Tailor Made for a Career in Costuming

AcevedoJana

TAILOR MADE FOR A CAREER in costuming

Jana Acevedo might just be the only Cameron alumna who holds the title of stitcher. As a professional tailor/seamstress, she works in the entertainment industry making costumes for film, television and theatre. It all started when she learned how to sew during her ninth grade home economics class.

“I guess the idea of working in costuming started around the end of high school,” the Elgin High School graduate says. “I remember reading behind-the-scenes magazine articles about TV shows that I really liked and thinking that would be fun to do.”

As a theatre arts major (and a McMahon Scholar) at CU, she was exposed to all facets of production, including costuming, makeup, lighting, scenic design, props, directing and acting. Her familiarity with so many aspects of production continue to play an important role in her career as a professional tailor.

“Set and lighting are so important to the overall design of a production,” she says. “They really go hand-in-hand (with costuming) to make the look of a production cohesive.” Jana was actively involved in a multitude of CU theatre productions – sometimes as a member of the cast, sometimes on the crew. Her talents were utilized in “Our Town,” “The Medium,” “Watbanaland,” “The Day Room,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “The Imaginary Invalid,” “The Servant of Two Masters,” “Oxygen,” “Once Upon A Mattress,” “Scenes and Revelations,” “Working,” “Whose Life Is It Anyway?,” “Wit,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “I Hate Hamlet” and “Nine.”

One highlight of her Cameron days was receiving awards for costume design from the Oklahoma One State American College Theatre Festival and the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region VI, for her work on “Scenes and Revelations.”

She also made a mark academically, earning membership in Phi Eta Sigma and picking up numerous university honors including “Who’s Who Among American College Students" and departmental awards such as Outstanding Academic Achievement, Outstanding Contribution by a Theatre Major, and Student of the Year.

After graduating from CU, she landed a position with Lawton Community Theatre (LCT), where she worked for three years.

“I loved my time at LCT,” she says. “I was basically a oneperson shop most of the time, doing the designing, building, fitting and alterations. I think it helped me learn how to sew quickly and think on my feet. I loved how creative it allowed me to be and showed me how to collaborate with other artists. Also, working in theatre for so long before I switched to film helped me transition more smoothly into the tailor shop.”

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts in 2008, she continued her education at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2013.

“After I graduated (from SCAD), Atlanta seemed like the next move because of the film industry there,” Jana explains. “I started as a production assistant in the costume department and then transitioned to a stitcher/tailor in the tailor shop. I joined the union (IATSE Local 479) and have been working in film since about 2014.”

Versatility is a key component in the costume world, which suits Jana to a tee. Her impressive skill set includes machine sewing, hand sewing, draping, patternmaking, script interpretation, and advanced apparel construction. She’s also adept in painting and drawing, which allows her to share her design ideas with others.

“If I’m designing, I love anything in the late 1800s and early 1900s,” she says. “I also enjoy sci-fi fantasy. I work primarily as a tailor, so I love building from any time period really.”

Her career has also afforded her opportunities as a costume designer, which sometimes presents challenges that the audience might not be aware of.

“I designed an outdoor ballet a few years ago and it was taking place in late fall and was getting pretty cold,” she says. “I had to figure out a way to keep the dancers warm without layering them too much so that you could still see their movement. We ended up using multiple pairs of fleece lined tights and thermal tops under their costumes.”

As a tailor, you won’t see Jana on-screen, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy her work. Despite a slow-down in production due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s been busy stitching and sewing for a number of film and TV projects. “I’ve worked on a handful of Marvel projects recently,” she explains. “Those include ‘Loki,’ ‘WandaVision’ and ‘Hawkeye,’" which is set to air in November 2021.

Some of her other assignments include "Watchmen," "Haunting of Hill House" and the "Fear Street" trilogy.

Jana looks back on her days as a Cameron student with fondness and appreciation.

“I was lucky that Cameron had some amazing costume professors come through that mentored me and allowed me to help design shows,” she says. “I don’t think I would be where I am now if I hadn’t had those experiences.”

- Janet E. Williams

"Set and lighting are so important to the overall design of a production"