1557 fax: 818.905.1560 email: cdgia@earthlink.net

COVER: A glorious patchwork of labels by Costume Designers for their original designs.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: Monday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at the Studio City Library, 12511 Moorpark St. at the corner of Whitsett. Spring 2006 The Costume Designer

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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o you love to ponder? I do. Here’s a good one. Suppose your work is part of a retrospective on costume in film. No one can substantiate that the designs and costumes are yours. How can you be included or credited? Historically, a sign, mark, or signature, authenticates and imports value to an object. An author is a person who creates something and brings it into existence. Let us say, that your work is so unique that it becomes legendary; how can that be proven? How can your heirs protect your estate? Another artist, very successful in the world of architecture, told me,“Your name is the touchstone of your identity, something you hold precious throughout your life. Signifying and adding your name endorses and gives value.” • Sign your work • Establish authorship • Authenticate your designs

I am easily satisfied by the very best.

In Solidarity, Sharon Day SDay@costumedesignersguild.com

-Winston Churchill

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr. Deborah N. Landis EDITOR Sharon Day ASSOCIATE/PHOTO EDITOR Deena Appel MANAGING EDITOR Cheryl Downey PRESIDENT Dr. Deborah N. Landis president@costumedesignersguild.com

VICE PRESIDENT Pamela Shaw vicepresident@costumedesignersguild.com

SECRETARY Barbara Inglehart secretary@costumedesignersguild.com

TREASURER Mary Rose treasurer@costumedesignersguild.com MEMBERS AT LARGE

Deena Appel DAppel@costumedesignersguild.com

Hope Hanafin HHanafin@costumedesignersguild.com

Jacqueline Saint Anne JSaintAnne@costumedesignersguild.com

Carol Ramsey CRamsey@costumedesignersguild.com

CDG Hires New Publicist, Lisa Taback In our continued effort to raise the profile of Costume Designers in the public eye, to educate our industry to the contribution of Costume Designers as storytellers first and to combat the misconception of “fashion in film,” the Costume Designers Guild has hired Lisa Taback Consulting to be our publicist during this non-Awards season. It is our hope to draw attention to upcoming events that include a panel of designers participating in COMIC-CON International, the first-ever FIDM Television Costume Design exhibit and the Emmy-nominated designers who are often not as publicized as their Oscar counterparts. Please feel free to contact Lisa or her colleague, Candice Grabois if you have any current or upcoming work that you feel would be “press worthy.” We especially need you to communicate with us about any upcoming television projects on your radar as we often have more difficulty gaining information from the network PR machines. Remember, we can’t promote it, if we don’t know about it. Take this opportunity. This is for all of us.

BOARD ALTERNATES

Valerie Laura-Cooper VLCooper@costumedesignersguild.com

Sharon Day SDay@costumedesignersguild.com

Karyn Wagner KWagner@costumedesignersguild.com

Mary Malin MMalin@costumedesignersguild.com ASST. COSTUME DESIGNER REP

Anette Czagany Asst.CostumeRep@costumedesignersguild.com COSTUME ILLUSTRATOR REP

Robin Richesson IllustratorRep@costumedesignersguild.com COMMERCIAL COSTUME DESIGNER REP

Susan Nininger CommercialRep@costumedesignersguild.com LABOR REP

Betty Madden bmadden@costumedesignersguild.com BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Peter Flaherty, Chair PFlaherty@costumedesignersguild.com

Cliff Chally CChally@costumedesignersguild.com

Marilyn Mathews MMathews@costumedesignersguild.com

Shay Cunliffe, Alternate

Contact: Lisa and Candice at: Lisa@LT-LA.com Candice@LT-LT.com

SCunliffe@costumedesignersguild.com

Office: (310) 274-3880 Fax: (310) 274-3990

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Cheryl Downey cdowneycdgia@earthlink.net ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Rachael Stanley rmstanleycdgia@earthlink.net

Deena Appel, Publicity Committee Chair dappel@costumedesignersguild.com PUBLISHER The Ingle Group FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES CONTACT Dan Dodd 818.556.6300

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The Costume Designer Spring 2006

dandodd@pacbell.net



UNION

LABEL

PRESIDENT’S LETTER Our Label Not Theirs

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Dear Friends, Fashion Designers’ value lies entirely in their name and label; and throughout their career they are in the service of the BRAND. This brand has a style or a look which must be instantly identifiable to the buyer and codified; whether it’s Juicy Couture or Chanel—whether the trademark is a camellia or a bamboo toggle.That brand is marketed by the licensee and the more successful with the public, the quicker the banks are repaid. These signature design elements are readily copied by lesser priced brands without license, and by fakes.The value of any copy is in the exact replication of a recognizable brand. Fashion Designers need to forecast or predict trends years/seasons ahead.This is foreign to Costume Designers.Accuracy in “trend prediction” is crucial for the fashion business. They must second-guess the public’s future desires. Sometimes, they are even inspired by the costumes in movies and shows we design. Fashion Designers build their brand in exactly the same way Kellogg’s, General Motors, or Hallmark build their brands; with a logo, marketing, testing, and trend research. Advertising budgets do the rest.Then, in a moment that is just like the release of a movie, Fashion Designers wait for the public to show up and buy the collection, or not.The clothes must sell or the label will die. It’s a daunting prospect. As Costume Designers, we must subsume our individual style to the demands of the story and the vision of the director. If we are lucky, we move through our career having the opportunity to collaborate with many different directors and design in a multiplicity of genre. For modern productions, successful costumes mean invisible costumes, disappearing into the narrative and the composition of the frame. It’s the character the public should remember; not the clothes. A Costume Designer’s work must have no signature and no identifiable style. Because we serve the story, and not ourselves, a recognizable style would be as destructive to the character as it would be to the career of the Costume Designer. We deliberately design “style neutral” so as not to date our modern project when the production is released or aired. We are not the stars of any production; we don’t take the bow on center stage. The public (and Fashion Designers) do not know our name. And, we make it all look so easy … like we were never there.We have not benefited from our shyness. Our reticence has cost us plenty. Costume Designers are so proficient at this disappearing act and so modest about taking credit, that the public and the industry believe that costumes design themselves.We were on the brink of self-obliteration and redundancy. No contracts in Live TV, no credit in newspaper billing blocks, low scale, insult added to injury. Fashion Designers take credit for designing modern films if one single jacket is used as part of a costume. But the public wants to see actors do what they do best—transform themselves into other people. Glamour and celebrity are powerful sales tools, but a fashion show does not make a movie. This is the moment to change both the industry and public’s perception that COSTUME means “fancy dress” and the rest is just product placement. We create Characters not Clothes. Costume Design is Film; not Fashion. Creating a label is an act of pride and of hope that our name and our work will endure. The well bred may be anonymous and invisible, but this strategy ain’t worked for Costume Designers. Take Credit for your work. Be on the DVD. A collection lasts one season—a movie (and reruns) lasts forever.

