“ It ’ s so valuable to have these women to learn from , to make mistakes with , and to figure out how best to communicate what I ’ m asking for as a designer ,” says Barshow . “ The shop itself is a world-class education and an invaluable experience .” It ’ s also one of the main reasons she chose UC San Diego in the first place . “ The fact that we have a fully staffed and supported shop helps us really learn how to be designers in the real world . It is such a valuable resource .”
Dress begun , now came the cover . Our original concept was to photograph
the coat on one of the shop ’ s classiclooking dress forms — that was before meeting alumna Saura Naderi ’ 07 at her robotic dress photoshoot outside Geisel Library ( p . 40 ). She was a natural and surely wouldn ’ t balk at wearing such nontraditional apparel .
At a stand-in fitting with our managing editor as model , all agreed a few details were missing . Luckily , the costume shop was at our disposal . Toscano grabbed a bustle to add a bit more 19th-century drama , and Barshow found a gold ribbon to add some detail around the waist . The shop has a wealth of fabric , accessories , jewelry , and raw materials from past productions , all clearly labeled by time period , size , and color .
When the day came , Naderi contributed her own pieces to make the ensemble even more UC San Diego : small gears from the robotic hat usually worn with her robot dress ( originally created at the costume shop as well ) and her class ring from the Jacobs School of Engineering .
We entered this project as amateur theater-goers with little idea of what went into theatrical costume design . We wrapped the production with a greater appreciation for the time , insight , skill , and collaboration that occurs in the UC San Diego costume shop , getting a glimpse of the magic that occurs well before the curtains ever rise on stage .
“ The most exciting thing about costume design is that you get to work with people who see the world differently , and who have different ideas than your own . It was our collaboration that brought this piece together ,” says Barshow . “ Unlike other theater projects I ’ ve worked on previously , there was no script , no character in mind for this piece , so to see it come together as a stand-alone piece of art was very satisfying .”
To go further behind the scenes at the UC San Diego costume shop , visit : tritonmag . com / costume
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