Hollywood Costume Designer Panel Q&A

Today I attended  seminar in sourcing at MAGIC with 4 Hollywood costume designers. Mandi, Line Lynn  Paolo, Joe Kucharski, and Daniel Musto, designer for Pretty little liars, Scandal, Disney, and celebrity stylist respectively. They were each asked questions about their career and they each shared some crazy stories from their experiences in Hollywood. Read below to find out what its relaly like to be a Hollywood stylist or costumer!

Q:Where did you go to school?
A; FIDM, FIT, FIDM.

Q; How has social media changed or influenced your job?
A; We've recently been required to live tweet during the show when it airs every Thursday night ans although at first we weren't sure about it its actually become one of our favorite traditions on set. The pictures from set and filming are very popular on social media and its a very interactive process.

Q: What are the key things you need to succeed in this business?
A: You must have a good business sense as well as good management and budgeting skills, political savvy, knowledge of the industry, work ethic, but most of all you must believe in what you are doing, and trust your instincts. Mindi said she loves what she does and to succeed you have to live and breathe this work; as she said his she was intermittently texting with her director to work out last minute details.

Q:What do you have to do to be a great costume designer on set?
A: You have to really get to know the characters and create their world. You can't be lazy when creating a look and, even the smallest details like eyeliner count. You also have to forge a bond with the actors so that they trust you and help them to become the character. Lynn told a story of how one actor on the West Wing walked in the first day and said that out of 6 racks of clothing none of the looks would work. She said that she sat down with him and talked him through it and by the end of the day he loved every look. Mandi said that you have to be a therapist as well as a costume designer and help the  actors feel confident in what they're wearing. She added that she has to help keep the actresses from confusing their plain character with their glamorous persona because after an Oscars awards it can be hard for them to want to go back to wearing their characters clothes.

Q:What are some tips you have to help you get through your day?
A:You really have to believe in your work and pick your battles. If your producer is unhappy with an outfit try picking something that you know they like and adding it in through a small detail that won't effect the overall look to sell your outfit. Mandi added that one of her producers said she would have to change an entire outfit and so she brought her back the same outfit but added pearl earrings because she saw her wearing some earlier that day. The producer loved the look. You can also rearrange your board and change the title to convince your directors and producers to like your ideas. You can also draw your sketches in a different more interesting pose to get your outfit approved. You must be confident in your choices because the directors can smell fear. Another tip was that no is not an option in this job. Mandi told a story of how a producer asked her to find some red and black "ah de das" and even though she had no idea what they were she said she would knowing she would figure it out. They turned out to be Adidas. Another time an assistant had to run to target to buy KY jelly by the bucket load to smear on a pleather jacket to keep it form catching on fire during a scene. Never be afraid to ask people for what you want.

Q:Why do you think you became as successful as you are?
A: Being kind and easy to work with goes along way. It is so  important to make a good impression and to make yourself fun to be around because you never know who knows who. You have to learn how to negotiate in this business and believe in yourself while still being flexible. Mandi shared that she actually knows 5 people who she used to work for that now actually work for her.

Q:What are the coolest projects you are working on right now?
A: David- A music video being filmed in Miami for his client Chanel who is a Japanese pop star releasing her first song in America.
Lynn- A new pilot that is being filmed at Staples center with a lot of glitz and glamour which is exciting because it is something different from what she usually does. She still gets nervous before starting a new project but loves the adrenaline rush of all the possibilities.
Joe- An independent film for his friend that is actually very plain which can be the hardest to do especially since his favorite things are giant glitzy musicals.
Mandi- Pretty little liars and the 6th season. The show is so popular and it's  fun to design for the characters that she knows so well.

Q:What do you think is the future of costume design?
A:Costume design will become even more interactive for the fans and will continue to have a bigger impact on fashion trends. The brand collaborations with costume designers will continue to grow with the concept of buying things that you see on TV. Costume designers will get more credit for the trends they start. Revenue streams are changing for costume designers due to more collaborations with stores and it is driving costumers to be more creative. Costume designers have new reach now and the animation world is realizing how valuable a costume designer is.

Q: What advice do you have for an independent designer to get their clothes on a show?
A: Get in touch with the designer through their publicist or manager or by connecting and tagging on social media. All 4 designers agreed that they have worked with people whom they found on social media because someone had tagged them. Send a look book of your items but make sure that your clothes are tailored to what the designer will need for the show. Be courteous of their time and have your answers to questions ready if they call. Costume designers want to see whats new and are always looking to do more creative things.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the info! If you want to view the whole seminar head over to youtube to watch a full length video!

