FIDM Magazine

FIDM Costume Exhibit Featured on KTLA

Gayle Anderson visited FIDM's Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and filmed a live segment for KTLA featuring Nick Verreos.

Watch the video clip here.

Watch ABC7 Clip on FIDM's Costume Exhibit

 

ABC7 has a news story about FIDM's 20th annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition, which opens today and runs through April 28th. More than 100 costumes from 20 films released in 2011, are on display at FIDM's Museum & Galleries.

The exhibition includes selected costumes from all five 2011 Academy Award® Nominees for Costume Design: W/E, Hugo, Jane Eyre, The Artist, and Anonymous. Highlighted in the exhibition is the previous year’s Academy Award® winner for Costume Design, Alice in Wonderland. A gown from Alice in Wonderland will greet visitors as they enter the galleries

Open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10am to 5pm.

FIDM Alumna Mona May Visits LA Campus

FIDM Alumna, costume designer Mona May, visited the downtown LA campus last week for an informative and inspiring hour-long chat with FIDM Students and Faculty. Students from majors ranging from Visual Communications to Merchandise Product Development and Fashion Design came to pick the brain of the master Costume Designer of movies like Clueless, Enchanted, Stuart Little 2, and The Wedding Singer. Mona, who is at work on a TV pilot, generously answered students’ questions:

Q How did you get started in the movie industry?
A I had studied fashion in Europe and New York. I came to FIDM in the 90s because I wanted to do sportswear. While going to fashion school here, I naturally met students from the film schools like UCLA and USC. When they asked me to design costumes for their student films, it sounded like fun, so I just jumped in.

Q What is the main difference between fashion design and costume design?
A In costume design you are not designing for the trends. You are designing for character. You have to think, “What makes this character different? What is their transformation?” Drew Barrymore’s character in Never Been Kissed was so much fun to dress for that reason.

Q Where do you go for ideas?
A You have to be innovative. Since your job starts about 8 months before the movie shoots, you have to be ahead of trends. I look at the runway shows and magazines like Collezioni that are looking to the future. You cannot look at what is in the stores right now or the clothes will be out-of-date by the time the movie is released.

Q How can students prepare for interviews?
A I am still auditioning after nearly 20 years in the industry. I like to bring big presentation boards filled with visual ideas to show the director I really care. Don’t be afraid to have a strong point-of-view as a designer. Remember that you’re competing with other designers so you have to stand out.

That said, I dress professionally and arty for the meeting. I want to make an impact with my ideas.

Q Can you tell us about your process?
A As a designer, you collaborate with lots of people, but the director is the most important. I begin the conversation by discussing the script. You are not the artist who sits at home and paints so you have to meet and talk everything out. Over time, you build trust with a director, but you have to be like a combination artist/lawyer. You are always convincing him that your ideas are right.

On Stuart Little 2, I was designing for a 4-inch computer animated no-neck mouse as well as a 6-feet tall live action actor, Geena Davis, so the collaborations were complex. For instance, computer programs were designed to actually make patterns for all the tiny mice clothes, so I was a virtual tailor working with a large staff of animators.

Enchanted was even more complex. There were 3 formats we were designing for: live action, classic animation, and CGI.

Q How do you deal with the stress of Hollywood?
A If you love what you do, it’s fun! Being a costume designer involves lots of problem solving. My advice to new designers is: get there early, stay late, and be happy at work. Go cry at home, if you have a bad day.

Q Is there a philosophy that guides your work?
A I think of each scene in a movie or TV show as a painting. All the characters, their clothes, and their surroundings should go together and make a pleasing picture on screen.

Film & TV Costume Design is one of 20 majors offered at FIDM.

Wednesday FIDM Student Spotlight

Koalani Walkoe

Major: Fashion Design

Where did you go to school? An LA charter school called Options for Youth, and a year of junior college

Why FIDM: I wanted Theatre Costume Design and I liked the program because it was fashion-based rather than art-based. I also liked the career support.

What do you love about your major? I really like to sew. I want to work for a theatre company doing Shakespearean costumes or ballet so I plan on doing the third year Theatre Costume program here.

 

Alumna Worked on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Alumna Francine Lecoultre was the Costume Textile Artist for the film, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

She was recently nominated for a Costume Designer's Guild Award for Excellence in Commercial Costume Design.

Costume Designer Mona May Coming to LA Campus

FIDM Alumna Mona May, the famed costume designer behind films such as Clueless and Enchanted, will be on campus on Wednesday, February 8, 2012, from 11am to 12pm in FIDM Annex Room A332. She will speak to Students about her career and bring a portfolio of her work. Her latest film for 2012 is Vamps, starring Sigourney Weaver and Malcolm McDowell.

Alumna Nominated for Costume Designer's Guild Awards

FIDM Alumna Jill Ohanneson, who has worked on shows such as Dexter, Lie to Mie, and Six Feet Under, is nominated for Outstanding Contemporary Television Series at the 14th annual Costume Designer's Guild Awards  for her work as the costume designer on Revenge.

The awards are set for Feburary 21, 2012, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Good luck to Jill!

Film & TV Costume Design Lands Internship at Western Costume

Film & TV Costume Design Student Michelle Himawan will intern with Western Costume's Bobi Garland, Director of Research. Bobi is busy working on six films including Horizons (2013) starring Tom Cruise and Clint Eastwood's Trouble With the Curve (2013.)

Alumna to Debut First Fashion Show in Phoenix

Alumna Courtney Leigh will showcase her designs in Phoenix as the featured clothing fashion artist at Rawk by Raw Artists on December 9, 2011 at The Duce.

Since graduating from FIDM, Courtney has been a costume designer for several local theaters and events, including Phoenix Theatre and Theater Works, Fear Farm, and Phoenix ComiCon.

Alumna Marina Toybina is Costume Designer for X Factor

Alumna Marina Toybina has seen her creations on everyone from Britney Spears and Katy Perry to Pink and Miley Cyrus. She is currently the costume designer on X Factor, where she sometimes has only days to turn around up to 140 costumes.

What do you love about your job with X Factor?
I feel very honored to have this opportunity. To be surrounded by incredible talent and in the company with the best-of-the-best in this industry is truly a priceless experience. I get to create magic and visual art with my team every week. How could anyone, especially in my field, ask for anything more?

What have been some recent challenges and highlights?
The long hours and the faster-than-the-speed-of-light turn-arounds have been a bit hectic from time to time, but overall, every show is its own highlight. The dancers are incredible to work with, my team is my rock, the creative directions are artistically fulfilling, and the experience to create and recreate is simply beautiful. 

How did FIDM help prepare you for this fast-paced career? FIDM provided the fundamentals and the tools I needed to understand my own strengths and weakness. The discipline and dedication I experience on daily basis comes from my studies, hard work and the knowledge that I have acquired throughout the years.

What would you tell a student who dreams of being a successful costume designer?
Stay true to your vision, yourself, and your craft. Never stop growing, learning, and teaching. Learn from your mistakes and smile always while undergoing challenges and tough times. Art will always set you free.