Profession costume buyer

Costume buyers work with the costume designer in order to identify the materials for the costumes. They buy and rent fabric, thread, accessories and other items needed to finish the wardrobe. Costume buyers may also purchase clothing items "off the peg", ready made. They base their purchases on the sketches of the costume designer.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Conventional
• Conventional / Enterprising

Knowledge

• Aesthetics

  Set of principles based on which something is appealing and beautiful.

• Film production process

  The various development stages of making a film, such as scriptwriting, financing, shooting, editing, and distribution.

Skills

• Maintain relationship with suppliers

  Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.

• Mark differences in colours

  Identify differences between colours, such as shades of colour.

• Analyse costume sketches

  Determine which materials to buy to make or finish costumes by studying the costume sketches. Familiarise yourself with the colour scheme and style.

• Identify suppliers

  Determine potential suppliers for further negotiation. Take into consideration aspects such as product quality, sustainability, local sourcing, seasonality and coverage of the area. Evaluate the likelihood of obtaining beneficial contracts and agreements with them.

• Manage budgets

  Plan, monitor and report on the budget.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB