INTERVIEW: Andrea Moon
Over the past fifteen years Andrea Moon has built up an impressive CV. Making costumes for stage and screen, she has worked for clients such as The Royal Ballet and the English National Opera, as well as on blockbuster films such as ‘Shakespeare In Love’ and ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’. Here she talks about her life in costume, teaching corsetry at Prescott & Mackay and her journey so far
How have you learnt your craft?
After I gained a first class BA Hons in Costume Interpretation from Wimbledon School of Art in 1990 I spent five years working as an assistant to several established costume makers before starting out on my own. Costume making is not the kind of job where you ever feel like you’ve learnt all there is to know. Often there’ll be something I’ve never done before, which is great and terrifying at the same time!
What led you to working in costume making?
I’d always known I wanted to do something that involved making things, so I feel fortunate that I discovered there was such a thing as costume making by the time I left school.
If you had not discovered costume making, what do you think you might have become?
I’m fairly sure I’d have found another way to earn a living that involved making things, but I’m glad I did discover costume as it has been a very supportive industry to work in. I’ve made some great friends and I received a lot of help when I was getting started.
In what ways does teaching influence your work?
Since I’ve been teaching I’ve had to think about the things that have become second nature to me, asking myself why I do them in certain ways so I can describe these processes to students. Teaching also energises and excites me about my industry work- when students are enthusiastic about the job I do, it reminds me how lucky I am to be doing what I love.
What are the most important things you’re trying to impart to your students?
The most important thing I would like to get across is the sense that once you know the basics, there is so much you can go on to do. A lot of the techniques taught over the two days can be applied to many different kinds of corsets- I’m always particularly happy when students start picking my brains about their next project.
What piece of equipment do you find indispensable in your work as a costume maker, and what do you recommend an aspiring costume maker might invest in first?
One thing you can’t do without in corset making is a pair of wire cutters that will cut spiral boning. There’s also a brilliant book called ‘Corsets and Crinolines’ by Norah Waugh that has a lot of basic patterns for all sorts of corsets.
What is the most satisfying aspect of making costume?
Working in costume, there is always a new challenge. The process often starts with a two-dimensional design, which can be rather vague, and it’s down to you to turn that idea into reality. I also love that the work I do, which is in partnership with another costume maker Ingrid Pryer, is quite varied. In the last few weeks alone we’ve made a set of Roman dresses for the Boston Early Music Festival, as well as a number of tailored school uniforms for the ‘Peter Grimes’ production at the English National Opera. Right now we’re in the middle of making costumes for the mice in the English National Ballet’s production of ‘Angelina Ballerina’.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
There have been many highlights. I’ve been lucky enough to work abroad a lot and meet some amazing people. One experience that stands out however, was working on the first of the new Star Wars films, Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I was a huge fan as a kid and so I couldn’t quite get over being involved with one of the new ones. Most of my time was spent in the decoration of Queen Amidala’s costumes, which was great as I’m particularly passionate about costume decoration and it’s rare to get to focus on just that rather than the whole costume. Naturally it was a huge kick to get a screen credit too!
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