What is the difference between recreationists and designers? Recreationists see a costume in a film, or TV show or other media and copy it to the last detail. They spend hours researching details, seam lines and looking for shots of the back of the costume. The goal is to produce the costume as screen accurate as possible so it looks like the original walked off the screen. My first several costumes were recreations and took enormous amounts of time to bring to life. The rewards were worth it and I enjoyed being complimented on how close my costumes looked to the screen versions. A great recreation is an amazing piece of art and a huge technical challenge since most of us don't have the same resources as a big budget feature for materials and fabrics. Many of my friends are wonderful recreationists and their work commands attention and respect for the time, effort and skills involved.
Costume designer hobbyists take costuming to a different level. They design original costumes for their own enjoyment and wear. They are inspired by an idea, a concept, or a piece of art. Perhaps a conversation with friends sparked the flame and after letting it grow it begs to be made and worn. There is complete freedom of creativity. There are no rules, just your ideas and how you execute it in the finished costume.
I've been making the transition from costume recreationist to costume designer hobbyist in the last couple years. When I started costuming before my pro days, I chose characters I identified with and were mainly blonde, with the exception of Princess Leia, who I costumed as a blonde since I didn't want to deal with a wig. I was one of the first women to recreate Han Solo and costume the character as a female. Another costumer did the same thing that year. If you're a recreationist you take the chance someone will have the same idea as you. This is especially true when a blockbuster movie comes out. Everyone wants to do costumes from that movie so you end up with 1000 Spartans (not necessarily a bad thing from my perspective!) or 300 Maximillian Smarts. Nothing wrong with that, unless you don't want to be like everyone else.
For me, the search is always on for the costume that will be fun to wear but have impact. This is not an easy process of discovery. Designing an original costume is satisfying, but it starts with nothing. While you don't have to follow the same rules as for recreations, you are putting a piece of yourself into the design.
The same creative process fashion designers use applies to designing an original costume. First look for something that inspires you, gets your creativity flowing, an idea that won't leave you alone. Keep a folder of ideas, concepts, rough pencil sketches and pictures from the Internet or your favorite magazines. Go back to it occasionally and glance through. Once you let your creativity ride, you'll find it easy to come up with a multitude of ideas.
Next, come up with a concept. Jot notes down or make rough pencil sketches. Collect those inspirational photos or magazine pages in one place with your costume. Dig through fabrics you have in stash or go to a fabric store and look around. Let it synthesize in your head for a bit. Once you've done that draw a pencil sketch. I use a croqui underneath marker paper and draw right over the body shape filling in where the clothes don't cover. A croqui is simply an illustrated body form for fashion sketching. They come in a variety of poses. Fashion sketching text books and references have them. You can also Google for croquis and print them from your computer.
Don't be afraid to erase and tweak your pencil sketch. Do one, set it aside and come back to it later. I sometimes draw a costume three or four times before I am satisfied with it. When the sketch is at a satisfactory point, lightly erase over the pencil lines. Color it in using your choice of media. I prefer watercolor pencils and watercolor markers - specifically Prismacolor. Color the base colors and main garment items first. Fill in details over the base color with a darker shade (or white if you're using black), or simply use a fine black drawing pen to outline and add accents like seam lines, buttons, and shoe laces. Metallic drawing markers in silver and gold can be used for metal hardware and detailing. Once the sketch is done, start shopping for your fabrics and materials. Let the design evolve. Chances are you will see a fabric, button, or hardware that will inspire a change. I tend not to sketch those details in on purpose so that I have room to choose and not be locked into a specific item. Also think about the fiber types you are using and how warm or cool you will be wearing the costume. Engineering a costume for comfort is important if you are going to wear it for a full day. Choose your fabrics carefully. Carry swatches with you when you shop so you can match up and coordinate shades, trims and notions. Watch fabric widths - 45" vs 60" - you'll get a lot more out of 60" wide than 45" and some natural silks come in widths as low as 36". Explore online fabric shopping too but always purchase a swatch first! Too many times I've heard stories of fabric arriving and not being a good quality or the wrong color or texture!
Finally, be prepared with all of your foundational garments before you start making a muslin mock-up. It will help you shape your patterns to fit properly over them according to your measurements when you wear them, and how the style lines fall on you. I use a mixture of commercially available patterns (why reinvent the wheel?), custom flat pattern making and draping to create my original designs. Rarely do I custom pattern 100% for a costume unless I want to pursue a particular challenge with it.
Stay tuned for Part II - Constructing Your Original Design
