Cirque du Soliel’s latest touring production, Varekai, will land at at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia, for eight performances.
The story begins as Icarus, a solitary young man, falls from the sky and lands in a lush, wondrous world called Varekai. The word Varekai (pronounced vair-eh-’KAI) means “wherever” in the Romany language of the gypsies, the universal wanderers.
One of the main highlights for the established production is the unique wardrobe and set design seen throughout the show. Rolling out had a chance to speak with Varekai’s head of wardrobe, Collette Livingston to get the inside scoop on process of putting together the spectacular wardrobe for the cast, on keeping Cirque du Soleil’s vision alive through costume designing, and how long it takes to produces the elaborate pieces.
How did you get into wardrobe styling?
I went to Boston University for costume production design. I have always had a passion for design and sewing. I started out working on opera sets before Cirque du Soleil in Boston and New York City. In 2008, Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza came to Boston while I was attending school and I became very enthusiastic to join the show as a costume designer.
Was it a difficult process getting a job with the company?
I must admit I had it pretty easy. In this industry it’s all about who you know and what friend you have that can connect you with a job. From the time I applied to get in, it took approximately two weeks. Wardrobe styling isn’t the easiest profession to get into. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get the job you want. I am very fortunate to have this opportunity to do what I love.
Where does your inspiration come from when you’re designing the wardrobe for Varekai?
The designer for Cirque du Soleil is Eiko Ishioka, who passed away a few years ago. Between myself and the artistic director, we go through her old drawings and try to maintain the same vision she had for the set. We always hope that through her drawings she left behind that the two of us can really try to interpret what she wanted, but it can definitely be kind of difficult to not have the lead designer while attempting to keep things consistent. Luckily, we have an exceptional production team working endlessly on keeping her vision alive.
How long does it take to design the wardrobe? What is your favorite costume that you have designed while working with Cirque du Soleil?
The wardrobe goes through a creation process and then it takes about a year or so to finalize everything. When just creating a costume it can take up to three months from the time you order it until the time it arrives on the tour. I love all of our designs. There are so many, so it makes it hard to choose one because the pieces are so individually unique.
What advice do you have for aspiring wardrobe stylists wanting to get into costume designing?
They should never give up on their dream of becoming a costume designer. I would encourage them to continue to push boundaries and not conform. I think that creativity is kind of innate. I don’t think they necessarily have to go to school for this profession, but I would say attending a design institution definitely helps with networking and building technical skills. It’s one thing to be able to design, but it’s another to be able to produce.
If you could work with any designer past or present, who would it be?
I would work with Alexander McQueen. He [was] the greatest.
