MORE THAN A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY: REBA AND STACEY

This past week I had the pleasure of doing the wardrobe styling for a music video starring a young Canadian singer, the up and coming country vocalist and song-writer Stacey McKitrick. As I went to research her, I saw that one of her idols was Reba McEntire. Interesting co-incidence.

Years ago, when I was just starting to make a name for myself as a designer, I got a phone call from a personal manager who was looking for someone to design an outfit for another up and coming country singer, namely Reba McEntire. Reba and I met for a coffee to see if we were a good fit and though I had never much listened to country music, Reba was so down to earth and engaging I felt I could do a good job. 

In looking for inspiration, I turned to a current passion of mine, patchworking, and decided to design for her a high end “log cabin” patchwork skirt, made out of cotton prints in rusts and browns, which I  then had lightly beaded to add that show business sparkle. The blouse was a peasant style, again in a lacy fabric that was also embellished with some beads. 

The tricky part for me was that I chose to have the outfit constructed at Bob Mackie’s company, Elizabeth Courtney Costumes. It was tricky because, on one hand I knew that the workmanship would be brilliant, but awkward, as Bob had been my first employer and mentor,  and now I was expecting to be treated as an equal while bringing my client to his costume workroom.

Everything went well, Reba loved the outfit, and on the evening of the CMA Awards I watched anxiously from home to see my outfit. Horrors! When I first spotted her she was not wearing it! But then later she changed, and when the 5 nominees for Entertainer of the Year were announced, and Reba WON for the first time in her career, I got to see my outfit go up on that stage to accept that award!!

Many years later I was filming a TV series at Sony Studios and saw that she was also filming her sitcom “Reba” a few sound stages away. I was nervous about dropping by to see her, because now she was a huge star, but she was extraordinarily gracious and kind, and sang praises for that costume, telling me it was now on  display in the CMA Museum in Nashville.

So then last week, I got to meet and outfit the lovely Stacey McKitrick, for her first music video. From a small town just outside Vancouver BC, Stacey is tall and stunning, and I and everyone on the crew had a ball working with her. Her music is great and I hope when she is up for her first CMA award, she will call on me!  

For information on online costume training, please visit me at http://hollywoodmentors.com

Chimps, Orangutans, a dog and a rat

Strangely enough, not all my actors have been human. But if you are against putting dresses on dogs or costumes on animals in any way, this post is not for you. 

The first non-human I costumed was a primate called “Bubbles”, owned by Michael Jackson. Bubbles was cast as the mascot for the Peaches team in “A League of Their Own” and had to have a Peaches uniform made for him. My assistant Kiki and I called the trainer and asked for his measurements! - chest, waist, shoulders? do they have shoulders?  We just applied what we usually asked for when measuring humans. When Bubbles came for a fitting, he sat on the table as we tried the outfit on and looked at me with big brown eyes. The dress was a little big. “Can I pin it?” I asked the trainer. “Will he be OK with that?” “ Yes”, he replied, “as long as you don’t stick him”. Believe me, I was VERY careful.

But by far the most extensive and varied were my costumes for non-humans on NBC’s daytime drama “Passions”, a show that never vied far from the weird, exotic, magical, and unique.  In one scene one of the characters has a bad date and turns her nasty suitor into a rat. To make the point, we had to make a little vest for the rat to match the one that the charactor was wearing, and figure out how to keep it on him. And yes, the rat was brought in for fittngs, three in fact.

But anyone who watched Passions for more than one episode knows of the character “Precious”, played by a young orangitang called Bam Bam (a male). Mrs Wallace, Beth’s mother, was so cantankerous that all her nurses had quit, so they finally hired Precious the nurse to take care of her! Then Precious got a crush on Luis, played by the soap opera-gorgeous Galen Gering, and began having daydreams about him! So I had to create outfits for these many fantasies! First I had to make him a wedding gown, then a Scarlet O’Hara “Gone With the Wind” outfit. Then a hot pink peignoir with boa trim. Then an Olympic skating dress in blue sequins. And many many more.

One of my favorites was a green velvet cape with white fur trim for a winter skating scene. I had spotted the cape at a well known vintage store, a child’s cape. I didn’t have the heart to tell the owner that I was putting the lovely vintage cape on an orangutang.

We all adored Bam Bam. On the days he was coming up to the wardrobe department for a fitting, all the wardrobe crew wanted to come and watch. He arrived piggyback on the back of his trainer (who had him since birth) and stood on our big cutting table. Out came the outfit, and on the direction of his trainer, he would lift first one leg and then the other to step into it. So cute. Once I apologized to his trainer for putting him a particularly frilly outfit, and he told me, “he’s an animal, he doesn’t know its pink and frilly”. Oops, of course not.

