When people think of costume design, they often assume designers are simply tasked with dressing characters for a story. But beyond clothing pieces, costume design is an elaborate art form that told a story using textiles, colors, history, human psychology and hours of hard work.
While all of these elements, and more, play a role in costume design, talented costume designers stand at the heart of the craft. Whether for live performances, theater productions, or television and film, designers create costumes to tell a story before the character wearing them said a word.
From the color of a fabric to the silhouette of a piece, clothing uniquely conveys emotions and personality in a way that the written word could not. Machir Lakofka, professional costume designer, explained how this crucial element of costume design solidified her passion for the work.
“It was realizing that you can tell story through what people are wearing, and I think that was an innate thing—that was something that was an undercurrent for a long time, but realizing ‘You know what, I want to do that,’” Lakofka said.
Lakofka’s path to costume design was not clear-cut. She first pursued a career in graphic design. Even in her initial career choice, Lakofka’s love for design remained present. It especially showed through the media she consumed as a child.
“There was a lot of media influence, as far as ‘Old Hollywood’ in film … but also art history and knowing that I liked to see the portraits and I liked to see the history of textiles … and people watching,” Lakofka said. “Even, to a certain extent, psychology—like analysis of people groups and how they work together or how do families tell stories through verbal tradition and stuff like that.”
While some costumes rely on historical accuracy, others stem from whimsical ideas that populated fantastical worlds. “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) is a classic example of “Old Hollywood” cinema built on pure imagination.
Since the classic 1939 film, a string of adaptations followed that celebrated the technicolor fairy tale, with “Wicked” being the most prominent. In a backstage interview at the 2025 Oscars, Paul Tazewell, costume designer for “Wicked” (2024) and Oscar winner, spoke about his experience working in costume design for over 35 years.
“The whole way through, there was never a Black male designer that I saw that I could follow—that I could see as inspiration, and to realize that that’s actually me, it becomes a ‘Wizard of Oz’ moment. It’s like, no place like home. So, to come back to the inspiration being inside of me is really remarkable,” Tazewell said.
Tazewell made history at the 2025 Oscars as the first Black man to receive the award for costume design. Through his extravagant work on “Wicked”, he transcended reality and breathed life into Oz from a modern perspective.
As the social landscape continues to evolve, so will the art people create. Costume design remains only one art form in a world full of many.
“We have an entire world of different arts and crafts and design to glean from, and that is not to say to take, but it informs what you then create,” Lakofka said.
At the core of every art form, including costume design, is a mission to communicate a larger message that could inspire an audience, as Lakofka explained.
“You have to understand, humanity—we always pick and draw from one another. That’s just part of the collective human experience. We all tell stories—we may tell them differently, but they still impact everyone around us.”
