Costume Designers
Pro costume designers in the world's fashion capital, where Broadway wardrobe craft meets Fifth Avenue haute couture.
A costume designer creates the clothing and accessories worn by the cast. Wardrobe tells the story of each character, era, and social rank, and it carries the narrative arc. In New York, costume designers sit at the center of global fashion. That reach runs from the flagship stores of Fifth Avenue and the boutiques of SoHo to Broadway's wardrobe workshops in the Garment District and Brooklyn's creative Williamsburg scene.
We connect you with New York costume designers who bring both artistic vision and practical production skill to each project. Our network spans pros with access to Steiner Studios' wardrobe space, Broadway's Garment District workshops, and the Fashion Institute of Technology's resources. The city also offers an unmatched density of fashion houses, vintage dealers, and specialty costume suppliers.
ACT 01
Capabilities
Complete Costume Services
From concept sketches through final wrap, our costume designers build wardrobes that bring your characters to life.
01
Costume Design
- Character analysis
- Period research
- Sketch & rendering
- Color coordination
- Story arc wardrobe
Creative Vision
02
Construction
- Custom fabrication
- Pattern making
- Tailoring & fitting
- Aging & distressing
- Specialty pieces
Expert Craftsmanship
03
Sourcing
- Costume house rentals
- Vintage acquisition
- Contemporary shopping
- Accessory coordination
- Multiples management
Resource Access
04
Department Management
- Team coordination
- Budget tracking
- Continuity supervision
- Quick changes
- Background wardrobe
On-Set Leadership
ACT 02
Why Us
Why Choose Our Costume Designers
01.
New York Fashion Capital Heritage
Our designers tap the world's fashion capital, from Fifth Avenue's flagship couture houses and SoHo's designer boutiques to the Garment District's Broadway wardrobe workshops and Brooklyn's creative scene.
02.
International Production Experience
Our costume pros are seasoned on major shoots at Steiner Studios, Silvercup, and Kaufman Astoria, from Mrs. Maisel and Succession to Marvel features and many Broadway-to-screen adaptations.
03.
Garment District & Fashion Connections
We hold close ties with Broadway's wardrobe houses in the Garment District, Manhattan's luxury fashion retailers, Brooklyn vintage dealers, and New York's unmatched network of specialty costume suppliers.
04.
Gilded Age & Period Expertise
Our pros know Gilded Age, Prohibition-era, Jazz Age, mid-century, and disco-era New York fashion, with a deep grasp of how the city's costume style shifted across each borough and decade.
On Location
Costume designers working out of the world's fashion and Broadway capital
New York costume design carries a legacy other markets cannot match. It runs through Donna Zakowska's many Emmy-winning years on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Patricia Field's work on Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada, Catherine Martin's NYC features, and Sandy Powell and Arianne Phillips on East Coast shoots. The Broadway wardrobe houses in the Garment District have built each show from Hamilton to The Lion King. Our roster sits inside that lineage, with USA 829 designations, Broadway crossover credentials, and access to Fifth Avenue couture, SoHo designer boutiques, and the Brooklyn vintage and Williamsburg textile economy.
Sourcing routes through the Garment District workshops on West 38th and 39th, plus Western Costume's NY operations. We pull from Broadway-tier vendors Eastern Costume and TDF Costume Collection, and from vintage dealers like Stock Vintage and What Goes Around Comes Around. For period reference, our team leans on FIT's collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Our designers handle Gilded Age townhouses, Prohibition speakeasies, Jazz Age, 1970s grit, 1980s Wall Street excess, modern Williamsburg, and Mrs. Maisel-grade period work at the scale Steiner Studios, Silvercup, Kaufman Astoria, and Wildflower shoots need. Full union department support comes with it, from buyers and supervisors through cutters, stitchers, truck costumers, and on-set costumers.
On delivery, the rhythm starts with script breakdown and character analysis in week one. Next come sketch and mood-board approvals with the director and production designer, then fabric and rental pulls across the Garment District. Fittings run at studio wardrobe trailers or Manhattan ateliers. Our team oversees on-set scene matching through to wrap, with Local 764 IATSE wardrobe planning on union shows.
Construction covers custom builds for hero principals, plus aging and distressing for street and crowd scenes. We make multiples for stunts and wire work, quick-change rigs for prestige series with full episode-arc wardrobe, and background pulls sized to AD-team weekly counts. We log New York State Film Tax Credit (up to 30%) compliance across designer labor, costume rentals, fabrication, and dry-cleaning vendor invoicing. Our team coordinates cleanly with cinematographers from Local 600 East on palette and texture, with hair and makeup from Local 798, and with production designers in USA 829. That way the costume passes the color-and-period test on Apple TV+, HBO, Netflix, Disney+, FX, and Paramount+ HDR masters.
ACT 03
FAQ
Costume Design Expertise
What services does a costume designer provide?
The costume designer builds the look for each character through clothing, and the work runs from script analysis through final wrap. The job covers research, sketching designs, sourcing or making costumes, running fittings, and leading the costume department on set.
Can you handle period productions?
Yes, our costume designers focus on period work across Colonial, Gilded Age, Jazz Age, mid-century, and each era of New York history. The Garment District and Broadway's wardrobe houses offer unmatched period costume resources.
How do you handle background costumes?
We handle full background wardrobe, from sourcing and fitting to on-set management. Our team dresses large crowd scenes in the right period or modern clothing.
What about specialty costumes like stunts or effects?
We work closely with stunt and VFX departments on specialty needs—making multiples for action scenes, building costumes for wire work, and shaping pieces that fit practical effects.
Do you provide the full costume department?
Yes, we can staff your whole costume department from designer through set costumers. That team can add supervisors, buyers, cutters, stitchers, and truck costumers to fit your production scale.
How far in advance should we book?
For features that need major construction, book 8-12 weeks before prep. Standard shoots need 4-6 weeks. Commercials can sometimes work on shorter timelines, depending on how complex the job is.
Related Services
Related Creative Roles
ACT 04 — On Set
Need a Costume Designer?
Tell us about your production's wardrobe needs, and we'll connect you with pro costume designers.