Not everyone liked seeing this character. There were protests from animal lovers who felt it was un-natural (which of course it was) and cruel. However, other than the fact that Bam Bam didn’t like wearing hats and got bored from too long a shooting shceudle (much like human actors) he never seemed unhappy. He loved getting picked up and posing for photos with his arms around his human friends.

Eventually, Bam Bam grew into a fully grown adult, meaning his acting career was coming to an end. It was a truly emotional day when he did his last scene and all the actors and crew gathered on stage to say goodbye. He seemed to sense that something emotional was happening as he looked at all of us sillies crying our eyes out.

Bam Bam went to a “retirement home for primates” in Florida. Honestly. Every once in a while we hear that someone has ben to see him and that he is healthy and happy and being very orangutangish. 

Don't forget to visit me to find out more about online costume training at

http://hollywoodmentors.co

THE POWER OF RED!

When I was watching the Emmy Awards recently,  every time a gown made an impression on me, it was a red dress! See Kerry Washington, Lea Michele, Sofia Vergara, and  Kate Winslet. I guess I just love red dresses.

There are a couple of iconic red dresses that are burned vividly and indelibly into my brain, never to fade. One was designed by the wonderful Aggie Guerard Rodgers for “The Color Purple” (for which she was nominated for an Oscar Award). It was worn by Whoopi Goldberg as “Celie”, and in the scene she was running along the road towards her house. An ominous grey sky was behind her which made the dark red dress become so much more intense as it swirled around her, and the whole mood felt intense and slightly dangerous.  I’ve often wondered if Aggie just got lucky that day with the weather - would it have been as dramatic on a day with blue sky and sunshine?

The very first costume I designed for a major client was red and was for Ann-Margret. It was for a disco number (yes, disco..... this was a while back!) for her big nightclub act at Caesars Palace, and later the number was used on a TV special. I had already designed the outfits for the male dancers, and now I got to design a dress for the star. The first time she emerged on stage wearing my dress was a moment I will never forget!

But if I am to define red, in a perfect world, it would be a beaded gown by Giorgio Armani on exhibit in Rome at a retrospective of the fashion designer’s work. I was in Rome on holiday and read about the Armani exhibit mounted at the ancient Roman Baths of Diocletian. We entered the exhibit, and the first cavernous room was exceedingly dark. I wondered who would be so perverse as to not light an exhibit so one could see it!  But as our eyes gradually adjusted, we could begin to see display cases of the designer’s subtly colored and understated daywear emerging from the shadows. The shapes were uncluttered, slightly androgynous, and executed in his “greige” palette.  But then we entered the next room, also dark. A single spotlight mounted up high shone onto a red beaded gown, and I gasped. The way our eyes had adjusted to the dim light in the previous room must have accentuated the brilliance of this dress. To me, it was the essence of red. The ultimate red. I shall never forget it.

Most of the time, especially in film, costume designers’ clothing for the actor should be so organic to the actors character that you are unaware of it. But once in a while, a costume is so dynamic to the moment that it lives in one’s memory forever.

For online costume training, visit me at http://hollywoodmentors.co

STARS IN THEIR UNDERWEAR: WHAT REALLY GOES ON IN A WARDROBE FITTING!

I must say, as a costume designer for primarily contemporary films and television, I LOVE what goes on in the fitting room. It is where the actor and I find the character. Together.

By the time I meet the actor, I’ve already talked to the producer and found out what he/she wants (“don’t spend too much”), I’ve talked to the director about the concept, and I’ve talked to  the production designer about the palette.

I’ve done the research, I’ve let it all brew together in my subconscious creative center. I’ve done the shopping, renting, sketching, and now the actor is coming in for a fitting. 

I set up the room with the mirror, good lighting, lots of pins and tags, and the selection of clothing that at this point is just “wardrobe”. With the actor, it will become a costume.

After the initial introductions and small talk, there will be that awkward pause, as the actor realizes he or she must undress and stand before me, near naked and at his most vulnerable. (Does my butt look big? Are my tits sagging? Did I wear clean underwear?)Some actors are totally comfortable “dropping trou” and getting ready to try on clothes. Others are more hesitant, as often it is the very first time they have met me. So at this point, I have to make a decision. Do I step  out of the room? Do I busy myself filling out a tag or looking at my notes? 

