The Costume Designer's Toolkit

Holly Poe Durbin is an award-winning costume designer for theater, opera, independent film, and themed entertainment. She has collaborated with notable actors such as Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, William Shatner, Martin Short, and Tessa Thompson to create engaging characters. She has worked internationally, on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional theaters around the US including the South Coast Repertory, the Old Globe Theatres, Mark Taper Forum, St. Louis Repertory, Cincinnati Playhouse, Portland Center Stage, Shakespeare Center LA, and Playmakers Repertory in North Carolina. She was the costume director for the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles and is the head of costume design studies at the University of California Irvine.

Part 1: The Designer’s Tools 1. What the Costume Designer Brings to a Production 2. Collaborative Creativity 3. Design Elements Create a Picture 4. Color Creates Emotions 5. Design Principles Create Meaning 6. Fabrics Create Definition Part 2: A Designer Prepares 7. Getting Paid: All that Glitters... 8. Script, Plot, and Story 9. The Mechanics of a Script 10. Characters Engage the Audience 11. The Story Unfolds on a Stage Part 3: A Designer Explores 12. Generating Ideas 13. Adding Authenticity with Research Part 4: Concept Development 14. The Design Approach 15. Designing the Character Costume 16. Communicating the Costume Design Part 5: Feasibility 17. Defining the Scope of a Show 18. Budgeting Creative Projects 19. Leading Teamwork Part 6: Production 20. Pull it Together: Sourcing and Organizing Costumes 21. Styling Menswear 22. Meet Your Maker: Made-to-Order Costumes 23. Accessories and Costume Props 24. Hair and Makeup Design Part 7: Evaluate 25. Preparing for Fittings 26. Fitting Garments 27. The Rehearsal Period Part 8: Refine the Vision 28. Dress Rehearsals Part 9: Opening and Epilogue 29. Design Documentation 30. Growing Your Art Appendix – Sample Resume