The Necessity Of Costume Design

1.1 What is a costume

Costume design is envisioning of clothing and the overall appearance of a character or performer. It may refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. Costume may contribute to the fullness of the artistic, visual world which is unique to a particular theatrical or cinematic production. Costumes are done for a theater, cinema, or musical performance but that should not be limited. Although both create clothes, Costume design should not be confused with costume coordination which merely involves altering existing clothing. The basic costume designs are produced to denote status, provide protection or modesty, or provide visual interest to a character .

The clothing worn throughout a film have

Costume designs need to include any accessories such as hats, canes, shoes, gloves, jewelry and masks. To the overall costume design, these costume props add a great deal of visual interest. They are often the items that distinguish one character from another. While taking into consideration the performer who will wear the costume and what movements they have to make, each individual design must fit into the overall concept, and also to the budget.

A costume designer is the person whose responsibility is to designcostumes for a film or stage production and considered to be a part of the “production team” and work alongside the director, lighting and scenic designers, sound designer. The costume designer also collaborate with a hair/wig master or a makeup designer. Costume Designers need a wide ranging cultural knowledge base, not on fashion, art and literature, film, and textiles, requirements of all relevant health and safety legislation and procedures.

And Costume designers should also have the ability to,

• combine elements of color and fabric textures to provide a visual

Analysis: The analysis of the script, musical composition, choreography, etc. Parameters must be established

2. Design Collaboration: meeting with the director and fellow designers with a clear understanding

3. Costume Research: gather research.

4. Preliminary Sketching and Color Layout: a preliminary sketch must be performed. Successful preliminary sketching conveys an accurate depiction

5. Final Sketches:

Once the designing is done, it is necessary to plan where the items will be sourced. There are four options. Garments can be:

• Pulled, which refers to searching through a costume shops stock

• Rented

• Shopped

• Constructed

There are two ways a garment can begin to be constructed and many times both methods will be used together.

1. Pattern drafted - This is done using a set of basic pattern blocks developed from the actor’s measurements. They are drawn out on paper and then transferred to fabric and sewn together to test fit.

2. Draped - Draping involves manipulating a piece of fabric on a dress form or mannequin that have measurements closely related to the actors. It is a process that takes a flat piece of cloth and shapes it to conform the fabric to a three-dimensional body by cutting and pinning