Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529398
46 WINTER 2025 Weaving a Murder Mystery Weaving a Murder Mystery Marjorie McCown brings an insiders point of view to her mysteries set within the film industry. When I took "Intro to Costumes" at the University of Virginia, I was amazed to learn that working with costumes was a viable career. Plus, it brought together so many of my interests—theater, history, and art, so everything just clicked for me." McCown went on to study costume design at the University of Virginia and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, fueled by a fascination with costumes and a love of theater. Like many costume professionals, she found her way to working in film by moving to Los Angeles and drawing on her skills from live theater. McCown retired from the film industry and costuming in 2017 and embarked on an entirely new In summer 2023, Marjorie McCown used her extensive experience from working in the film industry as a motion picture Costumer and published her first novel, Final Cut (A Hollywood History). Using her vast knowledge of storytelling within filmmaking, she has written a story that centers around a Costumer in a murder mystery with an insider look into our industry. McCown explained that her love of costumes began at an early age. "I loved dolls as a child, and I especially enjoyed dressing them up in different outfits. My mother was a talented seamstress and knitter, so she and I "collaborated" on custom- designed clothing for my dolls. Born in a tiny town in the middle of rural Illinois, McCown would go onto become a top-notch Costumer, working on movies such as Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. From the humble beginnings of a loving family in the midwest, McCown found her way in Hollywood, and dressing her dolls became a passion for dressing actors in movies. "I didn't know that costuming was a real job until I went to college. P I N T O P E N By Adam Nestra-West