COSTUME DESIGN CENTER Costume Rentals • Manufacturing • Prep Spaces

In Solidarity, Deborah Landis president@costumedesignersguild.com

818.954.1297 • 800.375.3085 wbsfcostumedesk@warnerbros.com

WARNER BROS. STUDIO FACILITIES 4000 Warner Boulevard • Burbank, California 91522 © and ™ 2005 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved

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The Costume Designer Spring 2006

Condolences to Shana Targosz who recently lost her brother through a tragic car accident.



UNION

LABEL

From the Desk of the Executive Director Dear Designers All, our Executive Board spent all day, Saturday, April 29, working on a long-term strategic plan and a business plan for the future of the CDG.We can’t be a force in the future, without defining our realities today. Some goals are already in progress. Last year at this time we invited Assistant Costume Designers and Illustrators to participate in a forum at the Guild. At this frank discussion, members revealed their dire straights, including insufficient work to qualify for the pension/health plans. As a direct consequence, The Costume Designer will continue to introduce the portfolios and credentials of CDG Illustrators in each edition. Many Illustrators have the background to function as an Assistant Costume Designer. In this manner, members can gain weekly employment and spread their wings.We encourage Illustrators to leave sketch samples in the Illustrator’s Notebook available to every Designer who visits the CDG office. Illustrators are encouraged to display their work at every General Membership Meeting to familiarize Designers with their style. Designers, even if your budget allows days and not weeks for your illustrating needs, hire our talented Illustrators. Designers have been heeding the logic of hiring an Assistant Costume Designer on heavy design shows.When the Costume Designer is adequately supported and staffed, the 705 crew gains support as well. Thoughtful initial evaluation assessing the design needs of a production, coupled with creative shifting of budget so that the bottom line remains the same, can result in the hiring of an ACD. Success stories of Designers, who never hired ACDs before (especially in television), have materialized.This is an education process for producers, studios, and production managers, as well as our own members. CDG jurisdiction must be carefully followed to avoid misunderstandings. ACDs are part of our Local 892 design team and hence can do no Local 705 work. ACDs report to the Designer and not to the Supervisor. Once a Designer has convinced production to bring on an ACD, it’s vital the ACD return this loyalty by remaining on the production. Labor Report Quitting is not a choice in this May 2006 freelance industry, especially for a Democracy at its best. On hard-fought position. While conMarch 8, 2006, we participated at tractually most of us only have a the Labor Council’s COPE week-to-week contract from pro(Committee On Political ducers, the industry expectation is Education) Convention to that when we sign on for a proendorse candidates running for duction, we will stay through to election this June.The candidates completion of photography. were screened by committee Building industry support for the prior to the convention, and now Assistant Designer position, which face the task of getting endorseis de rigueur in New York, is a L to R: Joanne Sanders, IATSE International Representative, Brian ments from delegates of more Lawlor, IATSE 10th Vice President, Deborah Landis, President, commitment Local 892 has made CDG Local 892, Pamela Shaw, Vice President, CDG Local 892, than 100 locals. There was a largCecelia Fredericks, Business Representative, United Scenic Artists to our membership. Local 829. er than usual crowd of delegates Please give me a call if you wanting to participate in this vote with so much riding on this election. These candidates need an ACD on your next project. need to win, and then we need to hold them accountable.There was much passion and Perhaps I can help you get the debate over some of the recommended candidates, with some locals expressing both possupport you desperately need. itive and negative experiences with many of the candidates. Finally, the vote was called. About half of our new members It became clear why we were endorsing these particular men and women.What empowjoin as Assistants; let’s get them erment we felt, and what a great day it was for grass-roots democracy. We are now preworking with us! pared for the June 2006 election with dedicated professionals as our leaders. Remember, go to the polls. It is our responsibility to vote our conscience. With high regard for the Design One vote. One voice. Team, For a list of the endorsed candidates for the 2006 Primary Election: Cheryl www.launionaflcio.org/yourvote.html cdowneycdgia@earthlink.net

Y

Betty Madden CDG Labor Representative bpmadden@aol.com 8

The Costume Designer Spring 2006


UNION

LABEL

Assistant Executive Director’s Report Alter Your Thinking on Alteration

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sing a union shop should never be cons i d e r e d a luxury. When a producer has signed a contract with the IATSE, they have agreed to use union labor. There should be no question that your alterations and MO work will be done in a union costume shop where members are protected under the agreements of the contract and guaranteed health and pension benefits. By supporting union shops you are helping to provide jobs for other union members and helping the pension and health plans which are funded by union productions to stay vital.As a member of Local 892, it is your obligation to support your sister unions within the IATSE. Local 705 costume shops have been providing services to the industry since 1937 and offer experienced cutters, fitters, seamstresses, and tailors that will help to realize your designs. There are currently 15 signatory costume shops available in the Los Angeles area and there is even a traveling union workroom that can come to you on location to meet your alteration and MO needs. Remember that any lost union job is a loss to all of us. Support your brothers and sisters and stand firm in solidarity. Work union and use union labor.

