Threads of Wonder: Designing Costumes for a Global Alice in Wonderland Production

My journey to create the costumes for our reimagined Alice in Wonderland production began with a vision: to blend the fantastical elements of Lewis Carroll's beloved tale with the grandeur of opera, the grace of dance, and the spectacle of circus arts. With an operatic soprano cast as Alice and a global ensemble of elite dancers and circus performers, I needed costumes that would transcend traditional theatrical boundaries while honoring each performer's specialized art form.

Integration Across Continents

Coordinating production across three countries presented significant logistical challenges. I established a digital catalog system where measurements, material samples, and test footage could be shared among the workshops. Virtual fittings became essential, with performers sending video of themselves moving in mock-ups before final construction began. That time was a relentless 24-hour cycle—as LA and Las Vegas artisans were ending their day, Thailand’s were just beginning their morning consultations, and the Spanish and German teams would soon be sending overnight progress photos, requiring my constant presence as the creative bridge between these global workshops.

Technical Innovation Meets Artistic Vision

Throughout the production process, I maintained the philosophy that each costume needed to serve multiple masters—the narrative requirements of the story, the physical demands of the performance style, and the visual cohesion of the production as a whole.

We incorporated several technological innovations such as the use of pattern specific digital printing for the creation of several of our custom fabrics, including the costumes in the Card March scene ensuring the blend of beauty, function and form my clients and I were looking for.

The Final Tapestry

When the final costumes arrived and were fitted over our two week rehearsal period, they represented over 4,000 combined hours of specialized labor across four continents, United States, Thailand, Germany and Spain. Each garment told its own story while contributing to the larger narrative—a global collaboration that honored the diverse performance traditions embodied by our cast.

This production taught me that great costume design, like Wonderland itself, exists in the space between dreams and reality—where imagination meets craftsmanship, and the impossible becomes, for a brief and magical moment, entirely real.

Music Video

Director David Rousseau

This was a complicated shoot in black and white, color and using animation... and the hero dress made with Marc Jacobs fabric, had made on set because talent was cast the morning of the shoot…as always, we make it happen.

Fashion Editorial

Art Director Amy Osburn

Photographer Jeaneen Lund

Fashion credits include Aliona Kononova, Adidas & Supreme. 

To design for Cirque Du Soleil was a dream from the time I designed my first circus. The show is a variety show with circus, comedy, magic and dance. The scene is present day New York City styled with larger than life characters. Opening in May of 2022, it has a Las Vegas residency at the New York New York hotel and is currently the source of Cirques highest ticket sales on the strip.

Period pieces are my passion and combining a period piece with the Magical Arts and Artists of The Illusionists has been an enormously pleasing endeavor. This version of The Illusionists was created specifically for the Palace Theatre on Broadway. It was particularly special because it was in this very theatre where Houdini performed his death defying feats in the early half of the 20th century, and ultimately inspiring us all.

Often times a good deal of the magic is in the engineering of the costumes; not only do they have to look the part, they also have to support the artists technical needs. Serving the magic community continues to be a delight.

Advertising

Photographer Stan Musilek

Independent Film

Directed by Max Gold

Emergence is a revolutionary theatrical experience led by Patrick Olson that stands at the intersection of art, science and music. It defies conventional boundaries, pushing the limits of creativity and intellect and expanding the horizons of both performers and spectators alike.

Patrick’s suits were designed, custom dyed, cut and sewn by myself and my team.

What started out as a two day styling job in Las Vegas, turned out to be a decades long adventure, that would change the course of my career. Today, 12 years later, with multiple tours happening world wide simultaneously, designing for The Illusionists has reinforced my love of mens fashion and expanded my repertoire to include theatrical costuming specifically for the magical arts.  

The Illusionists was the first show to bring grand illusion style, theatrical magic back to Broadway, London’s West End and the Sydney Opera House. A big show requires strong character costumes for the artists, their assistants, the dancers and even a band. Each cast member has a totally unique look and a bespoke costume to match their individual talents. 

The Illusionists is currently Broadway's highest grossing magic show in history. It has been playing to packed houses for more than 12 years now and I’m still happily supporting and creating for every iteration of this highly successful show.

Music Video

Director David Rousseau

You hope every project will take off, but you never really know... so I had no idea when making a floral crown or finding the perfect clothes for this band that the video would become a monster racking up more than 2.2 billion hits on YouTube.

Creating costumes for a period circus was a dream come true! It took a year from concept to completion. It was a process of historical research, mood boards, sketches, world wide fabric sourcing, fabric testing, aging, overseeing custom builds in multiple states and a couple of countries, followed by fittings, rehearsals, and an opening in Australia.

More than 90 unique costumes were created and opened on the stage at the Sydney Opera House in December of 2016. Since then the show has toured the United States in wonderful houses like Los Angeles's Pantages Theatre and enjoyed a 6 month run in Las Vegas's Paris Hotel and an annual run at Londons Southbank Theatre.  

As this show continues on its world tour the costumes remain an integral part of the story of Circus life in 1903. 

Fashion Editorial

Art Director Amy Osburn

Photographer Joy Newell

Fashion credits include COS, Reformation & Beth Richards.

Lionsgate entertainment group set out to bring their hit film “Now you see me” to the stage. The brief was to carry a thread from the original characters through to the artists performing in our show and we had an amazing time doing it.

Fashion Editorial

Art Director Amy Osburn

Photographer Mindy Byrd

Fashion credits include Marc Jacobs, Adidas & Vans. 

Fashion Editorial

Photographer David Surowiecki

Fashion credits include Ermenegildo Zenga, Borsalino & Guiseppe Zanotti.

Directed by Adria Petty

A short film for Nowness. 

