CDG - The Costume Designer

Fall 2018

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8 The Costume Designer Fall 2018 I got my start in the film business as a stitcher, worked my way up to cutter/fitter, and then became an assistant costume designer. One of my mentors, Elsa Zamparelli, who I assisted for on several films, once told me that when I became a Costume Designer, the thing I would miss the most was an assistant as efficient as I was. It was a huge compliment. The knowledge of costume construc- tion and the style sense I brought was an asset to the Costume Designers I worked for. Being an ACD is a great training ground. When I got my first design job, I was able to use the experience I learned to help me through my first few design projects. Now as a Costume Designer, having a great assistant is a life-saver. I have had the pleasure of working with so many great ACDs, includ- ing Ivy Thaide who is featured on our cover with Hope Hanafin. It would be great if every Costume Designer was able to have an ACD, as our industry is growing, and more is expected from us in less time. A great team is an asset. Awards season is upon us, and submissions for the Costume Designers Guild Awards are com- ing in. Submit your work! The 21st CDGAs will be held Feb. 19, 2019. We will be honoring the career of Ruth Carter. Our awards show is always the best party of the year! I am currently working in London, and was invited by Deborah Nadoolman Landis to a screen- ing of the documentary Love, Cecil, about the career of Cecil Beaton. It was held at the British Film Academy. After the show, we had dinner with the local Costume Designers, including Michele Clapton, Paco Delgado, Joanna Johnston, Anna Sheppard, Tom Rand, Anthony Powell, Alexandra Byrne, Odile Dicks-Mireaux, John Bright, Julian Day, and April Napier. Getting to chat and getting to know these legendary Costume Designers was an amazing experience, and I want to thank Deborah for includ- ing me in this memorable evening. I have always felt that as Costume Designers, we inspire each other, and I love having any opportunity to commune with colleagues. I also had a lovely dinner with Janty Yates. We went to a charming English restaurant and bonded over the trials and tribulations of working in London. We are so spoiled in Los Angeles, I have always appreciated the help from our Studio Service teams in LA, but I miss them more every day while shopping here. And after a few weeks in London, I will never complain about LA traffic again. Social media and branding is becoming a bigger part of working in Hollywood. Getting our names out to the public helps us gain power in negotiations, so seeing Costume Designers like Janie Bryant with her fashion line, and Ane Crabtree's costumes from The Handmaid's Tale being inducted into the Smithsonian, is a huge win for Costume Designers everywhere. As members of the Costume Designers Guild, you can always call the office for help with work issues that come up. But the CDG Executive Board is also available to lend an ear or give advice. Our contact info is in the magazine, so please reach out to us. We are here to support the membership. In solidarity, Salvador Perez sperez@cdgia.com PRESIDENT'S LETTER UNION LABEL

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