How a character is visually displayed is one of the ways audience members make immediate connections with productions. As such, costume design is a crucial element for any show. Avery Ogle, a Senior at Utah Valley University studying costume design, sat down and talked through their process when they design costumes.
Where do you pull inspiration from when you are designing?
I tend to pull inspiration from my own feelings and experiences, things that I have a close connection to. I love to connect with the text of whatever I’m working on and also if the director has a concept I think about how I relate to those ideas.
How do you create a design concept?
I create design concepts by taking that inspiration and connection I have to what I’m designing and define what I want to express to others through my designs.
Once you have a concept, what’s your first step in creating designs/renderings?
Once I have a concept, I begin to research. Research is one of the most important steps in design because it allows you to connect your ideas to the world around you so you can find the best way to connect to your audience.
What tools do you use to make your renderings?
Depending on the category of what I’m designing or how long I have to render, I will use a digital program or a more traditional route. I prefer to render more precisely and with detail so drawing digitally on my tablet using procreate is my favorite method because I can easily manipulate my renderings. If I am traditionally rendering, I love using Copic markers because they are smooth and allow for precision and vivid colors.
How does your design become actualized from a rendering?
There is a lot of communication involved with actualizing a design. Since I was into constructing costumes before I started designing, it made it a little easier to think about the practical ways in which the costumes could be constructed. It’s okay if you don’t quite understand construction as a designer, but you should learn how best to communicate to others regarding your work, such as being able to describe how you want your costume to move, how it looks from different angles, which parts of the costume are separate, etc.
What design process has been your favorite and why?
My favorite project has spanned over a couple of years. In high school I had the opportunity to design the show She Kills Monsters with no budget for my school that was a safe haven for people who didn’t fit into most school settings. Most of the kids at my school were part of the LGBTQIA+ community and very nerdy so it was important to all of us since the show deals with these topics heavily. It was not my best work because I was unfamiliar with designing and the process at that time in my life, but it was one of the most fun creative and collaborative experiences I had. I also was able to design it for my final project in my costume design class in college, implementing a lot of the skills I had learned and I could physically see the achievements I had gained throughout my classes. Then, my University announced that it would be doing She Kills Monsters in 2020. I was accepted to design this show before the pandemic was even thought of, so our team went through a lot of hardships regarding the show, but miraculously through uncanny amounts of hard work, the show was produced by filming, editing, and then streaming over Zoom. It was the most intensive and emotional experience I have had with designing, but it was worth every moment. It was my senior project and I did my best in designing and collaborating and being able to physically see everything that I have achieved throughout my life as a designer was emotional and rewarding.
Want to try your hand at costume design? Try one, or more, of the activities below:
- Draw yourself as a character in the style of your favorite story, TV show, or movie.
- Think of your favorite character from a story and draw them in a signature costume.
- Think about the costume concept from your favorite TV show or movie and put together an outfit from your closet based on that concept.
We’d love to hear what you come up with! If you’re comfortable sharing, you can submit here.