YOUR PERFECT SOURCE FOR CUSTOM-MADE WOVEN LABELS

INFO@CARELABEL.COM 1-800-652-2357 Our recent Costume Designer clients include: Deena Appel Colleen Atwood Katherine Jane Bryant “Deadwood” Sharon Day Laura Goldsmith “Alias”

Hope Hanafin Mona May Ellen Mirojnick Erica E. Phillips Vicki Sanchez

YOUR DESIGN, YOUR COLOR, YOUR SIZE HANDLED WITH EASE ONLINE OR BY PHONE

Rachael Stanley rmstanleycdgia@earthlink.net

Spring 2006 The Costume Designer

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NBC Universal

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS • NBC BURBANK • UNIVERSAL STUDIOS • NBC BURBANK • UNIVERSAL STUDIOS • NBC BURBANK

COSTUME

Costume Rentals, Manufacturing, Alterations, Alterations, Fitting Rooms & Offices

DESIGNERS’ CALENDAR

Saturday, June 3, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Below the Line Expo. The much-lauded team of artists, including Isis Mussenden, CDG member, from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe reveals the secret weapons used to create the seamless world of Narnia. Raleigh Studios Hollywood, 5300 Melrose Ave. No charge for panels. www.btlnews.com Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Motion Picture Costumers Job Faire, Local 705 Costume Rental Corporation, 11149 Vanowen St., N. Hollywood Local 892 members are encouraged to display (and sell) their talents. Call Paul De Lucca at (818) 487-5655 to reserve your table. Saturday, June 10, 2 to 5 p.m. & Sunday, June 11, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Design Showcase West, UCLA, Macgowan Hall. Top national university design students in costume, set, sound and lighting will exhibit their portfolios. All CDG members are encouraged to attend. www.tft.ucla.edu/dsw Monday, June 19, 7 p.m. CDG General Membership Meeting Studio City Library, 12511 Moorpark, corner Whitsett. Raffle, refreshments, available at 6:30. Come learn what our new affiliation with the Musicians Interguild Credit Union can do for you. See you there!

818.777.3000 • 800.892.1979 • 818.840.4724 THE FILMMAKERS DESTINATION WWW.NBCUNI.COM/STUDIO

July 10–Sept. 9 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Saturday, July 8, Opening Cocktail Party for CDG members. FIDM, 919 So. Grand Ave., L.A. 2005–2006 Emmy nominations for Costume Design … and more than 100 costumes celebrating 40 years of Television Design will be featured. Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Thursday–Saturday, July 20–22 Comic-Con International Convention, San Diego Convention Center. The CDG goes direct to 250,000 fans at the largest comicbook convention in the world. Each day, the CDG will present a 90-minute panel of member-designers before 500 admirers. Come join the fun. www.comic-con.org Mondays: June 5, Aug. 7, Sept. 11 Executive Board meetings at the CDG offices 7 p.m.



THE

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first became aware of collectors while prepping Austin Powers in Goldmember. I wanted to repeat Austin’s gold satin robe from the first film, but where had it gone? New Line doesn’t have a costume department, so I imagined it had been auctioned off on the New Line website along with the rest of Austin’s made-to-order costumes and hundreds more that were built for the three installments. That’s how I met Doug Haase. A collector living in Arkansas, he has amassed a vast group of costumes from the Austin Powers trilogy but alas, he was not the collector who currently owned the robe I needed to “borrow” back. The robe was later tracked by the studio to yet another collector, but the experience opened my eyes As the value of to this growing industhe costume sketch try and the afterlife of our costumes. increases, so will Mr. Haase’s holdthe perception of ings are so extensive that he was called upon to loan one of Austin’s suits to the Costume Design as AMPAS 50 Designers/50 Costumes exhibit. Haase is not in the film business. He’s a marketing consultant, husband, and father whose memories of the 1960s were so a true art form … vivid that when Austin Powers came along, he wanted to own a part of it. He has the experience since expanded his collection to include costumes from a spectrum of films as opened my eyes diverse as The Cell [Eiko] and Little Nicky [Ellen Lutter]. Haase regularly displays a rotating group of 22 costumes at his home, keepto this growing ing the rest in climate-controlled storage.When he’s not loaning his costumes to industry and museums and exhibits, he puts his passion to work for charity. By showcasing his costumes, he has raised $100,000 for the American Diabetes Association and conthe afterlife of our tributed to a fundraiser for his local children’s art school while “providing a forcostumes. mat where beauty and craftsmanship can be appreciated.” You may have read about Tom Gregory in People magazine. Gregory, an actor and gay activist, paid $100,100.51 on eBay for two shirts from Brokeback

Collector Doug Haase wih Deena Appel at the AMPAS exhibit. / AMPAS, Brokeback Mountain shirts sold at auction for $101,100.51 / Focus Features, Seinfeld Designer Charmaine Simmons at the Smithsonian. Walter Plunkett sketch sold at aution for $35,400. / Profiles in History ,Alice’s uniform from The Brady Bunch / ABC / Paramount / Kobal.

IMMORTAL


The Owl and the Pussycat negligee / Columbia / Kobal, The ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz / MGM / Kobal, Prison uniform from Papillon / Corona / Allied Artists / Kobal.

