Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542297
Why do you enjoy working as a Shopper in the Costume Department? AE: I love the history and I love touching all the fabrics and being that person between the designer and the garments to find. It's a challenge finding what they've directed me to find, if that makes sense. I enjoy all the relationships that I've cultivated throughout the years, all the different costume houses. I jokingly call myself a first responder. I feel like the Shoppers are the face of the show, especially if the show is not local—even if the show is local—they never meet anybody else in the costume houses. They only meet us, and so we're like the representatives to the show. KS: I got my last six days to join the union at Motion Picture Costume Company, and while I was there, I noticed a couple of Costumers there all the time. They were pulling for different shows, and they just pulled racks of period. And I said, "That's what I want to do." I just took steps to get my reputation and all that to the point where that could be what I focus on. I really love helping a Costume Designer build that world so that when somebody watches, they feel like they're immersed in that year, whatever time period that is. I feel like I'm a treasure hunter. I think that I get to shop in the biggest vintage stores in the world. I get to shop through all the coolest vintages that most people don't ever get to see. When I tell people what my specialty is, I say American mid-18th century or mid-19th century to the present, because I know American clothes. However, what's going on in England in 1850 may be different from what's going on in America in 1850, so I always tell people that I specialize in American because I know that the best. TR: Well, we're virtually historians. I specialize in both contemporary and period, which I go back-and-forth, depending on what's filming. Just like Kristi and Audrey, I live in costume houses. Those are our crews. Those are our departments. We spend more time there than we do on set. I don't mind doing contemporary if it calls for it, because it's just as much of a treasure hunt. I miss my Studio Services people, but I mainly specialize in packing and shipping for shows, so I'm doing everything over phones working on the East Coast, because we have more houses than most of them. It's definitely changed from what used to be to what it is now. What does it take to work as a Shopper? TR: It's great for someone that wants to be part of the clothes but doesn't want to be on set. I don't like being on set, it doesn't interest me. I like being out in costume houses. I like being out in the mall and shopping and looking for things and being the person who finds that thing that no one else can find. That is what interests me, but I'm still part of making the movie. You're not going to have what you need on set unless I bring it back. As a Shopper, you're shopping for everything that doesn't exist. You're shopping in the wrong season. You're shopping for the wrong period. You need to know how to work for yourself, and you need to know how to stand up for yourself, because you're virtually alone. KS: You need to be a self-starter. And I think if you want to be a Period Shopper in general, having a love of history, outside of just what clothes look like, is really important. A lot of times I will think about where we're located, what these people are like in this town, the socioeconomic elements. I'll think about history, what were people wearing during that time? How would their clothes be a part of their life? So, if you're interested in that, it's really important because it really informs your pull in making it feel real and grounded. It's not just loving what clothes look like, but thinking about how clothes are part of people's lives and being interested in the history. TR: I think the Supervisors rely on us a lot of times to know what prices are of clothes and what they rent for. Especially if we have to purchase it, what is it going to cost? If they haven't done that kind of show in a while, because they're not out in the stores, we're out in every day shopping five days a week, seven days a week, you see the market fluctuate. TIFFANY RANDEL has been a member of Local 705 since 2009 and a Shopper for 17 years. These days, she primarily pulls, packs, and ships shows. Her projects include Dusters, Journey for Jordan, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, The First Lady, King Richard, and Interior Chinatown. KRISTI STARK joined in 2019 and considers herself a Period Costumer, often pulling vintage stock for her shows. Her projects include The Queen's Gambit, Them, The Fabelmans, Interview with a Vampire, Maestro, Lessons in Chemistry, A Complete Unknown, and Monster. AUDREY EISNER has been a member for 12 years and has a degree in theatrical costume design. Her projects include The Americans, The Deuce, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Hollywood, The Alienist, The United States vs. Billie Holliday, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, The First Lady, Shirley, Air, Dark Winds, and A Complete Unknown. 30 SPRING 2026