Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1487662
The energy of a costume designer is usually consumed by a singular focus: to use clothing to recreate a world or to build a new one. With the merciless production clock ticking, every minute can be critical and it is difficult to find time for oneself, much less others. Because of this, there are only a handful of people who have impacted the field beyond the sphere of their design. Three- term President Emeritus Salvador Perez is one of the few. He did not set out to change the Costume Designers Guild, but because of his vision and volunteer- ism, he has. Perez grew up near Fresno, California, in a farm town with zero fashion. Judith Krantz was a mag- azine writer and fashion editor before she be- came an author and Perez was spellbound by the way she used clothing to carve out her charac- ters. Her books became a window into his future. His childhood was extraordinary, because he was never ordinary. He remembers a school project when other children made mobiles of fish or airplanes, he made one of tiny brides, with tulle veils made from candy wrappers. He obsessed over fashion magazines and Nolan Miller's looks for The Love Boat. Best known for the hit Dynasty, Miller's costume design brought glamour and whimsy to the series. In high school Perez took both sewing and home economics counter to the typical gender path at the time. He was able to navigate the social pitfalls because he was already working and his independence appealed to his classmates. His wicked wit, al- ready in evidence, was an additional shield. Pe- rez flourished when he was doted upon by his teachers, particularly Nicole Motte Hanson. He credits his generosity of spirit to her, "I know I can never pay her back, so I have always wanted to give back to the next generation." From Fresno to Fashion 25