Get Into Costume
Design, Make and Manage for the Stage and Screen
Will be published approx. on 29. October 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-1-350-29762-3 (ISBN)
Description
Whether your ambition is to work in design, making, styling, illustration, textile arts or supervision - Get Into Costume will help you bridge the gap from education into that vital first job in the industry and become a sought-after member of the costume team.
You'll learn the essential 'tricks of the trade' from some of the most influential costume professionals working today, including Sandy Powell OBE (Shakespeare in Love; Mary Poppins Returns; The Favourite), Jenny Beavan OBE, RDI (The Choral; Cruella; Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Zaldy Goco (RuPaul's Drag Race; Cirque du Soleil; The Little Mermaid) and Tahra Zafar (Paddington The Musical; Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens). There's also first-hand advice on collaborating with directors, producers and performers to help bring their vision to life and tell the story through the language of costumes and clothes. You'll also learn about breaking down a script to establish not just what a character should wear but how and why they wear it.
With the collective insight of costume designer Vin Burnham and her fellow international costume professionals, you'll be armed and ready to enter the industry with a full understanding of how things work in practice, the many career paths available to you - and what it takes to succeed.
You'll learn the essential 'tricks of the trade' from some of the most influential costume professionals working today, including Sandy Powell OBE (Shakespeare in Love; Mary Poppins Returns; The Favourite), Jenny Beavan OBE, RDI (The Choral; Cruella; Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Zaldy Goco (RuPaul's Drag Race; Cirque du Soleil; The Little Mermaid) and Tahra Zafar (Paddington The Musical; Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens). There's also first-hand advice on collaborating with directors, producers and performers to help bring their vision to life and tell the story through the language of costumes and clothes. You'll also learn about breaking down a script to establish not just what a character should wear but how and why they wear it.
With the collective insight of costume designer Vin Burnham and her fellow international costume professionals, you'll be armed and ready to enter the industry with a full understanding of how things work in practice, the many career paths available to you - and what it takes to succeed.
Reviews / Votes
The most complete guide to the world of costume design ever put together in one book. -- Jenny Beavan OBE, RDI, three-time Academy Award-Winning Costume Designer Vin has always been an alchemist and a magician. Now she rolls up her sleeves and shows us how the tricks are done, how the illusions are created. In doing so, she has created a new kind of magic, the magic of selflessly sharing this lifetime of knowledge and offering her secrets to new generations. -- James Acheson, three-time Academy Award-Winning Costume Designer Brilliantly researched and illustrated, this is a superb resource for costume design students and anyone interested in the artform. -- Keith Lodwick, Film and theatre costume design historian, former V&A Curator of Theatre and Screen Arts For anyone interested in the possibilities of professional costume careers, mapping an overview of practices through multiple perspectives. The author's extensive expertise, in conversation with leading industry voices, captures the rich ecosystems that come together to dress performers' bodies and the central role of costume in making performance. -- Donatella Barbieri, London College of Fashion, UK, author of 'Costume in Performance'More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
200 colour illus
Dimensions
Height: 270 mm
Width: 210 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-29762-3 (9781350297623)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Vin Burnham is a costume designer, celebrity stylist, author and speaker. She began her career at the Royal Opera House as a costume maker, before moving into film and TV; heading-up the making of the Bat Suits for the Tim Burton Batman movies, designing Lady Gaga's 'Living Dress' and Aslan the lion in the BBC's adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia.
Content
Dedications
Foreword
About the author
My Career
Pioneering Costume Techniques
Giving Back to Costume Students
Passing on the Baton
Introduction: A Career in Costume - Where to Start
So, How Do You Put It All Together?
What to Expect
Costume Career Choices
Costume Roles Overview
Costume Subjects Overview
Costume Genres Overview
1. Costume on Screen
Preview
Terms and Jargon
Film Costume
TV Costume
TV Costume Drama Examples
Dressing Music Promos
TV Commercials: Costume Design, Fashion and Wardrobe Styling
Drag
Indian Cinema Costume
Takeaway
2. Costume on Stage
Preview
Theatre Costume
Opera Costume
Ballet and Dance Costume
Musical Theatre Costume
Music Industry Costume
Burlesque Costume
Children's Shows
Pantomime: Slapstick Costuming
Sporting Events: Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Takeaway
3. Costume Categories: Contemporary, Period and Fantasy
Preview
Costume Circuits
Contemporary Costume
Period Costume
Fantasy Costume
Takeaway
4. Artisan Designer-Makers
Preview
Millinery
Headdresses
Jewellery
Shoemaking
Masks, Wings, Ruffs, and Glove Making
Wigs
Dyeing Textiles
Textile Design and Vintage Prints
Niche Fabrics
Takeaway
5. A Career in Costume: What to Do and Where to Find It
Preview
Starting Out: What is the Industry Looking For?
Costume and Fashion: What's the Difference?
Talent: Where to Find It?
Getting in with Formal Training?
Getting in without Formal Training
Taking Action: A Foot in the Door
Costume Dramas - and How to Navigate Them
Inside the Costume Shop, Where the Action is - Then What?
