future costume designers, they learn sewing to the test of the stage

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Their hands will tomorrow sculpt the costumes of actors in Parisian theaters and elsewhere. For the moment, the first year class of the national diploma in crafts and design (DNMADE) “ Costume designer and director» from the La Source comprehensive high school, in Nogent-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne) strives to give shape and life to the sewing project of the moment: a personalized slipper. Paris news slipped into their workshop.

Learn to work for live performance

The first hour of classes has barely started in high school. In the prefab that houses the costume workshop, the air slowly warms as the last stragglers arrive. Around large white tables, chairs fill up, alongside mute couture mannequins.

With a smile, Célia Guillet, costume workshop teacher, launches the operations. “We continue with the creation of our slipper. Get on the list, I’ll come see you as we go along,” she adds. The training does not neglect any part of the live performance costume. “Shoes are part of the standard stage clothing,” explains the professor.

After a brief moment of hesitation, the time to put your hand back on the punch pliers or to remove the scattered pieces from your pattern, the purring click of the sewing machines is activated between two hisses of the steam iron. Noses leaning over molds of wooden feet, faces are concentrated. No Charentaise in sight, but sharp or fancy cutouts inspired by iconic shoe lines: double buckles, babies, pumps, brogues…

Design production, high school specialty

In France, alone seven high schoolsoffer costume designer training. They each have their specialty. “At the Paul-Poiret high school in Paris, they will emphasize the techniques for making historical costumes. In Lyon, they are specialized in working with shapes, colors, materials… Here, we specialize in realization design . Students spend a lot of time on models. »

Classes of culture of art, philosophy and humanitiescomplete the training. “If we want to create, we must necessarily draw inspiration from what has already been done,” agrees Astrid, 18 years old, daughter of a director and a puppeteer.

Eulalie, 18 years old, granddaughter of a shoemaker and a seamstress, spent her childhood unearthing finds in the family cupboards. “There were often things that disappeared,” she remembers with a laugh. The costume isthe element that brings a show to life. It’s a much freer way of expressing yourself through clothing than fashion, which is a more strict and hierarchical environment.”

“Blend into any situation”

Behind the scenes, costume designers must have great design skills. 'adaptabilityexplains the teacher. “You have to be able to blend into all situations, find ideas, tips, be able to find unexpected materials. There is a whole character analysis workwe're going to look for the little detail that will allow us to put him in a costume. And then, you have to be passionate, love theater. It’s a job where you don’t count your hours.”

Eulalie has already experienced this during an internship in a small theater company. “Often, the alteration times for a suit are very short. You have to find the right idea that will allow the costume to be ready for use the next day. »

Varied and passionate profiles

Coming from general baccalaureates, professionals or holders of an entertainment technician diploma (DTMS), the profiles of these future costume designers are varied. However, they remain young (less than five years post-baccalaureate) and the vast majority are female. “There are no knowledge prerequisites. Here, they learn everything from the beginning: sewing, drawing, philosophical bases… In the second year, they will delve deeper into materials, volumes, and they will create costumes for a partner company. The last year is devoted to the development of a more personal dissertation project,” explains the teacher.

If some are more advanced than others when arriving in DNMADE, everyone has already “tinkered”. “For example, we have students who come from Cosplay,” illustrates Célia Guillet. In a few months, the first years already have an honorable level in sewing. “We saw assembly, overlocking, plating, how to entangle fabrics in different directions,” illustrates the teacher.

Coming from a general background, Valentine had never used an industrial sewing machine before starting the year. Far from worrying about it, it is with great ambition that she creates a very graphic slipper, with multiple openwork cutouts. “I love the applied arts classes, the sketching stage, the study of the body, the reflection on the role of clothing,” she says while turning over her shell of fabric. Like her, students are often passionate about an aspect of entertainment or cinema .

Olivia, 18, knows she wants to do this job since she came across interviews with Tim Burton's costume designer. “There is a whole research into the character. The job brings together all my interests: history, creation, imagination, art…” she explains, her red/blue shoe inspired by the 1930s in her hands.

Mia is particularly interested in design and production for the big screen. “It’s more precise work than in the theater, because the camera will zoom in on details. But I would see myself in the circus world too.”

“We receive 700 applications for 15 places”

To enter the training, the selection is tough. “We receive 700 applications for 15 places in the DNMADE suits. Parcoursup selects 300, then the teaching team chooses the selected candidates from their file. It’s drastic, but it’s proportional to the possibilities of opportunities in the professional world,” explains the principal, Muriel Guigo-Crenn.

And these are not infinite. “In all these careers, there will also be food jobs like working for Disneyland for example,” she explains. The profession operates mainly on short-term contracts. If some land a place in a big house like the Paris Opera or at the Comédie Française, most become show stoppersand carry out missions from one company to another. “It’s less stable, but they are more free in their activity than in a large company where the roles are very hierarchical,” explains Célia Guillet.

“A small environment”

The establishment, which offers different professional courses in professions in the arts, entertainment and textile creationseeks to create links between disciplines. Thus the students in DNMADE “materials” (embroidery, weaving, objects) prepared with the “first year costume” an exhibition on the theme of worlds, exhibited during the Salon Créations et Savoir faire 2024 at the Porte de Versailles. “This training will give them a good network. Textile art isa small environmentin which we find many alumni of La Source. They are quickly spotted. »

After their three years in DNMADE, some will continue their studies towards a bac + 5, others will enter directly into the professional course. “The luck we have in Paris is that we don’t lack theaters,” smiles the principal.

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