COSTUME Mountain [Marit Allen] that were pivotal to the story line. He believes “They are the ruby slippers of our time.” Speaking of the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz [Adrian], there are four pair that were known to be worn by Judy Garland. One of which was auctioned off at Christie’s in May of 2000 for $666,000 to movie memorabilia collector, David Elkouby. Another pair makes its home at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Curator Dwight Blocker Bowers says, “They are the most requested item by visitors to the museum.” Also on display at the Smithsonian is the Seinfeld “puffy shirt” [Charmaine Simmons], Captain Kangaroo’s iconic jacket [Bill Griffin] and the red sequined gown worn by Dustin Hoffman on the poster for Tootsie [Ruth Morley]. Mr. Bowers says his mission for the Smithsonian is to “preserve the history and legacy of these artifacts that tell the stories.” With a budget that is dependent on the “kindness of strangers,” he looks for “costumes that influence American culture or that document and define an era in film and television.” Sotheby’s Leila Dunbar held a costume and prop auction in 2001 in conjunction with Planet Hollywood that brought in a staggering $1 million in sales.The famous pale silk negligee worn by Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire [Lucinda Ballard], a purple robe with gold bullion appliqué from The King and I [Irene Sharaff], a dress worn by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music [Dorothy Jeakins] and costumes from countless contemporary films and television shows such as Rain Man [Bernie Pollack], and Urban Cowboy [Gloria Gresham] were included in the auction. Julien’s Auctions in West Hollywood presents high-end entertainment memorabilia in a live auction format. Darren Julien offered the hugely successful “Her Name Is Barbra” auction. Ms. Streisand understood the historical and financial value of her costumes when she auctioned more than 400 items from her personal collection in 2004. All proceeds went to Continued on page 14

AUTHOR! AUTHOR! With the value of our costumes clearly detailed by one example after another—you’d almost be lulled into believing that Costume Designers have earned a place in history. Unfortunately, the plethora of collectors who make it their business or pleasure to own a piece of Hollywood often have no idea who designed the object of their passion. Why aren’t Costume Designers credited in auction catalogues or in gallery exhibits? Because the thousands of costumes that are displayed, and that earn millions of dollars as they are repeatedly sold and traded, are not labeled. How can a curator know who designed a garment if there isn’t a label or a credit in the costume? Every collector, curator and auction house I spoke with, told me that what they value most about the costumes is their history. Dwight Blocker Bowers of the Smithsonian says, “There is never enough information about a costume to satisfy a historian.” Leila Dunbar of Sotheby’s would love to give Costume Designers recognition, if only she knew whom to credit. Donelle Dadigan, president of the Hollywood Museum, feels she has a “unique opportunity to tell the story, of the costumes she exhibits and would like to give credit to the artists who create them.” Carrie Williams, director of the New Line auction site, warns, “It’s important to be recognized because you never know where your costume will end up.” Bill Quereshi, a private collector, feels that “Costumes create a sense of authenticity and can be a character in themselves.” Avid collector, Doug Haase, believes “More people will enjoy this art form if we associate the designer’s name with the passion. It’s like the lotto, you can’t win unless you play, play and be part of the conversation.” Labeling provides a way for us to claim authorship of our designs. The first step toward making the industry and the world acknowledge the designer behind every costume is to put a designer’s name in every costume.

Consider the fate of your designs: • Do the stars, understanding the historical value of costumes they have worn, contractually keep those costumes to sell or donate to a charity auction? • Do the studios, understanding the monetary value of costumes, immediately put them up for auction to the highest bidder? • Do the costume rental houses, understanding the continuing life and value of costumes, add them to their racks to be rented out to the next show? These common practices make it seem as if everyone understands the intrinsic value of our costumes but us. In a climate where most of our industry believes costumes fall out of the sky, labeling, is one thing we can do now to preserve our place in history. Consider this at an auction held at Christie’s in October 1999, a costume worn by Marilyn Monroe in Let’s Make Love [Dorothy Jeakins] sold for $79,500 and two unsigned sketches sold for $6,325 each. These items, sold 40 years after they were seen on screen, were not attributed to Ms. Jeakins because there was no label in the garment, and no signature on the sketches.

Continued on page 14 Spring 2006 The Costume Designer

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Profiles in History’s August 2003 auction fetched $129,800 for an original Superman suit from the ’50’s TV series. A black suit worn by Sean Young in Blade Runner [Michael Kaplan] went for $25,000. Profiles in History will always include the designer’s name at auction, unless there is no label. These costumes were not labeled. To date, New Line Cinema’s in-house auction website has earned well over $200,000 in sales of costumes from the Austin Powers trilogy, designed by Deena Appel. None of these costumes were labeled. Our costumes will change hands over and over, assuredly living long after we do. Embrace the example set by the pioneers on the cover of this magazine. Keep our history alive by crediting yourself as the designer with labels that bear your name in all made-to-order costumes. We must take ourselves seriously if we expect the business to do the same. Looking for credit has become a tiresome, competitive sport in Hollywood. The truth is, for the Costume Designer it’s not about vanity, it’s about history.

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The Costume Designer Spring 2006

humanitarian and environmental causes through The Streisand Foundation. Included was the black sheer teddy and pants featured on the poster for The Owl and the Pussycat [Ann Roth], which sold for $15,600. Joe Maddalena, CEO of Profiles in History, a dealer of original historical autographs, letters and documents for the past 20 years, began holding regular Hollywood memorabilia auctions five years ago.While his March 2006 auction of nearly 600 collectibles saw tremendous sales from their offered costumes, Maddalena feels most excited about the growing interest in collecting Costume Design sketches. He says, “When I first started, 20 years ago, a costume sketch wouldn’t sell for $50.”An original Walter Plunkett sketch for Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind sold in 2005 for $35,400. He hopes that “as the value of the costume sketch increases, so will the perception of Costume Design as a true art form.” So why are films and television shows typecast as either “a costume drama” or “not a costume movie”? Clearly there’s a very large industry that sees the value in collecting Alice’s uniform from The Brady Bunch (sold for more than $2,000, 37 years after the show first aired) or Dustin Hoffman’s prison uniform from Papillon ($3,595), Gilligan’s signature red tee shirt ($28,750), the leather jacket from Terminator 2 ($46,000), or Spock’s tunic from the original Star Trek series ($132,250). When is a costume a costume, and when does it have value? ALWAYS. Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com

We will continue to collect labels and showcase them in upcoming issues so please send your samples to Deena Appel c/o the Guild office.


Congratulations Colleen Atwood

찝 On winning the Oscar for Achievement in Costume Design for the film “Memoirs of a Geisha” in the 78th Academy Awards ®

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(818) 982-3611 STUDIO COSTUME DEPARTMENTS ABC . . . . . . . . . . . . . CBS . . . . . . . . . . . . NBC . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony Pictures . . . . . . 20th Century Fox . . . Universal Studios . . . Walt Disney Studios . Warner Bros. Studios .

