Accessories – Philadelphia
May 2008 brought on the start of my freelance costume design career. I had always been passionate about fashion and film since I was twelve years old. Feeling it was time to put my fashion design knowledge and experience to the test, which is when I began searching online for costume design and wardrobe postings. There was an interesting costume designer position for a short film that caught my attention on film.org. I met and spoke with the producer and the writer/director to show my portfolio of sketched designs. After our meeting they asked me to become a part of the project. We worked very early in the morning and very late at night. We had a film festival, bake sales, parties and sold merchandise to fund the film. After the film was completed I was asked to become a part of the writer/director’s film collective as the head costume design and to research grants for the group’s future projects. We when on to do a second project with the script complete, locations booked, casting set and costumes done. One of the main actors pulled out of the project at the last minute and during that time the collective decided that we were all going in different directions so we moved on to separated projects. This was my first time working on a film but I gave the film 110% and I loved every moment of it. I learned so much about filmmaking, myself and working with a number of different personalities.
The silent conversation that can be had through clothing will always intoxicate me. I love the craftsmanship that I can recognize in a complex stitch and fabrication. I say these things because seeing the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art reawaken my passion for fashion. To witness my favorite fashion designers body of work in rooms of people from all over the world stirred the core of me. From the lighting to the soundtrack in the background, both called out to a woman who lives for creativity, drama and flare. Standing in front of the wearable artwork cracked me right open. The way every piece spoke to the part of me that needed to be alive again for good; here I was taking in all this beautiful energy. Yes, I took a break from a pursuing a career in fashion retail because I wasn’t sure that my passion matched up with reality. But attending the exhibit and working outside the industry for three years has proved to me that I have to make my dreams a reality.
I am currently creating a page on the Etsy.com website to sell the earrings and accessories I have designed. Needing to take wonderful pictures of my merchandise for the page, a photo shoot would have to be organized. It was my first time doing a photo shoot, so I when to the library looked at some books and researched on the internet. Within my creative circle I recruited a photographer who suggested a guy with a great location to take the photos. So, I contacted the guy about the details of my photo shoot and he was very flexible. Then I chose to contact three creative and beautiful dancers from a burlesque troupe that I have done work for as the modeling talent about the date and time. Scheduling the photographer, the shooting location and ladies changed a few times but that did not stop me from producing a very successful photo shoot.