Alumni
Theatre Costume Design Grad Creating for Film and Television
Theatre Costume Design Graduate, Erica Patapoff, who also has a degree in Fashion Design from FIDM, is currently working as a film and television costume designer.
Where were you born and raised? I was born and raised in Texas, where I spent most of my childhood in the Dallas area.
How did you hear about FIDM? What made you want to attend? When I was a junior in high school, I was attending College Night and looked down the long hallway at rows of dark and dismal tables. Suddenly, I spotted a brightly colored table standing out at the very end. Naturally, I was drawn to it amongst the sea of ordinary and had to to check it out. It turns out it was FIDM’s table and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that they offered not one, but two degrees in Costume Design. Until then, I had convinced myself that I would never be able to make a realistic career out of costuming, but that night opened up a new world of possibility. I went to the DEBUT show soon after and knew without a doubt that was where I needed to be.
When did you first become interested in costume design? I think the spark for costume design has always been there for me. I eagerly learned how to sew at a very early age and got involved with theatre as soon as I could. The day when we got our costumes was always my favorite part of performing (that should have been an early clue), but it wasn’t until I chickened out of a singing audition for Beauty and the Beast that everything changed. I still desperately wanted to be a part of the show and since I knew how to sew, I figured I’d give costuming a shot. I haven’t turned back since.
What were some of the key lessons you learned at FIDM? The creativity and passion has always come naturally to me, as I am sure it does to most designers, but FIDM taught me how to harness my ideas, fine tune them, and confidently turn them into reality. For example, through FIDM I was able to explore both draping and pattern drafting, and in doing so, I discovered that draping was the best way for me to not only communicate my design ideas to others, but it unlocked an endless source inspiration that I didn’t know was there.
What was it like to participate in DEBUT? I absolutely loved being a part of DEBUT. It was a bit surreal because I remembered sitting in the audience as a junior in high school and hoping that would be me one day. It was hard work to be sure, but every single day was valuable and I came out of the program with such a wealth of knowledge, resources, and confidence in my craft. The instructors were incredible and fully prepared me for my career after FIDM. In fact, I still keep in touch with some of my instructors and talk to them on a weekly basis, they were such an integral part of my foundation as a designer and I am so grateful for that (thanks, Kara).
What jobs have you held since graduating in 2015? I have been lucky to have some pretty amazing jobs since graduation. I worked as a costume technician at J&M Costumers where I helped make costumes for artists like Ariana Grande. Afterwards, I helped design costumes and accessories (think tiaras, jewelry, and shoes) for Disney Stores. I am a huge Disney fan, so being able to design princess and superhero costumes was a dream come true.
What are you doing now? I am now a costume designer for film and TV, with a particular focus in period work. Currently, I am working on a feature length fairytale (I can’t say what it is yet, sorry). What I do varies from film to film, sometimes I am designing and making custom costumes from scratch, other times I may be pulling from costume rental houses. Regardless, it is my job to help bring a character to life and tell a story through costume.
What advice would you give to someone who wants a career in costume design? Stay hungry. Something that I love about this career is that you never stop learning. There is always a new technique, or another time period, or a new material to experiment with. Do everything you can to learn and be inspired. Join your local theatre group, cosplay, go to museums, watch movies, apprentice a tailor at your local dry cleaner’s, listen to podcasts, sketch your towel on the bathroom floor, sew, paint, learn. Most of all, don’t let yourself be discouraged. Costuming is a lot of work and quite frankly it’s hardly ever glamorous, but at the end of the day it is so incredibly rewarding.
Learn more at thecostumecountess.com
Categories: Theatre Costume Design Alumni
