Originally posted by UbiNoemie:
Imagine yourself a Famed Costume Designer:
<span class="ev_code_GREEN">Jacqueline Saint Anne</span> Tells All!
Meet Jacqueline Saint Anne, Emmy award-winning designer and costume guru for film, television and the stage. Jacqueline is a grand dame of the entertainment industry having headed the Costume Designers Guild, taught master fashion design classes and has been involved with FIDM, USC, UCLA, UCLB
http://fidm.edu/ over many, many years. We are privileged to have her in our midst?
Tell us a bit more about you and your story:
I was born in Panama. I’ve lived in Paris as well. I’ve always believed in perspiration and aspiration as well as inspiration when it comes to designing clothes! When reading books as a child, I always thought of stories visually and would draw what I saw in my head. After college, I earned a Master degree in costume design and got a design job right away! Lucky me. A costume can tell just as much about a character as their words and so can clothes. After all, clothes are one of the most creative ways to say who you are and what you are about. Reading books, looking at all types of art and creating images from my imagination has continued to play a large part in my creative process, it’s a very personal and individual process for everyone.?
?When did you first know you wanted to work in fashion and the movies?
I’ve always been fascinated by the color and design of clothes from different cultures and periods of history. I have a passion for story telling through costumes and it has served me well. I had a very charismatic teacher who inspired me to follow theatre design as a career choice and I followed her as an example of how to be the best and most passionate designer I could be.
What do you like best about being costume designer?
Every single day is different: a new day; a new character, a new set; a new challenge. There are so many ways to dress people and tell a story. It’s never easy, but this is why I love it.
This is the challenge of fashion too. The simple concept of a T shirt can be designed with a different inspiration every day. I love that about the job.
How is it different—designing for the runway versus designing for the screen or stage?
You start with a design and then go in 2 different directions. If you are designing for a costume, you can design it to fit one person specifically and it could cost $10,000! But if you are designing for a line for stores like H&M or Abercrombie & Fitch, you want it to fit and appeal to 10,000 people and be able to be manufactured for the smallest price to have the smallest retail price.
If, however, you are designing for a runway collection, there are no limits on your creativity and the cost of manufacture is not a factor because the "Runway Show" is your art piece. One of my favorite, most creative runway designers was Yves St Laurent. His inspirations came from his travels—his shows were full of wild colors and fabrics, and he brought exotic locations to the world stage and his excitement inspired street fashion all over the world.
Can you tell us what it felt like to win an Emmy? Who did you thank? More importantly—what did you wear?
Being nominated for an Emmy was like winning already. It was a huge deal to me. The time from winning a nomination to attending to the Emmy’s when the winner is announced is like being a princess in a fairytale. Having your peers and colleagues congratulate and acknowledge you is the most wonderful feeling. When the envelope opens and they YOUR NAME, it is like a giant wave of emotion crashes over you. I blushed, felt overwhelmed, was nervous and very proud all at once. I remember thinking “How did I get from where I started… to this?”
I thanked my producers, actors, crew, my family who came to the Emmys with me and all the appropriate people. I was overwhelmed. I’m not a performer as I am always behind the lights but being in those lights I felt at once like a fish out of water and on top of the world. It was amazing.
Before the event it was a whirlwind at my house. I was sewing everyone's buttons, adjusting their tuxedos, helping with everyone's last minute details. When I saw the press pictures afterwards, there I was… without a stitch of makeup on. I had been so busy dressing everyone else that I just forgot. Still, I was wearing a magnificent outfit: a Christian Dior flaming orange suit. I definitely looked impressive.
What is your personal favorite Emmy red carpet looks from years past? If you had to choose your top 3?
Jennifer Love Hewitt wore a black and white Carolina Herrera dress at the 2008 Emmy Awards.
In 2009 Sandra Oh wore a beautiful and simple beaded gown
In 2010 Olivia Wilde in Reem A
What is your favorite fashion ?
Yves St Laurent stuff is great. I love the late 60’s carnaby street image. I am a fickle lover of fashion and so the looks I love change daily. I always think about my mother and her sense of fashion. My dad loved to surprise her with clothes. He thought she was a doll and wanted her to have everything. I loved one outfit in particular. It was a lace look cocktail dress, but ankle length. She looked amazing in it. It was one of the most stunning dresses ever and I remember it fondly.
What advice would you give young women about getting into the fashion or costume design industry--knowing what you know now?
I never imagined I would be standing there and winning an Emmy. It was such a surprising moment. The day to day excitement of designing and doing what I loved was enough. I want all young girls to love that they do. When fashion started happening as a career, it was totally un-planned, but, I worked hard and I never let anyone tell me no. My advice would be to fall in love with what you are creating. Enjoy and revel in the process of creating and don’t worry about the end goal, because it will happen. Imagine big and live your dreams!
Thank you Jacqueline for answering our questions!
Jacqueline will be judging the top 10 creations you did for the Emmys event, so be sure to participate! Let us know what you think and if you have any other questions for her!
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Game Master
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Junior Member
Kelly Osburne! Her dress is the best for me!!! Second is Lea's it's very chic and EMMY!!