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찞찝 Keller Vandernoth 1133 Broadway Suite 911 New York, NY 10010

Spring 2006 The Costume Designer

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THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT

DESIGNERS EXPRESS RUTH MYERS

R

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The Costume Designer Spring 2006

Joe Tompkins ToJoeinPS@aol.com

Photos courtesy of Ruth Myers

uth Myers: “I was brought up in a very grey, postWorld War II, Manchester, England.At an early age my parents took me to see a production of Brigadoon at the Manchester Opera House, and from the moment the curtain went up and I saw this blast of vividly colored kilts, my career was chosen. After that, all I did was dream of being able to design costumes. I trained at St. Martin’s School of Art in London, and then I went to work at the Royal Court Theatre on a student grant.At that point, the idea of working on films never entered my mind; I was in love with the theatre. My very first professional assignment was sewing sequins all night on costumes for the great Designer Anthony Powell and sleeping on his floor. We both still have fond memories of this. Around this time, I was lucky enough to work as assistant to the legendary Sophie Devine, who as ‘Motley’ had created the costumes for many of the early English classic films including director David Lean’s Great Expectations. Her inspiration has been with me ever since. I almost always look at my drawings after I have finished them and wonder what Sophie would have added to them.What she really taught me—was that nothing was too small (to be ignored), no effort was too great (to be expended), and anything could be achieved. She also taught me that it was perfectly all right to be funny.With her encouragement, I started to design in the theatre and then on small low-budget English films. From the moment I walked on a film set the theatre became secondary. I realized that the camera captures all sorts of nuances that get lost in a larger format.The

first film that I designed was Smashing Time now famous for [its mod look]. This was the beginning of what has proved to be an incredibly rewarding and passionate pursuit. I have loved almost every film I have ever worked on … but there have been some amazing highlights; Ruling Class, Addams Family, Emma, and probably my most favorite, L.A. Confidential.This year I was in China designing gorgeous, ’20’s costumes for The Painted Veil, the very first American/Chinese co-production—it was the adventure of a lifetime. Our niche in the film industry has very much changed in the course of my 35-year career and roughly 70 films that I have designed. I still have enormous passion for what I do but at times the pressures of budgets, less prep time and answering to a studio as opposed to a director can compromise the designer’s freedom. Even so, there are very few highs in life like seeing your design realized on the screen!” Ruth Myers is one of the most distinguished Costume Designers working in our field today. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized her talents with two Oscar nominations; the first for The Addams Family (1991), and the second for Emma (1996). Ruth garnered nominations for two BAFTA Awards for Isadora (1968) and L.A. Confidential (1997). For her superb contribution to the pilot design of the hit series Carnivale she won a CDG Award and an Emmy the same year 2004, both shared with Costume Designer Terry Dresbach. Ruth lives her creative life in London, Los Angeles and locations around the globe.


THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT

NEW TECHNOLOGY COSTUME’S EXPANDING UNIVERSE

W

A satyr, while filming the battle sequence from Narnia, wearing green screen pants with motion-capture florescent dots.

Narnia / Phil Bray ©Disney / Walden

e are all affected by the world of new technology. There was a time when a pager was the new gizmo on a production. My crew would create little codes, 0000 meant “come back to set” or 3333—“call off the search.”Today cell phones are necessary and Blackberries are not far behind, Polaroids have been replaced by the digital camera. The other day an Assistant Designer asked if I could receive an image on my phone so she could click a photo at the store to show me something. Crazy? Yes. The Age of Information is in full swing and Costume Designers must accept it—like it or not. From large budget effect-laden films such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, to the NBC pilot I just finished—visual effects and “doing it in post” is common on many projects. On one small production we built a green screen tie, put it on the bored businessman at his desk, and then changed the pattern/color of the tie to show the passage of time.We changed it in ‘post’ that is. Who decides what that tie should look like—in ‘post’? On a much larger project, we required a 5,000-strong army of people and creaContinued on page 18

Spring 2006 The Costume Designer

17


THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT tures, and we had only 200 extras.Who decides what they will wear? Who designs the practical costumes and who designs the digital costumes? The Costume Designer does. Visual effects have evolved from the blue screen to green screen, to motion capture and more, and each has different requirements for computer-generated images. I began my journey into CGI when I was brought on to design Shrek.The animators needed to know about the look, feel and manufacture of garments, to feed this information into software that was being produced. The technology was young and everything was new. I was learning about the parameters of digital clothing and the animators were learning about drape and cut. An exciting partnership was born. With the Production Designer and the Cinematographer; Visual Effects Producers and Supervisors are our most recent collaborators in shaping the look of a film. Although they can alter our work in post production without our knowledge; there are ways to maintain our vision through the final cut, while simultaneously aiding the post-production process. Effects Supervisors have enough to do without “redesigning” or “making up new looks” for the character; designing the costumes is still our job. The most definitive way to protect your vision is to share it. Creating a Visual Effects Bible is one of the best ways to document your intent. This tool should contain ideas for the

multiplication of characters, samples of the textiles for color, texture, scale of pattern, weave and movement. And photographs of actual clothes are a good visual aid. The choices may seem obvious to a Costume Designer but they are not to the effects house. All this information helps the VFX to produce something real and believable, hence, a better-looking product. Sometimes,asking the right question is the key,but knowing what to ask can be tricky. What is the visualization for the sequence with ALL the new elements? How many images are going to be manipulated? What elements are going to be added to the live action characters? Where is that ‘blend’ going to start? The answers to these questions are vital, because by incorporating this information in our work; we can make certain that our design is not compromised later. New technology challenges us daily and understanding how Costume Design fits into this equation is essential. The design process is still the same: story breakdown, color palettes, silhouette, details in textile and character. The foundation of our job has not changed and using new technology to our advantage is exciting. After all, I did use a Polaroid just yesterday … there’s nothing like an instant picture.

