CHRISTIANNE BAKEWELL COSTUME DESIGN
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About Christianne

Christianne is a NYC based freelance costume designer who grew up in Nebraska. She received her BA in Theatre Studies from Northern Arizona University and her MFA in Costume Design at Rutgers University. Christianne's most recent work includes Bitter Greens at 59E59, Le Nozz di Figaro with Opera at Rutgers, Blood Wedding with Rutgers Theater Company, and she is also a Costume PA on the 7th season of Orange is the New Black.
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In addition to costume design, Christianne has an interest in wig construction and design. She enjoys the sculptural aspect wig design allows. Christianne has acted as a wig supervisor most recently for Classic Stage Company’s award winning revival of Carmen Jones.
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Easy Way to Go Green for Costume Departments

9/10/2018

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Lately in my personal life I have been trying to live "Greener". I compost, always have a reusable water bottle and bag with me, and use scratch paper if possible. I have been thinking how to make my career more green as well. I wrote an article about the "green movement" in theatre. 

At the end of the summer I started a new job as a Costume PA and the costume department does a bunch of things to be more green. The easiest thing we do (that more costume teams should do too) is we reuse our bags. Whether they are the 99 cent ones you can buy at the register or the paper ones from places like DSW and Victoria's Secret, we reuse every bag. It's great! Our 2nd Assistant Costume Designer either refuses a bag and puts the clothing in her own (I do this in my everyday life) or when we have to return items we use the bags we got when purchasing them. Reusable bags come in so many sizes that you can always find one to hold your purchases. 

Here is a very short list of stores that give you a "reusable bag" at check out:
  • Urban Outfitters
  • Free People
  • Steve Madden (But only specific sizes I believe) 
  • Beacon's Closet (Thrift/Vintage)
  • B&J Fabrics
Here are some stores that sell reusable bags:
  • Burlington Coat Factory
  • Buffalo Exchange (Thrift/Vintage)
  • Trader Joe's (Get yourself a snack while shopping?)
  • Whole Foods (2nd Lunch?)
  • Mood
  • Cass Art (UK, but only 1 pound! I own many of these)

​Are there any I have missed? This list is just one I have compiled from my time shopping and returning on many different productions. 

Once you get the reusable bags down, you can move on to reusing scrap paper for taping up your receipts, have a bin for recycling packaging pieces, etc. Let's make our passions and careers better for our earth!

UPDATE! Aerie, the underwear store that is attached to American Eagle also recycles bras! Bring in old bras and get a coupon for a new one! Gently used ones go to Free the Girls, while older ones are sent to recycling; any brand, and style! 
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5 Productions I'd LOVE to Costume Design

7/23/2018

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  1. Musical stage adaptation of Hercules-I'm looking at you Disney! Make this happen! The opportunities would be crazy with puppets, projections, etc. I have studied Ancient Roman and Greek clothing (the borrowed gods and clothes from each other so why not combine them a bit) and would love to use my knowledge in a mythical/magical reinventing of their garments. 
  2. Shrek The Musical-again, magical! The texture you can put into this show would be so fun. I have always had a special little part of my heart for this musical and the endless possibilities a designer could have with it.
  3. Rumors-this is a straight play by Neil Simon. When I was an actress I was in a production of this show. It is a hilarious comedy and allows for some decadence in styling the show as it takes place at a dinner party. As the characters descend into madness the costumes become more and more disheveled. 
  4. Mystery of Edwin Drood aka Drood-who doesn't like a musical that is improvised in the second act?! I designed this show as a paper project while working towards my MFA and my little sister was in a production of it many years ago. The show is fun and is actually a musical within a musical. Setting it in the Bustle Era would be even more fun. Think of the possibilities of the actor's undergarments before the show and the "run down" theatrical costumes one could create. 
  5. The Mousetrap-Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors. I would also settle for Murder on the Orient Express. The late 40s/50's that Christie sets her plots in is a great time period to use actual vintage in the show or as inspiration. Working on a show that you love is always a joy as well! I'm always up for a good mystery.
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10 Things About Me

6/25/2018

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  1. I used to be an actress
  2. In high school I wanted to be an architect
  3. I am always cold
  4. When painting my costume designs I like to stand and listen to rock music
  5. I'm allergic to latex and wool
  6. I love Disney
  7. My favorite movie is Charade
  8. The first realized design I ever had professionally was a small acapella musical called "Brick"
  9. I love playing board games
  10.  My favorite color is green
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Career Goals

5/14/2018

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As a young professional it is important to have some big goals set for yourself. I have two big reach goals I would love to work towards.

The first being- To design costumes for the cast members/parade/new show at a Disney theme park. As readers know I worked for the Walt Disney World Resort after I graduated from undergrad. (Read about it here) I really enjoyed working for the Disney company and bringing magical experiences to those visiting the parks. While there I had the opportunity to go backstage and meet with other cast members working in the creative costuming area. I even got to see some costume renderings for new princess dress designs, parade costumes, etc. I have always loved Disney and the joy it brings to so many people.

The second big goal for me is- To work on a show that transfers from Broadway to London (or is tested in London and then transfers to Broadway). Having lived in London for about 4 months as part of my MFA degree, I vowed I would come back to live there again. It is an exciting city and I would love to work and live in it again. 

These are my two big goals I have set for myself. Now I need to work on some smaller ones. 
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Vlog Episodes To Watch

9/4/2017

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There are so many Vlog channels and videos to watch out there. Here are a few Vlogs I enjoy and find useful for costume designers and technicians.
  • To teach an actor how to tie a bow tie send them here.
  • Just for fun or a presentation on makeup history check out Safiya Nygaard's quick history of lipstick to get started. She also has a quick history of the choker necklace. Keep it up!
  • For the business end of costuming I frequent The Financial Diet. I especially think their video on how follow dreams while making money very relevant to my current costuming career. But if that specific video doesn't interest you, they have plenty of info and insight on the money things you don't learn in grad school. 
  • For those of you who need a few tips to de-stress check out ASAPscience! Check out other videos they have too! You'd be surprised what applies to costumes. 
  • Most of us have seen the 100 years of Men's Fashion...etc. by Mode.com, but if you want to get more in depth with suits check out this special by the BBC! Follow this link for the whole show in once place.
These are just a few for you to watch over your lunch break or commute home. What videos do you find helpful when designing or building? Any specific vloggers to follow? Let me know!
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