Costume Design

Costume design is the art of making the clothes actors wear on stage or in movies. A costume designer chooses fabrics, colors, and styles. The costumes help the audience understand who each character is. A king might wear a crown and robe. A pirate might wear a hat and boots.

What Costume Designers Do

Costume designers read the script carefully. They think about when and where the story takes place. They sketch ideas for each character's outfit. Then they pick fabrics and colors. Some costumes are sewn from scratch. Others are found in shops and changed to fit the show.

Costumes in Film and Theater

Movie costumes must look real up close because the camera sees every detail. Theater costumes need to be bigger and bolder so people in the back row can see them. Some costumes have special effects built in. The costumes in shows like The Lion King are works of art.

Fun Facts

• There is an Oscar award given each year for the best costume design in a movie.
• The Lion King musical costumes took over two years to design and build.
• Some movie costumes are kept in museums after filming is done.

Did You Know?

The costumes for the musical The Lion King use over 200 different puppets and masks that the actors wear and control while performing!