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The Costume Designer Spring 2006


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Wardrobe carries a range of designer wear that includes, but is not limited to: gowns, cocktail dresses, suits, jackets, blouses, shirts, sweaters, t-shirts, jeans, swimwear, handbags, shoes, and sunglasses. Wardrobe is the only company that has built designer relationships facilitating receiving merchandise at the same time as department stores. We rent at approximately 10% of retail pricing.

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THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT

MEET THE ILLUSTRATORS

K

aren Schultz is one of our most versatile

Illustrators. Karen learned to draw at 3 years old, her mom being a professional graphic designer. Karen received a BFA in Fashion with a concentration in Costume Design from the Massachusetts College of Art and returned to Los Angeles in 1999. Karen’s been designing two theatrical fashion collections; Lip Service Los Angeles, a club/rock ’n’ roll inspired line, and Blacklist, a romantic, gothic, Victoriana-inspired line. Between fashion gigs, Karen has been freelancing as a Costume Illustrator. Her career began when she was fortunate enough to work with Ruth Carter on Serenity (2005). The film was later organized by the IATSE, w h i ch a l l o we d Karen the opport u n i t y t o j o i n Local 892. Karen is positioned to utilize all her experience and artistic ability by combining old and new technology to create innova t i ve i l l u s t ra t i o n techniques. I l l u s t r a t i o n i s Karen’s first love, and she’s eager for the next challenge! Karen S c h u l t z n ow h e re girl@hotmail.com

Illustrated By Karen Schultz 20

The Costume Designer Spring 2006

Illustrated By E.J. Krisor

E.J.

Krisor

is a fine artist, illustrator, and filmmaker. After receiving a master’s degree from New York University, E.J. took New York by storm with multiple gallery and museum shows and delighted a list of portrait clients.

Hoping to continue his success as an artist, E.J. moved to L.A. where a friend introduced him to Costume Designer Marlene Stewart. He approached the illustrations for Oliver Stone’s Alexander as portraiture and sought to capture the presence of the character on the page. Since becoming a CDG Illustrator, E.J. has collaborated with many distinguished designers on high-profile projects including James Acheson for Spiderman 3, Colleen Atwood for Believe It or Not, Jeffrey Kurland for I Dream of Jeannie, Louise Mingenbach for Superman Returns, Ellen Lutter for The Longest Yard, L.J. Shannon for Zathura: A Space Adventure and Louise Frogley for Constantine. From high school graduation, when he received a recruitment letter from Disney Animation, E.J. has always wanted to tell stories through illustrations. His chief interest has always been the character. “Revealing the character through a great story is what it’s all about.” ejkrisor@yahoo.com Jacqueline Saint Anne jsaintanne@costumedesignersguild.com



THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT

FROM THE EAST

(EAST COAST MEMBERS AND THEN SOME...)

E

Juliet Polcsa with Tim Van Patten & David Chase on the set of The Sopranos

ŻƔ

very year, Costume Design Awards in New York and Los Angeles give Costume Designers a chance to mingle, meet and congratulate each another. Designers giving Designers the recognition for their merit, talent, and achievement, reminds us that we are part of a select and honored art. Whether designing for a film or a dance concert, an opera or a TV show, or whether a Designer works in NY or LA;the process of creating characters through costume remains the same. Every project and every city generates a different design and logistical challenge. New York can inspire and thwart any Designer at the same time. Recently, I spoke with a handful of New York film and television Designers about how they ply their craft in the Big Apple; under the jurisdiction of United Scenic Artists Local 829, of course! The density and compactness of New York is one of the overwhelming reasons these Designers love to work here. Everything you need exists within a few square miles: fabric and trims, studio services, costume rentals, costume and tailoring shops, retail stores, fashion houses and actors. William Ivey Long was reported to have chastised an assistant for returning empty handed by saying, “It’s New York.It exists.”Add subway accessibility,and you’ve got a recipe

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22

The Costume Designer Spring 2006

The Sopranos / HBO

Your time and reputation is valuable.—Don’t have clothing for taller men altered until they look completely disproportionate for a shorter actor.


for efficiency and with prep times getting shorter, efficiency counts. Sarah Edwards,finishing Michael Clayton with George Clooney, agrees, “Everything in New York is so central;you can cover all your studio service shopping in one day. The logistics of the city are manageable.” Of course, New York is not without its challenges. Minimal numbers of studios mean minimal available office space. I must reinvent the wheel on every show, often starting from scratch in a raw space. Precious design time is taken away by the need to set up a fitting room and order racks. Available office space is even harder to come by when the city is busy.Due to a combination of pilot season AND the New York State tax incentives program, NYC productions are pressured with a shortage of office space, locations and parking. A busy city means the stores that offer studio services get busy. Then,add the challenge of trying to find a crew! Pilot season will come to an end, but hopefully the Tax Incentive Bill will survive well into the future. Shooting a period film in NY, the logistics can be challenging.The cost of NYC real estate prohibits the existence of many would-be costume rental houses. While some excellent rental resources for period clothing exist; a trip to Europe, North Carolina or LA is sometimes a necessity. Sourcing new vendors for vintage clothing is incredibly rewarding but time-consuming.John Dunn,currently designing a 1950’s pilot called Madmen, feels that “budgets need to be increased for that additional sourcing.” “We constantly have to innovate, so the work is then more innovative,” says Ellen Lutter,now designing a pilot called Six Degrees. Because New York is one of the world’s fashion capitals, it keeps the efficiency quota ‘up’for a modern dress show.Fashion designers from around the world have showrooms and shops in NYC. Patricia Field,designing the pilot Ugly Betty with Salma Hayek,knows that “fashion house accessibility”is a key element to modern design in New York. A busy New York means more work for Costume Designers. It also means more work for Assistant Costume Designers, a key member of

