London Costume Design

The London Costume Design Experience provides young fashion design students and professionals with a week-long emersion into the world of Costume Design.

Attendees will be mentored by experienced costume designers from London's television, film, and theater industry.  The program offers hands-on experience and behind-the-scenes access where you'll learn practical skills that will prepare you for a career in costume design.

Deborah Cantor is a renowned London costume designer working in all genres of film, TV, theatre, and commercials with over 25 years experience. Her career began working for high profile glossy magazines British Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, before transitioning to the costume department at the BBC. Deborah has been lead costume designer for major networks such as Fox, ITV, Sky, Comedy Central and Amazon. Her body of work includes The Extraordinary Life of April Ashley (Channel 4), Liverpool Narcos (Sky), The Great British Sewing Bee (BBC 1), The Lateis7h Show (Channel 4), working with many of the biggest names in British entertainment, including Gordon Ramsay, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Dame Shirley Bassey, Jodie Kidd, and Chris O'Dowd. Her expertise in costume design makes her an invaluable resource for those aspiring to work in the entertainment industry.

Richard Drew has been working in Television Production Design for the past 36 years and has close to nearly 200 credits to his name. Starting out as an Art Dept Assistant in the late 1980’s, Richard is still very much in demand as a Production Designer and his career shows no sign of slowing down. Recent credits include This Time With Alan Partridge, Intelligence, Stath Let’s Flats, The Witchfinder, The Larkins , The Chelsea Detective and the hugely successful After Life, which to date has been seen by over 120 million people. Richard is currently Production Designing the new series of McDonald and Dodds for ITV and following that will be taking over the Design reigns on the new series of Mandy for the BBC.

Venetia Ercolani is an Award Winning Costume Designer - ROYAL TELEVISION SOCIETY AWARD for BBC STRICTLY DANCE FEVER in 2006. She has over 30 years of Costume Design, having started in the theatre and then as a staff designer at the BBC. Her work ranges from LA PASSIONE a Feature Film written by Chris Rea and starring Shirley Bassey.INQUISITION a 16th-century Drama starring DEREK JACOBI. Situation Comedy MULBERRY starring Geraldine McEwan to TV Series Gladiators 2008 to BBC1 Any Dream Will Do, Eastenders serial drama. Drama Series The Hello Girls for ITV and Red or Black for Syco TV.She has experienced an amazing Career, covering every genre of TV, very grateful.

Our professional costume designer will assist throughout the day by educating the students on time periods, ideal accessories, and completing a luxury look for at least one character they've chosen in your digital mood board.

Saville Row & Jermyn St Tour

Explore behind the scenes to meet the skilled tailors and cutters, and gain insights into the opulent textiles and techniques employed in creating bespoke suits that meet the exacting Royal standards. Discover the rich heritage of British tailoring, explore the significant contributions of women in this craft, and uncover the meticulous craftsmanship that has perfected this art to achieve Royal distinction.

• Learn about the history of British tailoring and craftsmanship.
• Talk with tailors who have perfected this art and achieved the Royal standard.
• Get inspired by the fabrics and tailoring for at least one of your characters.

Harrods

Established in 1806, Harrods is a world-renowned department store located in London. It holds several Royal Warrants and is known for its vast array of over 330 departments, making it one of the largest and most iconic shopping destinations globally. Attendees of the private tour will gain valuable insights into luxury craftsmanship, finding inspiration for costume and apparel design.

• Analyze luxury trends from the world’s most iconic brands. 
• Observe how trends of the past impact modern apparel design. 
• Find inspiration for character accessories from luxury brands.

Our professional costume designer will assist throughout the day by educating the students on time periods, ideal accessories, and completing a theater costume look for at least one character they've chosen in your digital mood board.

Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is a British Opera Company famous for world-renowned opera and ballet productions. Attendees will experience an exclusive tour to learn about costume and set design  while peaking into the fascinating world of craftspeople who create the stunning costumes, scenery, and sets for the Royal Opera House.

• Learn about costume design in the context of opera and ballet productions.
• Discover how costume designers impact set design in productions.
• Explore lighting techniques to enhance stage and costumes.

National Theater

Delve into the fascinating world of theater production with a behind-the-scenes tour of London's National Theater.  You'll gain insight into the crucial role of costume design in bringing theatrical masterpieces to life.

• Learn about innovative costume design techniques used in productions.
• Discover how costume and props work together to bring productions to life on stage.
• Gain insight into sustainable theatre design principles to reduce waste in productions.

Live Theatre: Moulin Rouge

We will explore the West End, a shopping and entertainment destination where street style and theater merge. We will end the day attending the award-winning musical production of Moulin Rouge at the world-famous Piccadilly Theater, where what we learned at our Theater Tours will influence how we experience the play live and provide inspiration for our theater character.

• Analyze key character costume themes in the musical. 
• Identify the color palettes of the costumes that influence the atmosphere of the production. 
• Observe how the hats, shoes, jewelry, and props complete the characters’ looks.