A button hole can be a very complicated project.
In theatre, the costume a character wears is much more significant and complex than a simple article of clothing. A costume can be as important as the script because it gives information to the audience, such as the character's wealth status. Costumes can also communicate the type of job a character has, or the race, religion or sex of a character. Undoubtedly, costumes are the most intimate aspect of the visual theater experience because the characters wear them.
Reading
Once a costume designer has been chosen for a production, she must first read the play from beginning to end. While reading, the designer must pay extra special attention to the details of the script, such as the time and place where events occur. The designer must develop a deep understanding of each character. He must understand the complexity to the character's personality and how one relates to other characters, as well as a deep understanding of that character's work and physical role in the production. The designer must analyze each character thoroughly before making any costume decisions.
Organizing and Sketching
After the costume designer has read and understands the play, she must organize her thoughts and begin to think about how each character should look. To do this, the designer may create collages with colors, textures, photos of objects, etc. Typically the characters all have to flow together, so before focusing on individuals, the costume designer will design the theme of the play in general. He must also organize each individual character. After organizing the play, costume designers are actually able to start sketching what they think the costumes and other costume accessories should look like.
Creating
Following the organization and sketching step, the costume designer is actually able to start piecing fabric and accessories together to create the actual costumes. This step is the most time consuming and requires a lot of measuring. The designer must measure each character before they can start cutting and stitching fabrics. Once the designer has the sizes of each character, they can make individual costume pieces to fit the character's specific body type. For most costume designers, this step is the most fun.
The Production
Finally, the costume designer must be present for all rehearsals and live productions of the performance. Wardrobe malfunctions can make the audience laugh, but they can also cause the audience to be distracted from the play. Costume designers must be on hand at all times to fix any problems that might occur. These problems can include actual problems with rips in the costume fabric, breakage in accessories, or simple color clashes with the stage lights. For a costume designer, the job is not over until the final curtain falls.