The intern files: Special edition MAGIC tradeshow in Las Vegas

Hey everyone! I am taking a special trip to the MAGIC industry tradeshow in Las Vegas; one of the biggest fashion industry events of the year and I am going to tell you all about it! I will be working in sourcing at the Fashion Business Incorporated booth and posting updates of the latest from MAGIC! Check back soon to learn more!

Today was my first day at MAGIC in Las Vegas. I helped out around the booth and answered potential customers questions. Our booth is on the second floor of the Las Vegas convention center. We are located in the sourcing section and we help start up designers as well as provide industry education. Yesterday Fashion Biz inc held a seminar on Launching your line and finding production. The panel included the founder of the company Frances Harder and other industry professionals such as Sherry West, Jill Mazur,,Susan Power, and Justin Chen. A panel of experts in the industry including people who have started their own clothing line and retailers. I also had some time to wander around the show today. First I looked in sourcing. I saw many interesting manufacturers and printing companies as well as beautiful fabric samples. There was a made in USA section that included many manufacturers who make their clothes right here in America and the rest of the show was organized by country. I saw companies fiom Egypt and Brazil. It was interesting to be able to see fabrics from all over the world in one building.

Next I headed downstairs to the footwear show where companies exhibit their products to buyers. There were buyers from every type of store. The footwear show was amazing. There was an endless mount of brands from well known high end brands like Kate Spade and Steve Madden to start up companies like  High Spirit. High spirit is part of the British invasion show that is exhibiting here this time. They are a small line of backpacks and bags that are fashionable and secure with a zipper on the back of the backpack so no one can steal from you while your not looking! I think that is a great idea for a backpack especially for traveling! I loved looking at all the high end brands as well including Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole, Ralph Lauren, and many more! They are all selling their fall lines right now so the buyers will have time to get everything ordered over summer. i loved seeing the next seasons style!

After checking out shoes I took a trip to the WWDMAGIC show to check out the Juniors wear section. It was so fun to look through a the brightly colored clothes with the music and bright displays everywhere! Check on Pinterest soon for my trend report on this summers trends for Juniors wear!

This evening I went over to the women's contemporary show to celebrate the emerging designer showcase with FBI where several FBI members exhibited their designs all day today. It was a great end to a fun day!

Now I'm headed back to Sourcing to help out at the booth and see more interesting manufacturers.
Check back for more on my adventures to MAGIC tomorrow!

Today I went to the Mandalay Bay convention center where the Men's and ENK Vegas shows were being held at MAGIC. I wandered through the Project show and the Tents by Project which showed collections from brands like Calvin Klein Men's and J Brand Jeans. Next I looked at the ENK Vegas show which had more alternative Women's brands and some interesting high end Jewelry brands as well. The ENK show was also decorated by an interior decorating firm located in Los Angeles and the theme was Oasis. There were many plants and wooden chairs and interesting lamps in the rest areas throughout the show. My favorite exhibit at Mandalay Bay was the Pool show though. This was a show for smaller unique brands. Many brands had a cultural background including one where all the bags were handmade in India and, another which was based on the cultural traditions of Peru. Some of the other brand had an ethical mission. One brand was a non profit which donated to combating  human trafficking. Another was focused on using recycled goods for all of their products. I really enjoyed the innovative techniques and ideas from this show.

Well it has been a great and exciting week at MAGIC I hope you enjoyed reading about it and learned something interesting! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to check out my articles on the Seminars I attended while at MAGIC here and here.

The Internship Files day 1

Today was my first day at Fashion Business Incorporated in downtown LA. FBI as it's called is a non profit company that helps start up designers and provides education to the industry. Right now they are planning a trip to MAGIC tradeshow in Las Vegas. I will be accompanying them next week to help out at their booth in the sourcing department! If you are going to MAGIC please stop by and check out our booth! Today I worked on editing a PowerPoint for a presentation at MAGIC. I also helped out with answering phones and helping new customers. If you are interested in doing an internship make sure and pay attention to how the company answers the phone when you call. Write it down so you know what to say on your first day. Fashion Business Incorporated is also planning a fashion show at the New Mart in March. Today we worked on show production details such as finding models and a DJ. There is a lot that goes into planning a fashion show. I also update all the social media for the company so check out the FBI Facebook page here! I'll be adding more updates soon! Check back to learn more about the life of a fashion intern!