S O N Y

P I C T U R E S

our crew. “The Assistant Costume Designer has greater respect in NY,” says Sarah Edwards,“they are allowed to grow toward being a designer.” That training holds some weight, as many of the Designers, myself included, were once hard-working Assistant Costume Designers. There is no better design inspiration than the citizens of NYC itself; the multicultural and multi-economic environment continues to awe and inspire. It filters into one’s designs. “By the time I’ve taken the subway into work, I’ve already heard five different languages … inspiration is everywhere,” says Ellen Lutter. “The streets are my laboratory,” says John Dunn.We know the hard work of a Costume Designer never stops. For all the hard work, and for the innovation and talent we possess, we deserve to congratulate ourselves. Juliet Polcsa julietpolcsa@earthlink.net

Designer Ellen Lutter and her Assistant Designer Barbara Presar

S T U D I O S

S T U D I O

W A R E H O U S E :

L O T :

3 1 0 . 2 4 4 . 5 9 9 5

3 1 0 . 2 4 4 . 7 2 6 0

• • • •

• • • •

Modern and upscale contemporary clothes Ethnic costumes Selections from various eras Accessories 1 0 2 0 2 N i c k

W E S T

W A S H I N G T O N

P o l l a c k ,

M a n a g e r

Full service workroom Made to order, fittings and alterations Washers, dryers, dyeing facilities Fitting rooms

B O U L E V A R D , •

C O S T U M E S

C U L V E R

C I T Y ,

C A

9 0 2 3 2

W W W . S O N Y P I C T U R E S S T U D I O S . C O M


THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT

Calash: Large articulated hood made on padded and ruched silk covered hoops, worn outdoors to protect high coiffures and especially popular from 1773–1783. This could be pulled up or pushed down as weather and environment required in the manner of an old-fashioned baby carriage or pram. It is named after a Slavic carriage with the same kind of hood.

Calcei: Strapped, cut out and laced sandals worn by ancient Romans on the street. Cassock (or Soutine): Starting in the 16th and 17th century, the cassock was worn by soldiers and horsemen and was originally a long coat or cloak. It is now primarily ecclesiastical dress. Usually full length with long sleeves and a stand-up collar, it buttons down the front worn with or without a belt or sash. Cavalier dress: The term cavalier was applied to the followers of the royalist cause of Charles I of England in the 1630s–1640s. The dress worn by the cavalier was the same as that of the aristocrat or well-to-do man in western Europe. It included a matching jacket and breeches in brightly colored silk, satin or velvet.The jacket had full, long, slashed sleeves and both garments were heavily decorated with braid; wide-lace collars, cuffs and a boot hose tops where extravagant and the look was completed with a cloak; a plumed swashbuckling hat; gloves; cane; and soft-leather buck-

24

The Costume Designer Spring 2006

Chadar, chadri, carsaf, burka, izar: Various names from different languages to denote the all enveloping covering worn by Moslem women on top of their other garments to appear in public. The Koran provides guidelines on the subject of women’s behavior and attire, rather than rigid, dogmatic rules. According to that guidance, women are taught to preserve their chastity but they are not instructed to veil their faces so that they may not be seen. Each Moslem society has interpreted the Koran according to its traditions.

Chaparajos: Worn by cowboys as protection against brush and thorns.The nickname is Chaps. Chopine: Originally a Turkish invention to increase the appearance of height, the chopine became an overshoe slipped on over elegant slippered footwear for use in the mud or dirt of the street.A 16th- and 17th-century version became especially fashionable in Venice, Italy. They were usually made of cork or wood and decorated; covered in leather, velvet, silk or brocade and ornamented with lace and embroidery. At their most popular, they reached ridiculous heights of as much as 212⁄ feet.This made walking so difficult that it was almost impossible to progress without assistance and courtesans and wealthy ladies required a servant to lean upon.

Cuirass: Piece of close-fitting defensive armor covering the upper body. It usually consists of a matching breast and back plate, but may be a breastplate alone. Is there some arcane costume accessory you’ve always wondered about? Write us and we’ll include it in a future article.

Karyn Wagner karynwagner@earthlink.net Illustrations by Robin Richesson robins.nest@verizon.net

http://www.costumes.org/classes/fashiondress/byzantium.htm, http://www.cwu.edu/~robinsos/ppages/resources/Costume_History/romanesque.htm

HISTORY OF DRESS A-Z

et-top boots with heels and butterfly bows.The shirt was of fine white silk or linen and visible only if the jacket was open.



The New Adventures of Old Christine

Hannah Montana

Costume Designer:

ANN SOMERS MAJOR

Costume Designer:

ROBERTA HAZE

What About Brian

The Loop

Costume Designer:

Costume Designer:

DEBRA MCGUIRE

ANITA CABADA

Sons and Daughters Costume Designer:

MARY-KATE KILLILEA

Pepper Dennis Costume Designer:

EDUARDO CASTRO

Costume Designer:

LINDA BASS for Jenna Elfman

Teachers

Modern Men

Costume Designer:

Costume Designer:

FLORENCE KEMPER-BUNZEL

ALLYSON FANGER

The Unit Costume Designer:

DARRYL LEVINE

26

Courting Alex

The Costume Designer Spring 2006

The Sopranos Costume Designer:

JULIET POLCSA

The New Adventures of Old Christine CBS, Hannah Montana Disney, What About Brian ABC / Bob D’Amico, The Loop FOX / Andrew Southam, Sons and Daughters ABC / Mitch Haddad, Pepper Dennis FOX, Courting Alex CBS, Modern Men WB, Teachers NBC / UNI Mitch Haaseth, The Unit CBS, The Sopranos HBO.

WHAT’S ON


The Da Vinci Code Columbia Pictures / Simon Mein, Charlotte’s Web Paramount, Just My Luck Twentieth Century Fox / Barry Wetcher, The Devil Wears Prada Twentieth Century Fox / Barry Wetcher, The Lake House Warner Bros. Pictures / Peter Sorel, Poseidon Warner Bros. Pictures, My Super Ex-Girlfriend Twentieth Century Fox / Myles Aronowitz, Little Miss Sunshine Fox Searchlight, Superman Returns Warner Bros. Pictures / David James, X-Men: The Last Stand Twentieth Century Fox / Nels Israelson, Lady in the Water Warner Bros. Pictures / Frank Masi.

