The "IT" shows of 2010

The Cradle Will Rock was just nominated by the New York Innovative Theater Awards for OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL, directed by David Fuller with Judith Jarosz as Artistic Director..! Kudos to Theater Ten Ten!

From The Cradle Will Rock

Retro Production's recent production of The Desk Set also received nominations. Nominees are Kristen Vaughan (Actress in a Leading Role), Rebecca Cunningham (Set Design), Viviane Galloway (Costume Design), Jeanne Travis (Sound Design), Heather E. Cunningham and Casandera Lollar (Innovative Design), and OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY! Hurray for Retro!

From Desk Set

Rockin' the Cradle

I recently designed costumes for a great show, The Cradle Will Rock, at Theater Ten Ten. It is from 1937, written by Marc Blitzstein under the auspices of the Federal Theater Project. It is my third Blitzstein production, and I have to say, each one has garnered me favorable reviews. I guess dark, gritty and periovocative* is my forte.

I feel a bit shy about posting reviews, but I love this review: the whole time I was working on the show I wasn't sure that what I was doing would work and I was really doubting myself. So to see that this writer really got it makes me so happy!

"Viviane Galloway’s charming, nearly comically conservative costumes (nothing is cut above the knee or below the collarbone) tie into the show's theme with superb accuracy, as does David Fuller’s directing."

One of the hardest characters to costume was Moll, who is arrested for Solicitation. She, like so many working girls, is out trying to earn enough money to live on because her factory job just doesn't pay enough. So I wanted to convey her sweetness, and her slight naiveté, and to show that her heart really isn't in what she is doing, but still make it obvious to a potential John that she was looking to make a buck. These days everyone thinks of a hooker as decked out in platforms and micro-minis, putting it all out there, but that look wasn't going to serve the story here at all.

I highly recommend seeing this production if you can. If you can't, read about the original production, directed by Orson Wells, produced by John Houseman, and shut down hours before it's opening! It is such a great and inspiring story in itself.

*like anachro-period, but even more vaguely so.

From this to that...

How does one design their own wedding dress? I think I still don't know! I was led in part by my desire to use the antique lace my mother contributed--the idea of having all that history to carry with me seemed so romantic. And, of course, I had the Steampunk theme to guide me. I wanted a dress that was both Victorian and modern, elegant and yet with a touch of industrialism and ingenuity. Between the lace that I already had and the steel hooks I salvaged from a jacket I'd butchered for another project, I only had to purchase the satin for the dress and the green backing for the [removable]lace bustle(I must thank the staff at Rosen and Chadick)). Oh, and $5 for the crinoline at my favorite thrift store! While I had a lot of trouble--making clothes for yourself is much harder than for someone else--with the help of some friends it all came together in the end.


I accessorized with some diamonds my mother lent me--I pinned the brooch to a black ribbon choker--and of course one of the Steampunk bracelets my friends had made for my shower. I wore a ribbon-tape head piece. The arrangement of swirled ribbon reminded me of cogs fitting together. And instead of a bouquet I carried my great-grandmother's travel parasol. The silk had torn anyway, so I removed it, and just loved the way it looked with no fabric at all!

Add my new kickin' boots and I was set!

Peruvian Connection

I don't know how I got on the mailing list for this catalog--it just appeared in my mail box a few days ago--but I am glad I did! The clothes are beautiful, and even if I can only afford one piece a year from them, I feel that I am their newest lifelong customer. The style suits me to a T, and as I read more about the company I was very impressed by their values.

The PC website says, " We are happy to be able to share our success with organizations devoted to improving and enriching people's lives through better health, education and a healthy environment." Two of those organizations are Pro Mujer, a micro-finance institution that helps women in Latin America with a variety of programs, and The Textile Museum, located in Washington DC.

On their website are videos of their catalog shoots. The most recent was "shot close to home in historical sites of civil war-era Missouri, and the grasslands and rustic architecture of Kansas." There is one great moment where the model, walking down the train tracks, brings home the meaning of "thin as a rail."

"But what about the actual clothes?" you are asking. Well, here is a sampling of what they have to offer:


How about this elegant linen jacket to complete your late-Victorian or Edwardian outfit? Edgy enough for a Steampunk riding habit, too, I daresay. Switch it out for the sweater (above) when it gets cooler...



