Jacquin: Tell us about your average day while doing costume design on location in Mexico recently. Were you working on a film, play, or another project altogether?
Niamh: I was
working in a beautiful historical ton of San Miguel three hours for
Mexico city. It was an exciting project directed by Dorothy Lyman and
my second time working on Ms Lymans productions. The play I
worked on titled "Enemy", was centered around the discovery of water contamination. It
was a hard task as this was my first big production. I had seven cast
members to dress in
addition to being
in a town that spoke very little English. I was fortunate
enough that most actors had a strong wardrobe already, so we worked
around that. I loved the challenges I faced on this particular
costume
job.
I
learned so much.
Jacquin: Do
you and the costume design team consider the characters of the story
when developing each person's costume?
Niamh: This project was very
different to anything I have worked on. Before this I had done small
styling jobs by myself or bigger productions
such as Jessica Jones and Woody Allen’s 2015 Summer Project, in which I was
directed and very much guided through the process. With "Enemy" I was
really on my own and it was my first time having to break down a script, which was a great learning opportunity.
Jacquin: I
know you have a diverse career background. What experiences inspired
and prepared you to work in the costume design industry?
Niamh: It's
funny that I am doing costumes and pursuing this as a career. I
never planned it, it just happened. When I was in Ireland studying
in the National College of Art and Design, I opted to do graphic
design thinking it was a less competitive career path. I
was sadly mistaken, but ultimately realized I truly wanted to be a designer. I decided not to let self doubt stand in my
way and here I am today.
I think my interest in costumes came from having always been a lover of films and the costumes in films. There are so many films out
there that have inspired and impacted its viewers. I love that moment when you're watching a performance or movie and you have an imitate reaction to the character the actor is embodying. I feel costumes play a huge role in developing that relationship and bond between the viewer and character. It's subconscious, but it is still there.
Previous costume production project Niamh McKeever worked on.
Previous costume production project Niamh McKeever worked on.
Jacquin: Did
you get to work on-set or was most of your work done off set?
Niamh: Every
job is different. I am still in between production and the costume department. For
Woody Allen's production I was only onset once, but most of my days were spent running around the city dropping of garments, organizing rooms full of
gowns, and other off-set duties. With this production ("Enemy"), I was my own boss but a part of a smaller team. I was pretty much everywhere from the threatre to local
shops to conducting fittings with actors.
Jacquin: What components are involved in costume design?
Niamh: On
a big production such as film, you will have at least forty people
working in the costume and wardrobe departments, and I have worked in both departments. For costumes, that is usually
always based on stage where costumes are prepped for
episodes. From the work of seamstresses, to buyers, interns and the designers themselves, this is where
everything is planned in great detail for production. For wardrobe, we work on location dressing the actors and
background. Both jobs are very different but extremely fun.
When most people think of "costume design" for film and threatre, they think of someone hand creating every garment for the production (which it sometimes can be), but it is much broader than that. Working in a production's costume department involves budgeting
materials, as sometimes costumes are purchased from costume houses from
across the world. It also involves styling outfits and accessories for the actors and actresses. As of now, all my jobs have been style based
and pulling looks together to create the character from the script. However, I
am returning to Ireland and I am excited to start my next venture into
dress making.
Previous costume production project Niamh McKeever worked on.
Jacquin: What
was your favorite thing about living in Mexico temporarily? Did you
find any great fashion additions while there?
Niamh: Mexican
fashion is so beautiful and ornate. I didn’t go to crazy shopping while living there, but it is very easy to do so. I saw so many talented local
designers, but my favorite had to be Recreo by American designer Charlie
Coleman. Recreo is based in Mexico and was inspired by Mexican
heritage combined with Charlie's own creative flare. My favorite shopping find in Mexico was the Coral cashmere tweed Alejandra wrap.
Jacquin: What was the best thing you learned while working on this production in Mexico?
Niamh: I feel I’ve learned a lot while living in Mexico. I was working with very talented actors, but there were some challenges along the way. In this case the actors were far apart in look from the characters they were playing. Different body types can also be a challenge many designers face and I faced, as well. One of the actors had a muscle disease which made him unable to hold his shoulders up. He was playing a politician, which required an outfit with structure, but it was difficult because nothing would sit on his shoulders. Thankfully in the end we figured out a solution and everyone looked amazing! I also experienced that when going to work a job in another country like this, it is very beneficial to learn the relevant languages. It's also important to have respect for and acknowledge the local culture of the community you are working in.
Learn more about Niamh on her recent "Fashion meets Interior Design" blog feature or over at her stylish fashion blog, Lawless.
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