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The final installment of the blocked hat multiples is in the works, but while i'm finishing it up, i'd like to share another interview, this time with one of our MFA graduates, B. Daniel Weger, who currently works as the head tailor at the renowned NYC costume house, Eric Winterling Inc. Daniel received his MFA in Costume Production from our program here at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2009.
Prior to his current position, Daniel has worked in various production positions for companies such as Santa Fe Opera, Shakespeare Theatre of DC, Washington National Opera, and Signature Theatre, creating garments for designers such as Tom Ford, Martin Pakledinaz, and Anita Yavitch. I'm so pleased he agreed to participate in the interview series, and it gives me the idea that perhaps i should start a tag to aggregate alumni interviews, since we have a lot of alums doing super-cool interesting work in the field, whose expertise would be excellent to share here.
Before i get into the questions and answers, i want to use this opportunity to spotlight a crowdfunding project of interest: Men of the Cloth, a documentary about the master tailors of Italy by Vicki Vasilopolous. There are nine days left to their fundraising campaign, so please consider donating to help complete this film and preserve the knowledge of these menswear artisans and artists. Here's a video clip about the film:
And, on that note, on to my interview with Daniel.
Q. For a bit of background, would you describe the setup at Winterling's--how many employees, what different positions there entail, etc?
Our shop is a full floor of a building in the Flatiron District. The number of employees fluctuates, especially over the summer when the the Broadway season slows down. Like many shops, there are drapers, tailors, stitchers, and cutters. Eric is of course the business owner, but is also the head draper and patternmaker. The other drapers work closely with Eric to make sure that everyone is following his interpretation/ vision of the designer's wishes.
Q. What are your responsibilities as head tailor?
Depending on the time, there are four or five coat makers, a pant drafter, and a pant maker. I make and grade patterns for men's coats and vests primarily. I work with Eric and the floor manager to make sure that the work is distributed evenly and that deadlines can be met while still adhering to the highest level of quality. In a sense, the position is middle management. It is my job to make sure that the needs and desired techniques are followed through.
Q. Can you talk about some of the projects you have worked on recently?
We work on a number of Broadway musicals. During the season we may construct many new costumes for new musicals, such as Book Of Mormon. Another source of revenue are costume reorders. Long running musicals such as Wicked or Phantom of the Opera regularly need newly constructed looks, and we then pull the original patterns and grade them or make new ones based on previous images and renderings. For the most part, all details need to be considered to remain true to the original garments.
Aside from Broadway, we do contracts for Disney Ice shows, Sea World, popular music artists on tour, and film and television. New York overhead is steep, and the shops will often take on many diverse projects at once. Until a show is in production or on screen, we really don't talk too much or promote any images in order to protect the customer's work. A recent film we worked on was the upcoming Brothers Grimm Snow White, designed by Eiko.
Q. What are some of the specific considerations you have to take into account when creating tailored garments for the stage and screen? Do you have any tips and tricks to share for speeding up parts of the process while retaining quality level?
Unlike many regional theatres I have worked in, New York shops use a lot of fusible interfacing such as tricot. Some fabrics take dye better than others, so it is not out of the question to make suitings out of stabilized spandex. We also use a lot of custom printed polyester. The tailors here use premade canvasses that they beef up with a little extra canvas or felt. With the high volume of suits we make and the often tight turn-around, it is most cost-effective to have these one hand ready to go. As a patternmaker, I come from a theatrical background so I was trained in the theatre. I am accustomed to making suits that include large seam allowances, etc., in order to improve the versatility of the garment. A majority of the tailors who work with me are from the commercial industry, so they bring the techniques of manufactured garments with them. The quality level is very high, the main difference is that the clothes are completed to be used for a single actor, and not to be returned to costume stock to be used and altered over the years.
Q. What advice would you give to readers who aspire to a career in costume tailoring?
I would advise anyone interested in tailoring to jump headlong into studying. American tailoring is virtually non-existent, so the best bet is to work in the theatre. Find tailors with a strong reputation, and be discriminating. There are many more people who consider themselves tailors than have the training to back up their claims. A number of references are available through the Library of Congress online, as well as Google docs. Since most reference materials are fairly vague and include a lot of unedited material, the best way to learn is going to be through trial and error, and making good connections. A great place to start is by tearing apart suits from stock, Goodwill, etc., and see what is going on inside.
Q. What skills do you appreciate in tailor's assistants?
Attention to the steps is crucial in a garment. If a step is left out, there may be little or nothing that can be done to correct a mistake. In some cases this can be incredibly expensive. No one is above overlooking steps either, I have made some very costly mistakes even recently. Thinking ahead is definitely the key. Overall, it seems like people who are good workers do well with a good attitude and a love and respect for the art form.
Q. What is your favorite tailoring tool or piece of equipment?
Good shears seem to be the obvious answer, although good shears only stay good for so long with the materials we in the theatre are required to work with. I think the divisional square probably saves me the time and heartache of having to actually learn to do math.
