Jackie Hallatt

Whilst wring my creer plan rort for my course I managed to get a hold of a local costume manufacture, luckily she was able to answer some questions for me so that I could have a more personal insight into the working world of costume and threat re productions. This is a small set of questions that I sent to the Costume manufacture Jackie Hallatt, who lives and works in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I only asked 8 questions but found her answers to be very insightful in terms of helping me plan out my own career and which steps are right for me to take.

1)      What is your educational background? (Did you go to university? What did you study ect?)

After leaving school at 15 ,I completed a City and Guilds course in Ladies Bespoke Tailoring at London College of Fashion obtaining a Distinction. I also gained a diploma in Ladies Bespoke Tailoring also from London College of Fashion, also with Distinction.

I then worked as an apprentice in Ladies Tailoring at Bermans and Nathans Theatrical Costumiers. At a later date I gained a BA Hons degree in Costume Interpretation from       Wimbledon School of Art, obtaining a 2:1

2)      When did you become interested in costumes?

I was always interested in sewing and started at the age of 5 with my mother teaching me. This continued with a love of fashion and it wasn’t until I got the job as an apprentice that I became interested in costume.

3)      What types of projects get you excited the most?

The projects I like best is anything technically challenging or avant garde, something that makes me think “however am I going to make that!”

4)      What made you become self-employed?

I became self employed because there are very few permanent jobs within costume and the only way to work as a costume maker was to become self employed.

5)      What was the first production you worked with? How did it come about?

As an apprentice I worked on a feature film called Return to Oz , I helped make the “wheelie men” who skated around with rollerskates on their hands and feet, it was a great first project at Bermans.

6)      Where do you source your fabrics and materials from? Do you work with a supplier?

I am supplied with all my fabrics, linings, buttons etc by costume supervisors who’s job it is to source the costume makers, fabrics, shoes hats etc etc and balance the budgets on productions. Most of the fabrics come from London, Germany, France and Italy.

7)      Do you enjoy running your own business? What are the pros and cons?

I would rather be employed than run my own company as the responsibility and pressure of deadlines always falls on my shoulders, however I do have a certain amount of control over what I do which is nice.

8)      Do you have a team that works for/ with you? What’s it like to manage a team? What type of employee do you have (pattern cutter for example)

I don’t employ any staff but do use freelance staff to help me make the costumes. I am not a natural manager and find managing people difficult but its lovely when they present you with a pile of beautiful costumes.