Carmella Lauer is a designer for the studio and the stage. She understands fabric, fit, and form and enjoys how these elements work together. Her background as a professional ballet dancer informs her designs. She wore studio attire for function and clarity of line and on stage her costumes helped her tell stories. She mixes color, texture, and drape in designing for dance, opera, theater, and film.
2021 Costume Designer, New Mexico Shakespeare Festival
Costume Design
Managing “lookbook”: creating dressing sheets and show tracking paperwork
Construction, fittings and alterations, as needed
2020- 2019 Costumer (Staff), Opera Southwest
Managing “lookbook”: creating dressing sheets and show tracking paperwork
Show running: Inventory, show pre-set, quick changes, laundry, etc.
Costume rental management
Costume Design, as needed
Fittings and alterations, as needed
2019 Costume Technician (Staff), Albuquerque Little Theater
Day-to-day fittings and alterations using both hand and industrial machine stitching techniques
Costume construction using pattern and draping techniques
Show running: Inventory, show pre-set, quick changes, laundry, etc.
2015 – 2019 Wardobe Supervisor, New York Theatre Ballet
Managing and documenting costume inventory and upkeep for legacy productions (25+)
Coordinating shopping, fitting, construction and communication between stitchers, designers and artistic staff for new productions.
Coordinating costume reproductions for lost and historical productions in keeping with NYTB’s mission to keep lost works alive
Supervising and scheduling interns, overhire stitchers and specialty costume technicians and vendors
Overseeing and executing pre-show, load in, show run and load out duties
2010 – 2015 Wardrobe Mistress, New York Theatre Ballet
Day-to-day maintenance, repairs, fittings and alterations using both hand and machine stitching techniques for over 20 ballets and 75+ performances per year.
Show running: Inventory, show pre-set, quick changes, laundry, etc.