Often I just say “are you comfortable with me in the room?”. After years of experience, I can usually sense when I need to step out. I usually do so for really senior actors (even though often they are the most cavalier), for actors whose bodies might cause them to be self conscious, and for cerrtain ethnicities. I actually learned the hard way from an Indian actress who wouldn’t undress in front of me - she told me a woman of her culture would never disrobe in front of another woman.  And I ALWAYS step out if it is a child, as I expect them to have their parent or guardian with them.

Then the fun begins. We try on clothes. I have already brought in the clothes that I think will help them find the character, but I can never tell until it actually goes on the body and the actor “inhabits” it. I try and limit the number of “opinions” in the room, discouraging comments from assistants, girlfriends, agents, etc, so that I can carefully guide the actor into the outfit that I think works perfectly. They need to trust me, and I, in turn, need to earn their trust. I never tell an actor they look good if they don’t. If something is really looking awful on them, I make it my fault saying “damn, take that off, what was I thinking bringing that in”. I also know not to say “OMG, you have such a hot body!”, even though I might be thinking it!

Eventually I can tell from the most subtle of body language that the actor is starting to feel right in the clothing. Now it is beginning to become a costume. Now all is left is to do the alterations that make it perfectly adjusted for their body, photograph them in the wardrobe to send over for approval from the director or producer, make tags and notes for scene numbers and voila, we have a costume!

If the actor turns to me and says “i didn’t really find the character until I put on this costume”, you will find me beaming from ear to ear, as I have done my job.

Being out of your comfort zone is good for a career.

I am around young people a lot in my role as costume designer for independent films, videos, commercials etc and in my role as a mentor, and I am often reminded how terrifying “first times” can be in a career, especally at the start of a new job, a new film, a new anything that requires you to work in your chosen profession and risk failing. 

But risk-taking is essential for moving forward in a career. When I am asked, should I quit my day job and go for full time acting/directing/designing? Should I move to LA? Should I quit the full time dancing gig I have (in the chorus, where I can go no further), and risk everything auditioning for principle roles?..... my answer is always yes! yes! yes! If you are asking the question, then you are ready to take the next step. You must take the next step. If you are too comfortable, you won’t move forward. Somehow the very act of making that scary leap of faith forces you to land on your feet. 

Many years ago, when I was a dancer on Broadway, my friends thought I was crazy for turning down a new job in the long running show “Hello Dolly”, but it was another chorus job and I wanted to act. It took a while, but I eventually got my first acting role as Gendolyn Pigeon in the National Company of “The Odd Couple.” 

Some years later, after five years of being an assistant costume designer, (though an assistant to the very best, Bob Mackie) and wanting to move on,  it took working days as an assitant and nights designing low budget theatre projects for no pay. I often was so exhausted I thought I would die.  But I got my name out there as a costume designer in my own right, which eventually led to my first paid costume designer job on “The Fact of Life”. Flash forward: after I had designed half a dozen TV sitcoms, one producer had the nerve to tell me that I would NEVER get hired for a serious drama or movie, since I was known for sitcoms. I took great delight in proving her wrong! 

The scary times were many. But what I learned is this:

• You never die from exhaustion. You may feel really lousy and think you are going to die, but you don’t.
• You won’t starve. You may get a tiny bit behind on your bills, but you won’t starve.
• You will never get hired for a job that someone doesn’t believe you can do, even if you don’t quite believe it yet yourself.
• You can get through those first frightening days and weeks of a new job if you keep showing up, staying calm, listening and watching, and most of all, believing that each day will get a little easier and you will feel a little more confident. Before long you will feel totally confortable in your position, and before you know it, you’ll want to be out on the edge again!

Remember to check out my online costume training program at http://hollywoodmentors.co

What is Diana Ross really like, really?

One day, the phone rang in my bedroom very early, In fact my husband and I were still in bed asleep. He answered  the phone, and then turned to me wide-eyed, saying “it’s Diana Ross”!!. She was in Atlantic City,  was a week away from embarking on her European tour, and was short one wardrobe assistant. Bob Mackie had recommended me. Could I fly to Atlantic City tomorrow to meet with her?

And so I did. A ticket was sent, a car was waiting to pick me up at the airport, and I was brought directly to meet her backstage where she was appearing at one of the big hotels. Right away it was discovered that both of us having the same first name was not going to work, and since she obviously was not about to change her name, I was asked to quickly choose a name for myself that she could call me. On the spot, what name do you choose? Diane -- too close. Dinah - nah. Beatrice, my middle name? Quaint, but not right. So I settled on “Dee”, and that’s what I became for as long as I worked with her.

