Ramblings of a Costumier
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.
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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.
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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.
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I take notes, carefully mining Mark’s enthusiastic mind for crucial information.
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I set to work looking at photos for inspiration. It’s a long and tricky process, this, while I come up with suitable sketches.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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