Student
Tammy Khau Designing Moulin Rouge Costumes for DEBUT
It was when she was a student at Arcadia High School that Tammy Khau developed an interest in theatre. She took Stagecraft as an elective and fell in love with bringing the story to life through costume. She was awarded the Junior Advantage Merit Scholarship at FIDM, earned her A.A. in Fashion Design, and is now in the Advanced Study Theatre Costume Design Program designing Moulin Rouge costumes for the FIDM DEBUT Runway Show, live-streaming on Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 5:00 PM PDT. We caught up with her to learn more about her creative journey.
Which Moulin Rouge character(s) are you designing for? I’m designing for the Duke of Monroth, China Doll, Arabia, and a Moulin Rouge can-can dancer.
What silhouettes and fabrics can we expect to see? There will be sharp angular points contrasted with some asymmetrical flowy silhouettes. You can expect lots of vinyls, holographics, metallics, and more.
What is your point of view, as a designer? I try to do historical/background research on certain aspects then build and add creative designs. Since I have characters like the Duke, China Doll, and Arabia, I wanted to make sure I included things that would distinctively represent their characters while also incorporating cyberpunk, burlesque and Victorian themes.
How do you hope people will feel when they see your designs? I hope that people are able to enjoy it and have a good feeling after finishing the entire show.
What inspires you as a creative and as a fashion designer? I really enjoy looking at surrealism art and fashion and the creative process of bringing a character to life. I definitely try to pull inspiration from everyday things to make sure my designs are still functional and practical.
What is a lesson you’ve learned in this advanced program? A lesson I learned from the advanced program is that you shouldn’t overcomplicate things. It may just be easier than you think.
How is FIDM helping you get closer to your career goals? FIDM has given me a lot of opportunities to learn and grow in my journey to reach my goals.
Tell us a little about yourself and your path to FIDM: Ever since I was little I was interested in fashion in some way and once I got into high school I joined the theater department's stagecraft class as an elective. I joined the costume department and absolutely fell in love with the process of bringing a whole story to life. Since I was always interested in fashion, FIDM was always an option for me. And in my junior year in high school, I decided that the A.A. program and the advanced program would help me in a way no other school could, so I applied and was awarded the Junior Advantage Merit Scholarship.
Categories: Fashion Design Theatre Costume Design Student
