Get Into Costume
Design, Make and Manage for the Stage and Screen
Will be published approx. on 6. August 2026
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-1-350-30105-4 (ISBN)
Description
Whether your skills are in design, making, styling, illustration, textile arts or supervision - Get Into Costume helps you bridge the gap from costume education into that vital first job in the industry.
You'll learn from the highs and lows of some of the most influential costume professionals working today, including Sandy Powell OBE (Shakespeare in Love, Mary Poppins Returns and The Favourite), Jenny Beavan OBE (Mad Max: Fury Road, Cruella and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Zaldy Goco (RuPaul's Drag Race, Cirque du Soleil and The Little Mermaid), as well as Dance Costume Maker Amanda Barrow. There's also hands-on advice about collaborating with directors and producers to help bring their vision to life as well as how to break down a script and storyline 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 the different career paths available to you - and what it takes to succeed.
You'll learn from the highs and lows of some of the most influential costume professionals working today, including Sandy Powell OBE (Shakespeare in Love, Mary Poppins Returns and The Favourite), Jenny Beavan OBE (Mad Max: Fury Road, Cruella and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Zaldy Goco (RuPaul's Drag Race, Cirque du Soleil and The Little Mermaid), as well as Dance Costume Maker Amanda Barrow. There's also hands-on advice about collaborating with directors and producers to help bring their vision to life as well as how to break down a script and storyline 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 the different career paths available to you - and what it takes to succeed.
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
978-1-350-30105-4 (9781350301054)
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 has been in the costume profession for over 40 years, beginning at the Royal Opera House before moving into film and television, including making the Bat Suits for the first Batman movies and designing Lady Gaga's 'Living Dress'.
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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 3: Costume Categories: Contemporary, Period and Fantasy
Preview
Costume Circuits
Contemporary Costume
Period Costume
Fantasy Costume
Takeaway
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 3: Costume Categories: Contemporary, Period and Fantasy
Preview
Costume Circuits
Contemporary Costume
Period Costume
Fantasy Costume
Takeaway
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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