People often ask me what Diana Ross is like. The impression often is that she is a grand diva. But that’s not what I saw. I saw someone who was driven to be the very best she could be, but who at the same time was also very protective of her hard earned stardom. She made sure that she enjoyed the best for herself in hotels, dining, clothing, jewelry, private planes and limos. She adored the police escorts she sometimes got leaving a concert and heading for the airport. But she also treated her musicians and crew to the finest in hotels, the best catered meals, and private planes to transport us around. In return she expected 110% from all of us.

There was always a bit of a push-pull dynamic between her and her musicians and crew. She kept the line very clear between her as “The Boss” (in fact, we all had to call her Miss Ross). She was not our pal, our girlfriend, our drinking buddy. Not at all. But at the same time she considered us all her tour family, and took very good care of us.

She insisted on signing all the checks, since she felt that was the only way to keep an eye on and some control of the money. This however, sometimes could be a problem. If she was exhausted from flying around, performing  and doing press,  a huge pile of checks to be signed would pile up, and pay day was sometimes late. 

One concert venue gave me an interesting insight into her. We were playing an old arena (in Hershey Pa.) and the dressing room they had set up for her leaved a lot to be desired. She usually was quite demanding about the privacy, decor, and everything else for her dressing room, but it was obvious that in this particular arena, those usual needs were not going to be met.  I mentioned something in apology, and she said “Oh Dee, I have seen far worse than this in my touring days with the Supremes. If its honestly the best they can do, you just have to go with it”.  I had seldom heard her refer to Motown days or Supreme days, so this was an interesting revelation.

Other than her body guard, I was probably the one who was closest to her for most of the concert. I got to the venue early, was shown the room which would be her dressing room. I organized how it could be draped or reconfigured to meet her needs. I surveyed the food and drink that was ordered for her to make sure nothing was forgotten. I set out her make-up on the table for her, put the shampoo in the bathroom, lined up her shoes. Once we got close to show time, where she was preparing, I was even the gatekeeper! If there was a knock on the door and her musical conductor, Joe Guercio, or her lighting designer Allen Branton wanted to see her, they had to ask me. I would then ask her if she would see them.

I would also set up her quick change areas for those incredibly fast wardrobe changes. Even those had very specific requirements. There had to be four walls and a roof drape for total privacy,  enough light to see well, a good mirror, a chair for her to sit on to make a shoe change, and a pot of hot coffee, which I had to struggle to make the exact right temperature. As she came rushing off stage, I would strip off her gown, and help her into her next gown. The shoes were the worst -usually high strappy sandals which I had to wrap around her ankles and thread through the buckle as fast as I humanly could, fingers shaking or not! Once I did it in record time and without thinking I slapped her on the butt as if to say, go girl! Then I realized what I had done. But she was off and on stage singing, and I don’t think she noticed.

I was also with her at the famed Central Park Concert that got rained out....but I’ll save that for another time. It deserves a post of its own!

And don't forget to visit me at http://hollywoodmentors.co

Late Bloomers and Mentors

One of the things that has inspired me to launch HollywoodMentors.co are the emails I receive from aspring designers who ask me for advice about how to get started in a career in costume design. 

It is not an easy question to answer, as the business is so unique, the locations where one can be a designer so few and far between, and the way in so different for each person. But what I DO know is that it is always possible for those who have the the persistence, perserverence, and down right tenacity to do whatever it takes to get that foot in the door.

I once interviewed several highly successful designers about their career beginnings. Al Wolsky, for example, seven time Oscar nominee, and two time Oscar winner for Bugsy and All That Jazz, started “late”, in his thirties. He had started his professional life as a travel agent, working in his family’s firm, but felt after a while it was not for him. He got a job “picking up pins”, as he puts it, at famed costume workroom Barbara Matera’s. The point is, he was willing to do the lowliest of jobs just to be in the right environment and in a place where he could learn from the best.

I did not start my career in costume deisgn until I was in my thirties. After a number of years dancing in shows on Broadway, followed by another 5 or 6 years touring in national companies as an actress, I moved to Los Angeles and met a man who was looking for someone to coordinate wardrobe for the dancers and singers in Ann-Margret’s Las Vegas nightclub act. I didn’t think I knew much about costumes, but I knew about dancers and their needs and next thing I knew I was flying up to Las Vegas, staying at Caesar’s Palace, and organizing and prepping mulitple outfits for 8 dancers and 4 singers. I was working with Ann-Margret, Roger Smith, and was soon to meet my future mentor, the fabulous costume designer Bob Mackie.

It was never officially called “a mentorship” as I was hired and paid as one of his assitants for the show “Jubilee”.  I can trace every job I have had in the last 25 years to my start with Bob, and just about everything I learned about costumes I learned from him. 

As the saying goes, “ luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” I was one lucky girl! 


More on my costume training at http://hollywoodmentors.co