WHAT’S OUT Charlotte’s Web

The Da Vinci Code

Costume Designer:

Costume Designer:

RITA RYACK

DANIEL ORLANDI

Assistant Designers:

Assistant Designer:

MARIA TORTU & KATRINA PICKERING

ANDREA CRIPPS

The Devil Wears Prada Lady in the Water

Costume Designer:

PATRICIA FIELD

Costume Designer:

Associate Designer:

BETSY HEIMANN

MOLLY ROGERS

Assistant Designer:

Assistant Designers:

AUTUMN SAVILLE

The Poseidon Lake House Costume Designer:

DEENA APPEL ERICA E. PHILLIPS

WENDY STEFANELLI & TRACEY COX

Poseidon Costume Designer:

ERICA E. PHILLIPS

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Little Miss Sunshine

Costume Designer:

Costume Designer:

NANCY STEINER

LAURA JEAN SHANNON

Assistant Designer:

JENNIFER STARZYK

Associate Designer:

LIZ SHELTON Superman Returns Costume Designer:

LOUISE MINGENBACH Assistant Designer:

CARIN RICHARDSON Illustrator:

E.J. KRISOR X-Men: The Last Stand Costume Designer:

JUDIANNA MAKOVSKY Co-Customer Designer:

LISA TOMCZESZYN

Just My Luck Costume Designer:

GARY JONES Assistant Designer:

SUE GANDY Illustrator:

PABLO BORGES Spring 2006 The Costume Designer

27


IN FOCUS

BOLDFACE NAMES

lished couture will be on display at the Cannes Film Festival this month, when director Bill Condon screens clips from the film.We hope Sharen’s name shares the marquee! Congratulations to Eduardo Castro for that incredible profile in the Los Angeles Times Calendar Sunday section “Working Hollywood� (April 16).This terrific piece covered his current design on Pepper Dennis and highlighted many of his impressive credits.We’re thrilled it gave some background on Eduardo’s role on a film, his design process and how he approaches his craft. Handsome picture too. Chicago’s “Daily Southtown� (April 21) featured Jim Lapidus, Costume Designer, on Fox’s hit series 24. The article reveals the vast preparation and creativity needed for a show that sounds “easy to costume� because it takes place in a 24-hour period.

Dreamgirls’ costume department surrounding Swarovski crystalbeaded costume from left: Carol Buele, Elaine Ramires, Costume Designer Sharen Davis, Felipe Sanchez, Jodie Stern & Mary Still.

Last year has seen huge growth in websites for hit television shows, and the Internet has been good to Costume Designers. Many websites are featuring a behind-the-scenes look with the Costume Designer. The

Congratulations to everyone! It was an

Sopranos includes “Dressing the Sopranos,� featur-

exciting awards season again this year.In

ing our member Juliet Polcsa, and each image

eight

Costume

includes creative notes from Juliet. Joseph Porro

Awards has grown

has been designing the haunting new show Ghost

from a humble beginning to an inspiring

Whisperer. The Ghost website has been such a suc-

established event. It’s so rewarding to

cess that they’re launching a costume page called

feel all the recognition and support in

“Melinda’s Closet�; spurred by the fan response for

that room for all of our members’ fine

Melinda’s costumes. CBS is creating an interactive

work.

page where fans can go through her closet, which

short

years, the

Designers Guild

will include notes from Joseph.TV executives may

Our fabulous CDG Awards sponsor,

Dressing The Sopranos Web page.

Swarovski, held four seminars, hosted

have finally realized that their young tech-savvy audi-

by CEO Nadja Swarovski, that were

ence is watching their TV and PC screens concur-

booked solid, and attended by both

rently while text messaging their friends.

Costume and Production Designers.

Seen on TV is another Internet phenomenon.

Swarovski continues to inspire our cre-

ABC and NBC have added an interactive feature to

ativity with crystal in costume design.

their websites, which enables viewers to buy the

Sharen Davis just completed principal

items worn on their most popular shows like Grey’s

photography on Dreamgirls utilizing

Anatomy designed by Mimi Melgard, Las Vegas

Swarovski crystals in her sexy gowns for

designed by Jennifer Bryan,Desperate Housewives designed by Cate Adair, All My Children designed

BeyoncÊ and lavish production numbers. Some of Sharen’s crystal embel-

“Melinda’s Closet� Web page for Ghost Whisperer.

by David Zyla, One Life to Live designed by Susan Gammie, and Passions designed by Diana Eden,all

You are invited to

June 2 & 3 Raleigh Studios Hollywood, CA

28

have online Costume-Design-inspired stores. When the public connects with the characters, they want to look like them. It’s psychological transference on

&B UKQ†NA EJ LNK@Q?PEKJ SKNGĹƒKS I=PPANO

the most profound level. It’s just too bad we don’t

Below the Line Expo 2006 brings together professionals at the leading edge of their craft to show you the latest tools, equipment and products. In addition, Below the Line will host discussions on the issues ?NA=PA@ >U JAS PA?DJKHKCU =J@ ?D=JCEJC SKNGĹƒKS

share in the profits from those characters that we help create. It is amazing how far things have progressed in every area of our field over the last year. With our Webmaster member Dana Onel’s help, the CDG

BTL Conference schedule now at SSS >PHATLK ?KI.

The Costume Designer Spring 2006

Attendees must meet requirements as working freelancers, vendors, crafts persons, production companies, agents and technicians.

website will continue to expand and launch us into the 21st century. Kimberly Adams boldfacenames@yahoo.com

The Sopranos / HBO, Ghost Whisperer / CBS

FREE BTL Expo Pass when you register by May 22nd



Ann Roth, Klute 1971. Courtesy of Photofest

SCRAPBOOK

Klute (1971), fashion models with Costume Designer Ann Roth

30

The Costume Designer Spring 2006


P ROFILES

IN

H ISTORY

Live Hollywood Memorabilia Auction J ULY 28, 2006

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