Students
Toi Whakaari costume construction students come from a wide variety of backgrounds - from telemarketers to check out operators; from school leavers to retail managers.
Lindsay Broomfield
Before coming to New Zealand Lindsay studied and worked as a graphic designer, leaving to travel in 2006. Lindsay loves history and the social aspects of costume fascinate her. She was bitten by the sewing bug when she first started living in Wellington. It quickly became apparent that she wanted to take this further and explore the opportunities available in this industry. She graduated from Toi Whakaari in 2009.
During her studies for Diploma in Costume Construction Lindsay learned about tailoring, corsetry and undergarments, textiles and dying, wardrobe management, incorporating technology into a costume, creating an eighteen century costume, plus the practical skills of promoting herself to the industry. After graduation she aspires to work on as many varied projects as she believes this is the advantage of working as a freelance creative - you choose to never stop being challenged.
“I want to make costumes for stage and screen because the creative possibilities are endless, you could be making a seventeenth century costume in one project and then a futuristic milkmaid costume the next. You are making something with your hands too which is so satisfying and quite electrifying when it comes to life on a performer. Toi Whakaari has helped me to see what is possible from within my own creative self. I never thought I would be able to complete an Elizabethan costume, from dying the material to making the corset, but I did and then some! Toi Whakaari also offers a unique environment to learn these skills as you work with other students in the school, from all disciplines, to produce productions that are open to the public.”
Lindsay has recently been offered an opporutnity to work with Queensland Opera on the Merry Widow and later on Aida. You can keep up to date about Lindsay’s adventures in costume, sewing and refashioning through her blog.
Eliza Thompson-Munn
Eliza has been engrossed in fashion since her childhood and studying textiles since high school. She has a Diploma of Fashion Design and Technology from Massey University and following contracts with the Royal NZ Ballet and World of Wearable Art she wanted to further add to her skills. After graduating Eliza intends to seek out Film and Theatre work constructing her passion, historical costumes.
"After I discovered that my passions for both history and fashion could be combined into a career in costume, it was all I could dream about. Studying at Toi Whakaari has given me some useful contacts and second year will build even more on my knowledge and skills – it's exactly what I wanted to do."