Commercial

Director Bob Giraldi

Photographer Jose Pepe Leon

It’s always the dream to get involved in something big while it’s still just an idea..

Circus 1903 is being performed all over the world, but it started out as a concept shoot where the only boundaries were our imagination. A museum quality location, period props, and wonderful performers and of course my costumes took Circus 1903 from a dream to reality on this shoot. 

Fashion Editorial

Photographers Trujillo Pamier

Fashion credits include Rising Sun, Stronghold & Julian Boots. 

Music Video - No Reflection

Director Lucas Ettlin

People often ask if it’s harder to do create a look from scratch, or to work with someone who already has a very established sense of style…on this one the aim was to show the world something they hadn’t quite seen from him.

Fashion Editorial

Art Director Amy Osburn

Photographer Mindy Byrd

Fashion credits include Zana Bayne & Aliona Kononova. 

The Unbelievable's is variety show created for the Sydney Opera House in December of 2017. Acts include a comic, a ventriloquist, a sword swallower, an aerialist, a strong female vocalist and a band just to name a few. Everyone's act is different and their costumes need to reflect their individual styles. This show also includes world class, competition ballroom dancers which allowed me to delve into the world of costuming for DanceSport which is a marvelous world indeed. Various dance styles included Waltz, Tango, Paso Doble, Charlston, Jive and Lyrical. 

Commercial

Director Tom Routson

The brief was to redesign the Sparkle Paper Towel Fairy and costume the fun characters in this spot.

Commercial

Director Albert Uria

Riding the at the top of new wave of the next generation of magicians, Adam Trent called on me to design his looks as he branched off from “The Illusionists” to do his own thing. His solo, US tour kicked off with an appearance on Ellen and a run at Hollywoods esteemed Pantages Theatre.

Fashion Editorial

Photographer Lionel De Luy

Fashion credits include Skingraft & Agent Provocateur.

Music Video - Don't Kill the Magic

Director David Rousseau

My second video with the Magic boys. The more you work with the same talent and crew the more you develop a shorthand which is a beautiful thing. 

Production on Broadway

Album Packaging

We went to Nashville to shoot these boys and boy am I glad I brought everything from LA. Nashville is known for it's music and southern food scene, not its shopping so if you're going to shoot in Nashville best be prepared! 

Fashion Editorial

Photographer Melissa Rodwell

Fashion credits include Leah C Millinery, Agent Provocateur & Cartier

Commercial

Director John X Carey

Commercial

Director Stephen Stickler

Fashion Editorial

Photographer Trujillio Paumier 

Fashion credits include Band of Outsiders, Brooks Brothers & A.P.C.

Fun period commercial costuming.

Over the years I have worked on several appearance spots on America's Got Talent but costuming Thommy and Ameile for their journey to 2nd place 2016 was my first time working with contestants. The time lines were short and the tensions were high as we advanced through the real life drama that comes with being an AGT finalist. The project was a great deal of fun and let's face it, not too terribly taxing as everything looks fantastic on Amelie.

Fashion Editorial

Photographer Jose Pepe Leon

Fashion credits include Ralph Lauren Black Label & Brooks Brothers. 

Indie Short Film

Directed by John X Carey

Some projects are about transforming talent into larger than life characters with hair, make-up and costumes; with Brighter Yesterday it was the opposite. The assignment was to create an intimacy between the subject and the observer by working to make everything else disappear. Wardrobe that doesn't pull focus is an art form in and of itself.  

Indie Short Film

Directed by Stephen Stickler

A Fox Searchlab project inspired by true-life events shot throughout East Los Angeles. The most special thing for me about this project is that I was brought into the circle and educated by cholos in the styling hallmarks of Latino street style in LA. In a lesson for all stylists, they too know it’s not just what you wear, but how you wear it. For them it's all in the nuances of how things fit, how things are pressed, and how items are paired together that set the style. Working on Chuco was definitely a project to remember and even more so now that director Stephen Stickler is no longer with us.

Indie Short Film

Directed by Albert Uria

A charming short film about realizing that in this life it's Now or Never. With more than 50 festival selections and 5 awards, one going out to Zebedee Row, this project lives up to its promise.

Working in New York is always intense but a lot of fun, especially when limited in time and budget. Many of the cast were senior citizens acting professionals and unusually, we were invited into their homes for the fittings. It made me realize how every day and every person is different in styling and nothing should be taken for granted. It also left me with a tip for all my fellow professionals: No matter how great the giant, unwieldy hot dog costume is...don’t drag it from LA to New York on the plane, send it UPS.

Le Noir, my first circus, opened in Tokyo in 2010, and toured internationally for 9 years. The style brief we created was a mix of high fashion and lingerie to create an adult experience that explored the energetic qualities of the colors white, red and black.

Experience shows that circus can be the greatest challenge to a costume designer. Not only do you have to make costumes that are beautiful up close, they have to be beautiful all the way to the back rows, they have to be beautiful in every spectrum of lights, they have to be able to move with the performers and they have to last for thousands of shows. The learning curve was steep but through the experience I discovered skills I would go on to develop to this day.

Commercial

Director Elizabeth Banks

Civic Project for LACMA

Directed by Jesse Dylan

Jason Schwartzman celebrates John Baldesarri for Art Week LA. This assignment was a great experience all around. It was a fun enviornment to work in and the talent kept us in stitches all night.  

A dystopian look for Verizon

Fashion Editorial

Photographer Josh Madson & Yuji Kojima

Fashion credits include Saphire East & Skingraft

Portrait

Photographer Marla Rutheford

Advertising

Photographer David Roemer

Album Packaging

Photographer Michael Elins

Two of my favorite things in photography are conceptual album art and pin-ups; combine them and I'm on my dream assignment. Custom made and tailored on set this was a fun one.