Winter 2021 The Costume Designer 5
EDITOR'S NOTE
How to even sum up 2020? We grappled with a terrifying,
worldwide pandemic, social unrest on an unprecedented
national scale, partisan election politics, and extreme
weather brought about by our changing climate.
Even so, there were many positives that arose through-
out the year. The groundswell of social justice and social
activism that surged to tsunami strength and continues to
topple institutional and systematic racism; reconnection
with nature and with neighbors; an outpouring of help at a
community level; the precious time we all had for personal
growth, family bonding, or much needed relaxation; and
the flowering of myriad new creative projects that took root in the absence of nor-
mal daily life.
In Preston Sturges' Depression-era comedy Sullivan's Travels, the earnest young
protagonist, a director of "light" comedies, yearns to do more noble work. Against
the studio's wishes, he hits the road to research a documentary about the down-
and-out, only to have things rapidly spiral out of control into a fight for his own sur-
vival. Along the way, he learns firsthand about the power of entertainment to uplift
humanity from its daily squalor. A love letter to Hollywood? Sure. But one that took
on new resonance, at least for me, during this year of crisis and lockdown, as we
all learned how vital our industry is in providing a means of distraction, education,
solace, and connection. Even if we couldn't be together, at least we could watch the
same things and share our responses.
Along these same lines, I've been ruminating about our corner of the entertain-
ment business. I've always thought of our art as the stealth weapon of production.
As visual storytellers, our job is to communicate character and story so effectively
through the medium of clothing that when we do our jobs well, the audience rarely
grasps the work that's been done. What's front and center on screen is magically
almost "not" there, because it seems effortless.
This issue is dedicated to all the ways our work ripples out into the world, reso-
nating deeply. Clothing can be uplifting and empowering, whether one is an adult
heading into a first job interview or a child battling a life-threatening illness. Clothing
can reach across generational and cultural lines, build ties through commonality, and
yield positive clout in the marketplace. Clothing can be a good luck charm, a trea-
sured memory, or a gauntlet, thrown down to challenge the status quo.
As your new editor in chief, I am proud to bring you stories that highlight the
power of costume design, on screen and in our communities. This new role com-
bines my two great loves: costume design and the written word. I am so grateful
to Communications Director Anna Wyckoff, President Salvador Perez, Executive
Director Rachael Stanley, and the rest of the Executive Board, for giving me this
incredible opportunity. Anna has left me with the most exquisite "big shoes to fill"
and I intend to do my best to bring you, my fellow members, a publication that
excites and interests you, and even more importantly, faithfully represents you and
the art of costume design.
As we head into 2021, so many challenges await us. We will deal with this virus,
we will find commonality and progress, and we will continue to create, in order to
uplift and transform lives through our beloved medium of storytelling.
Alexandra Welker Hoxey
awelker@cdgia.com
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Alexandra Welker Hoxey
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Bonnie Nipar
Gary V. Foss
PRESIDENT
Salvador Perez
sperez@cdgia.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Cate Adair
cadair@cdgia.com
SECRETARY
Ivy Thaide
ithaide@cdgia.com
TREASURER
Nanrose Buchman
nbuchman@cdgia.com
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Christopher Lawrence
clawrence@cdgia.com
Julie Weiss
jweiss@cdgia.com
Kristin Burke
kburke@cdgia.com
Terry Gordon
tgordon@cdgia.com
Phillip Boutté Jr.
Costume Illustrators Representative
pboutte@cdgia.com
David Matwijkow
ACD Representative
dmatwijkow@cdgia.com
LABOR REPRESENTATIVES
Betty Madden
Dana Woods
BOARD ALTERNATES
Mary Vogt
mvogt@cdgia.com
Carol Ramsey
cramsey@cdgia.com
Nancy Steiner
nsteiner@cdgia.com
Michelle Cole
mcole@cdgia.com
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jacqueline Saint Anne
jsaintanne@cdgia.com
Cliff Chally
cchally@cdgia.com
Barbara Inglehart
binglehart@cdgia.com
ALTERNATE TRUSTEE
Dorothy Amos
damos@cdgia.com
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rachael M. Stanley
rstanley@cdgia.com
ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Brigitta Romanov
bromanov@cdgia.com
MEMBER SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR
Suzanne Huntington
shuntington@cdgia.com
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Anna Wyckoff
awyckoff@cdgia.com
MARKETING & EVENTS DIRECTOR
Deme Stavrakas
dstavrakas@cdgia.com
RECEPTIONIST/SECRETARY
Aja Davis
adavis@cdgia.com
PUBLISHER
IngleDodd Media
ADVERTISING
310.207.4410
cdg@IngleDodd.com
www.IngleDoddMedia.com
COSTUME DESIGNERS
GUILD
costumedesignersguild.com