And this is why shoulder pads are back in style. Can't you just picture Veronica Lake slinking around in this number? Classic!


And wouldn't anyone would feel beautiful in this simple art nouveau style dress.


Every outfit needs some accessories!





These will definitely be going on my fashion wish list!

Lucky Odds

First, a very important announcement: Odds Costume Rental, after 22 years of serving the film, television and theater world, is going out of business. Considering rent in New York, and the odds of most theaters having the budget to afford rentals like these, I was amazed they were able to stay afloat so long. I suppose the film & tv budgets did the trick ( considering the number of police uniforms on the racks, I'm guessing the Law & Order franchise alone could have kept them going).

While I am very sad to see any business go under, I did take advantage of the fact that they are selling their stock to see if they had anything for our Steampunk wedding attire. Boy, am I glad I did. I found the perfect item for my groom: A lovely velvet frock coat, created by the talented folk at Euroco*, in perfect condition!

I won't guess at what was going on with the crazy alterations someone had done--I was just thankful they'd handstiched them and not shoved it through an industrial. After picking out the "darts" and giving it a good steaming, it was back to its old self. Won't my fiance cut a figure in this number?!

Go to Odds. You'll find some great stuff, they'll make some cash, and the costumes will live on.

Odds Costume Rental
231 W. 29th St.
Third Fl.
New York , NY 10001
Phone: (212) 268-6227
sale 10 am-4 pm
Cash Only

*see photos of Janet Bloor's silicone caulk techniques

Fashion Alert!

Newport News is having a sale, and some of the items I have been eying for a while are now marked down.

Equestrian coat: plush cotton velvet cavalry coat, stylish details: silvery buttons, princess seams, hook-and-eye front, high back vent. Lined.
Regular 1G M1852 Was $89.00 Now $59.00
Women's 1G M9981 Was $99.00 Now $69.00





Double-breasted riding coat: a dramatic sweep of cotton velveteen. Fit and flare style shaped with princess seams, flap pockets, button cuffs. Change the buttons on this for something brass, and you are good to go!
Petite 1G 33318 Was $114.00 Now $79.00




Soutache trim vest:Feminine vest, beautifully decorated with soutache trim. Back buckle. Cotton twill.
Regular 1G 14095 Was $49.00 Now $34.00



Sharkskin riding coat:Fitted sharkskin denim riding coat. Rolled collar, peaked lapels, buttonflap besom pockets. Princess seam shaping. Cotton/polyester. Mary Poppins meets Wild Wild West!
Regular 1G 33297 Was $99.00 Now $49.00




Cable-knit sweater cape with attached rib-knit scarf. Hidden inside button close at neck, with 2 oversize outer button closures. Soft acrylic/cotton. Great as a Victorian cape--again, change the buttons, and add some tassels!
Regular 1G 36077 Was $74.00 Now $44.00




Tuxedo blouse: Sheer mesh tuxedo blouse with embroidered, scallop-edge flounce cuffs; slight shirttail hem.
Regular 1B 74209 Was $49.00 Now $29.00
Women's 1B 76202 Was $59.00 Now $34.00

About this Blog

I am a costume designer, and I also temp in between gigs to supplement the fortune that I make designing. Temping is a strange thing: people expect you to be able to walk into an office, use some arcane equipment that should probably be in the Smithsonian instead of on someone's desk (especially in a Fortune500 company)without dropping a single call or sending any blank faxes; file their extremely important papers in a system obviously developed by an out-of-work CIA coding specialist who really wanted to specialize in torture; and otherwise run their life for them, while the person who has had 15 years to learn exactly how to do that is out of the office. Fortunately, I can do that.
When it is not absolutely crazy, hectic, frantic and humiliating, a temp job can be a quiet, peaceful opportunity to reflect on future plans and aspirations, design ideas, professional advancement strategies, internet bargains, weird news stories, LOL kittens, etc. I am hoping that a blog will provide a creative outlet for some of the thoughts that pop into my head in these situations, and also allow me to share some of what I do when I do not have temp work at all. Enjoy!
Viviane Galloway