And, that's the interview! Thanks, Daniel!
Prior to his current position, Daniel has worked in various production positions for companies such as Santa Fe Opera, Shakespeare Theatre of DC, Washington National Opera, and Signature Theatre, creating garments for designers such as Tom Ford, Martin Pakledinaz, and Anita Yavitch. I'm so pleased he agreed to participate in the interview series, and it gives me the idea that perhaps i should start a tag to aggregate alumni interviews, since we have a lot of alums doing super-cool interesting work in the field, whose expertise would be excellent to share here.
Before i get into the questions and answers, i want to use this opportunity to spotlight a crowdfunding project of interest: Men of the Cloth, a documentary about the master tailors of Italy by Vicki Vasilopolous. There are nine days left to their fundraising campaign, so please consider donating to help complete this film and preserve the knowledge of these menswear artisans and artists. Here's a video clip about the film:
MEN OF THE CLOTH IndieGoGo Video from Vicki Vasilopoulos on Vimeo.
And, on that note, on to my interview with Daniel.
Q. For a bit of background, would you describe the setup at Winterling's--how many employees, what different positions there entail, etc?
Our shop is a full floor of a building in the Flatiron District. The number of employees fluctuates, especially over the summer when the the Broadway season slows down. Like many shops, there are drapers, tailors, stitchers, and cutters. Eric is of course the business owner, but is also the head draper and patternmaker. The other drapers work closely with Eric to make sure that everyone is following his interpretation/ vision of the designer's wishes.
Q. What are your responsibilities as head tailor?
Depending on the time, there are four or five coat makers, a pant drafter, and a pant maker. I make and grade patterns for men's coats and vests primarily. I work with Eric and the floor manager to make sure that the work is distributed evenly and that deadlines can be met while still adhering to the highest level of quality. In a sense, the position is middle management. It is my job to make sure that the needs and desired techniques are followed through.
Q. Can you talk about some of the projects you have worked on recently?
We work on a number of Broadway musicals. During the season we may construct many new costumes for new musicals, such as Book Of Mormon. Another source of revenue are costume reorders. Long running musicals such as Wicked or Phantom of the Opera regularly need newly constructed looks, and we then pull the original patterns and grade them or make new ones based on previous images and renderings. For the most part, all details need to be considered to remain true to the original garments.
Aside from Broadway, we do contracts for Disney Ice shows, Sea World, popular music artists on tour, and film and television. New York overhead is steep, and the shops will often take on many diverse projects at once. Until a show is in production or on screen, we really don't talk too much or promote any images in order to protect the customer's work. A recent film we worked on was the upcoming Brothers Grimm Snow White, designed by Eiko.
Q. What are some of the specific considerations you have to take into account when creating tailored garments for the stage and screen? Do you have any tips and tricks to share for speeding up parts of the process while retaining quality level?
Unlike many regional theatres I have worked in, New York shops use a lot of fusible interfacing such as tricot. Some fabrics take dye better than others, so it is not out of the question to make suitings out of stabilized spandex. We also use a lot of custom printed polyester. The tailors here use premade canvasses that they beef up with a little extra canvas or felt. With the high volume of suits we make and the often tight turn-around, it is most cost-effective to have these one hand ready to go. As a patternmaker, I come from a theatrical background so I was trained in the theatre. I am accustomed to making suits that include large seam allowances, etc., in order to improve the versatility of the garment. A majority of the tailors who work with me are from the commercial industry, so they bring the techniques of manufactured garments with them. The quality level is very high, the main difference is that the clothes are completed to be used for a single actor, and not to be returned to costume stock to be used and altered over the years.
Q. What advice would you give to readers who aspire to a career in costume tailoring?
I would advise anyone interested in tailoring to jump headlong into studying. American tailoring is virtually non-existent, so the best bet is to work in the theatre. Find tailors with a strong reputation, and be discriminating. There are many more people who consider themselves tailors than have the training to back up their claims. A number of references are available through the Library of Congress online, as well as Google docs. Since most reference materials are fairly vague and include a lot of unedited material, the best way to learn is going to be through trial and error, and making good connections. A great place to start is by tearing apart suits from stock, Goodwill, etc., and see what is going on inside.
Q. What skills do you appreciate in tailor's assistants?
Attention to the steps is crucial in a garment. If a step is left out, there may be little or nothing that can be done to correct a mistake. In some cases this can be incredibly expensive. No one is above overlooking steps either, I have made some very costly mistakes even recently. Thinking ahead is definitely the key. Overall, it seems like people who are good workers do well with a good attitude and a love and respect for the art form.
Q. What is your favorite tailoring tool or piece of equipment?
Good shears seem to be the obvious answer, although good shears only stay good for so long with the materials we in the theatre are required to work with. I think the divisional square probably saves me the time and heartache of having to actually learn to do math.
And, that's the interview! Thanks, Daniel!
