Costume Design

23Aug2016-04-05

Costume design and stage lights

Lighting a scene or stage is an important job when you think about the final impression of any stage show. Different colored lights can work differently in terms of impression, with the same costumes and make up.

As a performer there are a few things to think about to give the best impression for your audience:

colored lights can give different impression of your costume – talk to the director and lighting expert of the show beforehand
try your costume and fabrics with the show lighting to test their impression and colors appearing
communicate your request concerning lighting with the director or the designer of the scenery – to highlight or cover some parts of your performance
think about the props of your performance (stick, hat, jewelery etc.) and ask for a rehearsal with the final lights – audience in even the last row must see clearly
sidelights can sculpture the costume – think about it details what you want to show and how the fabrics of your costume would work
makeup – even the most natural look – has its on color – so include your makeup in the lights rehearsal
rhinestones support the most impactful visual effect – test your final, decorated costume in scene lights
media and the cameras can modify the actual scene – consult the relevant expert how to show you

23Aug2016-04-05

Change costumes 8 times in 6 minutes

I think there is no other act on the stage where the costume design is so important than in a quick change show.

Quick change – where the performer changes her/his costume in no minutes. The miracle is: how can they do it so quickly? It is illusion, but being a part of the illusion is always a fun – for me and for my partner, Sebastian, and hopefully for our audience as well.

Our act is a bit more than quick change, because it is combined with dance performance. I dance and change at the same time in the act – 9 times in 6 minutes!

Therefore the act and costumes required adaptation not just in terms of dresses, but the dresses have to be in harmony of the music and the style of the dance:

We sorted out the costumes very carefully. All of them should have suited me, to my figure, and support my movement on the stage. At the same time they should have been in line with the melodies’ style and on top of that they have to be showy on many types of stages and stage lights!

Time to time we change a part of the costumes to show something fresh for our audience.

My advice for you: think about the style of your act as well as your personal style first! Be clear in your mind what you want to emphasize: your breast part, bottom part or your long and nice legs! Choose the costume design with what you feel “love at the first time”.

I hope that all of our costumers in Costume Design Plans will feel the “miracle” what a well-thought costume means for a performer!

Kristina Eötvös

11Mar2016-04-05

Training of a stage costume – by a dog…

A stage costume sometimes is under a great pressure… Regardless whether the performer is a man or a woman.

For years we had a so called Comedy Dog act with my partner, Kristina Eötvös. This act was a combination of vertical rope and a comedy act with our trained dogs, Ronaldo and Artur. Kristina’s dress was a specific acrobat dress – red, shining, tight coverall suit – absolutely supporting her fantastic spinning on the rope, showing her figure.

My costume was nothing special for the first sight… But sometimes a stage costume must be extremely strong for a while… In the comedy dog act my trousers and my shoes had their roles. Look at the it!

My trousers had to be loose enough to drop them in the moment when I jumped up onto the rope, and Ronaldo could grab them in the right moment. At the same time my costume must have been elegant as well, because the audience did not have an idea about the “future” of my trousers and shoes.. Of course this “costume” was worn out relatively quickly: we used roughly 3 trousers per a year!

In Costume Design Plans Team I have the admirer role – but I believe my stage experience is an added value as well.

Sebastian Richter

P.S. Ronaldo is already retired, and sends his best regards to all CDP customers and website visitors.

02Mar2016-04-05

Costume design failures

What is a costume design failure from the designer’s view? All costumes which are not in line with the performer or the act, is a costume design failure.

Well, if you look at some videos via internet, you won’t need a detailed explanation how important a costume’s fit:

A wardrobe malfunction comes when a dress is not functional: it is designed just on paper and it was not tried during stage movements.

What do we expect from a good costume?

First of all it has to be a part of the show, like any other member of the act or performance. It has its role: mainly supporting the actress, giving her self confidence, highlighting her voluptuos innermost personality. (Women know exactly that being sexy is not the question of physical shapes, rather the inner feelings. A good stage costume supports these feelings.)

On the other hand we all know that the act is not the same in a jogging… The costume has to be something different. Cheapy fabrics, wrong color combinations, wrong choose of the style could result the same.

Last but not least, a costume designer must keep in mind that the costume must be alive on the stage or in the circus ring. The performer moves, jumps, runs, sits down or touches others during the show. As you can see, huge wardrobe disasters can happen…

Thanks to my own dancer career, I am fully aware of these requirements, and my designs include this experience.

Wishing you successful performances in your costume design plans dresses,

Zsuzsanna Völgyi

P.S. You can ask for your own costume design:I will be happy to get in touch with you.