Costume FAQ

photo - The Inspector General, Costume Designer Christina Bayer, national winner Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival Competition

COSTUME PROGRAM FAQ

Costume Frequently Asked Questions:

What topics are covered?

Costume design - theatre, film, video, and costume styling
Costume history - research, resourcing, budgeting, shopping
Sketching - character/inspiration boards, swatching
Costume pattern - drafting and draping, fabric selection, cutting, fitting, construction

What skills are developed?

How to read a play - breakdown a script, breakdown character and actor needs
How to communicate your design, both traditional and computer illustration techniques = developing your portfolio and resume
Utilizing production meetings, with director, shop staff, wardrobe crew
Wardrobe skills - navigating costume storage, pulling a show, selecting and creating accessories, costume alteration and maintenance
Theatre discipline and procedures - shop organization, managing a crew, striking a show
Costume dyeing, distressing, painting, batiking
Character makeup, hair & wigs

So... these skills lead to what kinds of jobs?

Costume design for theatre, film, video, commercials
Apprenticeship with an established designer
Film, television, or video costuming, assisting, or wardrobe
Costume shop or costume rental house, theme park, or cruise ship

The Costume Design Program is widely recognized in the entertainment industry for producing skilled and talented designers, design assistants, and all manner of wardrobe professionals.

Our graduates are working in the entertainment business in design, wardrobe, and styling with Universal Studios, Disney, national touring companies, Cal Tech, as well as independent film and video productions.

See what some of our Costume Graduates have gone on to do.

How is all this possible? No secret short-cuts—it takes hands-on, practical, experiential learning. Lab time is spent to develop skills needed for the mounting of live theatrical productions, the best training ground for any type of entertainment designer.

This is a highly selective and challenging course. Acceptance into the program is not a guarantee of continuance. From the initial interview and portfolio review, the student is constantly evaluated and challenged to meet and exceed standards. A student who cannot meet assignments while in constant production may be discontinued. The periodic evaluations are retained as source material to use in recommendations for future education and job applications.

At the completion of all the required program courses, the 2-year Professional Certificate for Theatrical Costuming is awarded. During the optional third-year program, the design student will concentrate on independent theater, film and video projects to advance the transition into the profession while utilizing the resources of the Academy.

A measure of the success of this intense, hands-on approach may be seen in our design majors' repeated advancement to the final round of the Television Academy's Summer Internship competition, including the 2018 winner, German Flores. This coveted award includes 3 2-week internships with television costume designers.

The Kennedy Center / American College Theatre Festival competition is another example of our costume design majors competing with design students from 4-year institutions or graduate studies. The overall national winner in 2018 was Christina Bayer from LACC Theatre Academy.

Academy Admission Application

IMPORTANT! Please read the Academy Frequently Asked Questions page before you complete an application.

Interested? Is this what you've been looking for? Check out the Sequence of Costume Classes.

Still interested? Visit the Theatre Academy Admission and Auditions page.

Call, email, or schedule a visit to see us in action.

Course Descriptions

Academic Programs: Theater Arts / Theatre Academy [PDF] (Theater awards & certificates, p. 76)
College Catalog (Theater class descriptions pp. 191-197)

Class Schedules

Class Schedule
Spring 2022

Life at LACC

Learn more about the Theater Arts program at LACC by following our Student Blogger Rachel!