Artist Spotlight: Leah Hummel
This month, we're diving into the world of costume design with Leah Hummel (she/her/they/them), a designer who finds inspiration everywhere from historical periods to vampire hunters. Leah will share her passion for making theatrical narratives come to life, how she uses recycled materials to fuel her creativity, and even her favorite ACR finds (spoiler alert: it involves pink sparkly denim!). So whether you're a theatre buff, a closet crafter, or just curious about the magic behind the scenes, this is the artist spotlight interview for you!
When did you start making costumes?
The public high school I attended in Illinois had a unique fine arts program that was very well-funded (a rarity across most of the nation). There, I was taught to sew by an extracurricular instructor who designed costumes for our theatrical productions. At 16, I was making corsets, jackets, and dresses (poorly and slowly- but everyone has got to start somewhere!). This was a very formative experience for me as a young person, and a huge motivation in my practice as a teacher to make sewing and design skills accessible to as many people as possible.
Which aspect of creating is your favorite?
I love the storytelling behind costume design. Many people ask me what the difference between a fashion designer and a costume designer is, and I usually say that fashion creates a narrative within the ensemble itself, while a costume is part of a much larger narrative that considers the performer, script, source material, dramaturgy, lighting, scenery, and choreography. I'm currently working on a bilingual adaptation of Romeo and Juliet at The University of Texas at Austin, Romeo y Juliet, that is set in 1840s California. I got absolutely lost in my research stage, learning about the history of this place and time, and am fascinated by the anthropological aspects of my job. I love crafting narratives that marry design, script analysis, and clothing history.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Finding inspiration changes from project to project. Each inspiration is different between the dance, play, drag act, musical, movie, and the subject matter of the piece. For example, last year I worked on a stop-motion short film about a vampire hunter, so my inspiration came from popular vampire narratives and punk aesthetics. Costume design cannot exist in a bubble, though, it requires collaboration from the other design and performance aspects, so I am often inspired by the ideas of my collaborators. It's a constant back and forth of "Oh you just said that, which reminds me of this! What if we add this to really highlight the idea you just brought up?" And then we as a team keep building on the experiences and knowledge of the others in our group, which is pretty sick.
What is your preferred way to engage with your audience?
I am so disinterested in theatre and live acts where the audience is separated from the performers and has no way of engaging other than sitting silently and listening. I much prefer spaces where the audience can shape the outcome of the piece and react in a way that is genuine to their experience (shout, laugh, cry, step out if you need). I try to align myself with projects and collaborators who support these ideas.
How does reuse play a part in your creativity?
Costume design for theatre is historically wasteful. Access to fabric recycling programs can be sparse, and most theatres have limited space to store leftover fabric and scraps. I much prefer to alter and source existing items and style them in a way that makes sense for the design rather than add another new item into stock. It forces me to think deeper about the costume when I have a limited amount of supplies and stock to pull from. It forces questions like "What about this color isn't working? What could we change about this piece to bring it closer to the narrative we're trying to serve?
What compels you to donate to ACR?
I am OBSESSED with ACR! I am an avid shopper and often just peruse the shelves to spark ideas. A couple of times a year I'll do a re-inventory of my sewing and crafting supplies, and make mental note of items that have remained unused since my last purge. I'd rather them be found by a friend who could use them, rather than sit gathering dust on my shelves.
Do you have a favorite ACR find? How did you use it?
I recently found a pink, sparkling denim with enough yardage to make a jacket. You better believe I snatched her up the second I saw her- she's going to be a wild conversation piece one day. On that same day, I found a pink faux-gator-skin vinyl that I'm so excited about I don't even know what to do with it. It's probably going to turn into a mask or a facekini or something. Also, one day I saw a huge bucket of I-don't-know-what's; they looked like multicolored electrical wiring with clips on the end of them, and I thought "That would make such an interesting fringe on a jacket". I passed on them that day, but then couldn't stop thinking about them- I came in the next day to get the bucket and they were GONE, I was absolutely devastated. Whoever took them I hope you made beautiful fringe or something else cool!
Where can we find out more about your work?
You can visit my website at leahkhummel.com, or reach out to me directly at leahkhummel@gmail.com. You can also see my work live onstage in Romeo y Juliet at the University of Texas at Austin's Oscar G. Brockett Theatre April 10th through April 21st.