Getting Asked Back
Work Experience Traineeships, Internships and Apprenticeships
Takeaway
6. Who Does What: The costuem Designer
Preview
The Costume Designer: What They Do
The Script, the Storyline, and the Characters
The Director's Brief, Logistics, Budgets, and Schedules
Casting
Character
Team Building
The Costume Design Concept
Mood Boards
Costume Design and Drawings
Costume Designer or Costume Director?
Production Design: sets and Costumes Working Together
Takeaway
7. Who Does What: The Costume Team
Preview
The Fashion, Wardrobe and Celebrity Stylist
The Costume Supervisor
The Wardrobe Manager, Theatre
The Costume Maker
The Costume Buyer
The Costume Illustrator and Concept Artist
Costume and Wardrobe Assistants
The Textile Artist
Decisions, Decisions!
Takeaway
8. The Business of Costume: Budgets, Pay, Schedules and Continuity
Preview
Budget and Money Management
Putting in the Hours
Rates of Pay and Negotiating Fees
Schedules
TV Commercials Schedules
Theatre Schedules
Continuity
Representation: Agents and Diary Services
Contracts and Confidentiality
The Production Office
Set Etiquette
Takeaway
9. Costume Management: Departments and Processes
Preview
Costume Departments
Costume Rental
Green and Blue Screen
Measurements: Current, Accurate and Complete
Costume Fittings
Costumes for Stunts and Body Doubles
Wrap
Returns
Takeaway
10. The Costume Family: Life membership
Preview
The Need for New Crew
Interviews: Your Best Self
Presenting Yourself Online
Honing Your Communication Skills
Handling Pressure
Turning Down Work
That's a Wrap!
Resources
Takeaway
Acknowledgements
Foreword
About the author
My Career
Pioneering Costume Techniques
Giving Back to Costume Students
Passing on the Baton
Introduction: A Career in Costume - Where to Start
So, How Do You Put It All Together?
What to Expect
Costume Career Choices
Costume Roles Overview
Costume Subjects Overview
Costume Genres Overview
1. Costume on Screen
Preview
Terms and Jargon
Film Costume
TV Costume
TV Costume Drama Examples
Dressing Music Promos
TV Commercials: Costume Design, Fashion and Wardrobe Styling
Drag
Indian Cinema Costume
Takeaway
2. Costume on Stage
Preview
Theatre Costume
Opera Costume
Ballet and Dance Costume
Musical Theatre Costume
Music Industry Costume
Burlesque Costume
Children's Shows
Pantomime: Slapstick Costuming
Sporting Events: Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Takeaway
3. Costume Categories: Contemporary, Period and Fantasy
Preview
Costume Circuits
Contemporary Costume
Period Costume
Fantasy Costume
Takeaway
4. Artisan Designer-Makers
Preview
Millinery
Headdresses
Jewellery
Shoemaking
Masks, Wings, Ruffs, and Glove Making
Wigs
Dyeing Textiles
Textile Design and Vintage Prints
Niche Fabrics
Takeaway
5. A Career in Costume: What to Do and Where to Find It
Preview
Starting Out: What is the Industry Looking For?
Costume and Fashion: What's the Difference?
Talent: Where to Find It?
Getting in with Formal Training?
Getting in without Formal Training
Taking Action: A Foot in the Door
Costume Dramas - and How to Navigate Them
Inside the Costume Shop, Where the Action is - Then What?
Getting Asked Back
Work Experience Traineeships, Internships and Apprenticeships
Takeaway
6. Who Does What: The costuem Designer
Preview
The Costume Designer: What They Do
The Script, the Storyline, and the Characters
The Director's Brief, Logistics, Budgets, and Schedules
Casting
Character
Team Building
The Costume Design Concept
Mood Boards
Costume Design and Drawings
Costume Designer or Costume Director?
Production Design: sets and Costumes Working Together
Takeaway
7. Who Does What: The Costume Team
Preview
The Fashion, Wardrobe and Celebrity Stylist
The Costume Supervisor
The Wardrobe Manager, Theatre
The Costume Maker
The Costume Buyer
The Costume Illustrator and Concept Artist
Costume and Wardrobe Assistants
The Textile Artist
Decisions, Decisions!
Takeaway
8. The Business of Costume: Budgets, Pay, Schedules and Continuity
Preview
Budget and Money Management
Putting in the Hours
Rates of Pay and Negotiating Fees
Schedules
TV Commercials Schedules
Theatre Schedules
Continuity
Representation: Agents and Diary Services
Contracts and Confidentiality
The Production Office
Set Etiquette
Takeaway
9. Costume Management: Departments and Processes
Preview
Costume Departments
Costume Rental
Green and Blue Screen
Measurements: Current, Accurate and Complete
Costume Fittings
Costumes for Stunts and Body Doubles
Wrap
Returns
Takeaway
10. The Costume Family: Life membership
Preview
The Need for New Crew
Interviews: Your Best Self
Presenting Yourself Online
Honing Your Communication Skills
Handling Pressure
Turning Down Work
That's a Wrap!
Resources
Takeaway
Acknowledgements