When I tell people I am a Costumier, they smile and seem to come over all strange and peculiar. I know what they’re thinking at that moment – they’re usually thinking any of the following: 1) Oh, I’d love to be someone who makes clothes all day. That sounds like remarkably good fun or 2) Oh, to do a job that’s a laugh and not hard work at all. I am jealous. Or 3) All those colours, can you even really call that a job?
Well, here are my answers to all three: 1) would you? Would you really? Hmm. 2) it IS hard work I’ll have you know! 3) Yes, yes you can. Now be quiet, that’s quiet enough from you!
…one way to do this is to grab an old coat hanger and fashion it into a body…
In the UK these days you’re either X-Factor or you’re Strictly. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about then you must have been living in a cave for the last ten years! I was always going to be a Strictly girl; not only is their evil judge much wittier and cattier than Simon Cowell, but the sheer showmanship of the programme was always going to appeal to me. That and the fabulous costumes, obviously.
Everyone has a different idea of a what a Costumier does. Although the actual job description is obvious, the job itself varies enormously depending on the task in hand. It’s never like being an accountant or a bank manager, this practical job, you know. Often it revolves around just as much social work as it does clothes-making.
I say this because an inherent part of a Costumier’s job is dealing with people. Not only dealing with people but converting their strict wishes for clothes into the exact garments that they have designed in their heads.
There’s just one problem. Most people aren’t able to transfer what’s inside their head to paper. This is where I step in, and, until the day that peoples'brains are capable of taking USB leads, it’s going to be very much a case of ask question after question.
I tell Mark how much it is and although for a second he looks like he might throw up, afterwards he waves me on and tells me to make them
The various stages of a Costumier’s job goes something like this.
Let us assume that our customer is Mark from Red Diesel Swindon . Now Mark is fantastic at talking…a little too fantastic as it goes. What he isn’t good at is listening intently. So it takes a while to work out what Mark wants.
Mark, I discover after a long hard half an hour, wants some fancy dress outfits for his team. They are going to give a presentation in Japan and Mark feels that some outfits which make the people look like smiling tractors will be a magnificent thing.
I take notes, carefully mining Mark’s enthusiastic mind for crucial information.
I set to work looking at photos for inspiration. It’s a long and tricky process, this, while I come up with suitable sketches.
I meet up with Mark to discuss the sketches. As he takes into account the monetary side of making walking talking tractor costumes he quietens down. This is common and a perk of the job.
We both settle on a single idea which we think looks best. The front of the tractor in these photos is ideal because it will lend itself to making a smiling mouth. So this is the one we choose. I tell Mark how much it is and although for a second he looks like he might throw up, afterwards he waves me on and tells me to make them. I go to his work and measure the team up.
I make them. It is fun. I like making walking talking tractor outfits. There is a tricky thing trying to make them not seem childish, but after that it’s easy enough.
I meet Mark and his team who try them on. They are chuffed. I am chuffed. It is something unusual to add to my CV, which is nice.
Although I spend a lot of time – every day, up to eleven hours…way too long – making costumes, once I get home I still have the burn in me to create more stuff. I know it’d madness, but what can I say? That’s just the way I roll I suppose.
One thing which I have often been known to do is to make my own T shirts. And we’re not talking the shoddy rubbish like what might spring to mind, but the kind of quality stuff that looks like it came right off a catwalk!
Here’s how to create your own quality home-made T shirt. It isn’t an instant fix and does require some time and patience, but the end result will be a stunning T that you’ll be asked about wherever you go. So…
Firstly, make sure you use quality rag. By that I mean a decent T shirt that won’t shrink. No point spending all that time on it only for it to shrink the day after!
I paint directly onto the fabric. But this isn’t advisable. It’s best to draw the design with a chalk
Now you have your T, you need a design. Those with not much of a clue or artistic streak can find anything they want on Youtube or design pages. Those who want to create an original design, feel free. For the purpose of this here article, let’s say that I am going to do a tiger design…
Seeing as I have done this many times before, I paint directly onto the fabric. But this isn’t advisable. It’s best to draw the design with a chalk and go from there. Put cross-hatched lines on the parts you want to fill and start painting.
Ah, wait, before you start painting you will need…um, paint! Go with oil paint as it is completely washable and lasts longer than most T shirt ink!
You don’t need art classes to do a sterling job of it. First put some cardboard or paper under the layer of fabric to protect the back from getting paint on, then apply the oil paint on thick enough that it covers the fibres completely, but don’t slap it on too thickly once you have done that.
After that you’ll need to wait for the paint to dry, and that in itself will take its time. Even if you leave it out in the warm it’ll still take a while. Probably at least 3 days of constant non-stop drying time, that is.
Next? You wear it, of course. Everyone’s a winner!
Now then, maybe you want to stencil your design on instead? Look no further than this video…
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