I get a lot of fashion press on the shows I design, and journalists always ask what the brands are, so I always point out that it is not about the brands, it is about the pieces I combine to make an outfit and a character. We need to take control of the narrative. This is one of the reasons I feel we need to embrace social media, so we are part of the story, not a side note.
Salvador Perez, award winning costume designer and president of the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892-I.A.T.S.E.
Mr. Perez has costumed many a television series including The Mindy Project, Veronica Mars, and Moonlight.
I agree that costume designers should be acknowledged for their work. But I see that it’s confusing to laypeople when costuming isn’t always about building costumes. Often these days, particularly with contemporary costuming, costumers are actually assembling outfits off the rack. When they use recognizable brands, that’s what’s going to get the attention, not necessarily how the outfits were put together or who did it. People don’t really understand what goes into costuming and that the choices designers make, from color to silhouette to accessories, all reflect the character. It’s detailed. It’s complicated.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Speaking of costumes, the Emmy Awards are coming up on September 14th. In the period costume category nominees include Donna Zakowska for We’re Going to the Catskills episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video and Melissa Toth for Life is a Cabaret in the Fosse/Verdon series on FX Networks.
Fosse/Verdon
Any favorites?
Not a believer in idle hands, my grandmother presented me with a small sewing box when I was nine years old. She taught me rudimentary hand stitching, cross-stitch, embroidery, and how to darn holes in socks. Soon, I was making clothing for my dolls out of her old aprons. A year later, she announced we would move on to the sewing machine. I felt a thrill of adventure as she pulled down the hideaway ladder in the upstairs hallway and we climbed to the attic sewing room, complete with a large cutting table, bins of fabric and patterns, and nestled close to a dormer window, an old Singer sewing machine with a knee pedal. This room became my haven growing up. My grandmother was the first person to recognize my passion for clothing and design, and foster my creativity. I will always be grateful to her for teaching me how to sew. 
OverDressed for Life 