We recently connected with Jess Van Winkle and have shared our conversation below.
Jess, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
The queer community keeps my creativity alive. I didn’t really find myself as an artist until I came out as a lesbian. I am endlessly inspired by queer history, drag and performance art. I see a ton of live performance of all kinds- theatre, dance, comedy, variety, runway, on and on. I’m always looking for new ways to push boundaries in fashion. I love anything camp and extravagant! I fell in love with costume design when I saw Paloma Young’s designs for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 on Broadway- I’m so impressed with the way she blends historical and modern/punk elements and the way she highlights performers with all gender identities. Right now I’m super inspired by Chappell Roan’s stylist Genesis Webb!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a costume designer and stylist, I started my career in Chicago and am now based in New York! I studied Costume Design and Technology at Indiana University and continued my education with Hovet Fashion. I have experience in styling, design, stitching, alterations, basic pattern making, and full costume builds. I have been designing for theatre for nearly 10 years, some of my favorite shows to design have been The Rocky Horror Show, Spring Awakening and The Prom. The Prom is my largest project to date, featuring 193 individual looks for 3o cast members. I have also been fortunate enough to work with Northwestern University and Dominican University as a costume mentor for undergraduate students and have immensely enjoyed teaching.
This fall I worked as a runway stylist and dresser for 3 shows at Chicago Fashion Week and fell in love with runway production. As I continue to move into the fashion world, I am a strong advocate for size inclusivity and plus size fashion. Most recently, I designed wardrobe with The Onion and have styled editorial shoots with Giantess Creations and Anne Taylor Studio.
My favorite piece I have ever created is a harness made of carabiners for my wonderful partner. This piece is a love letter to the lesbian community.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Training in theatre is the best thing I could have done for myself as an artist. I’ve done pretty much every job in the costume department- from designer to dresser to stitcher- and I have gained such a variety of skills in each area. As a designer, learning to sew is essential. You may not always be sewing everything yourself, but even if you have a team of technicians helping to build the final garments you need to have the language to collaborate with them effectively.
Working in live performance has also made me incredibly quick on my feet. They don’t say “the show must go on” for nothing, anything can go wrong and you have to be ready to problem solve and move forward.
The strongest piece of advice I would give to people early in their career is to ask for what you want through offering to help your fellow artists. I have gotten so many opportunities through reaching out to people I admire and offering to assist them or collaborate. In college there wasn’t a set program for undergraduate costume designers, so I worked with my professor and mentor to build my own program and had the opportunity to study with graduate students and build my skills with them. Be communicative about your goals and lift other artists up with you.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Over the past year, I have begun to hone my vision as a designer and focus on projects that align with my goals and excite me. I have always thought I’m a little too fashion for costume and a little too costume for fashion, but I understand that’s what makes my style unique. I have sought out and worked with collaborators I admire, took risks, and created some of my favorite pieces.
It’s easy to get into the hustle mindset when you’re a freelancer, there was a period of my career when I was stacking multiple shows back to back on top of working a day job in order to build my resume. I’m grateful to gained so much experience, but it was taking a tole on my health and I have been working to create some balance. I am a better artist when I have energy and am living a well rounded life I can draw inspiration from.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jessicavanwinkle.com/
- Instagram: @jessicavwinkle
Image Credits
Giantess Creation @_giantess, Liz Cooper, Maddie Mette
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