Creating a Partnership: An Interview with Oana Botez, Costume Designer for Macbeth

Brought to you by Kathia, NextGen Member!

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With an interest in fashion and design, NextGen member, Kathia, knew immediately she needed to sit down and talk to the costume designer for MACBETH. Oana Botez has been a professional costume designer for years. Kathia describes Oana has as very cool, friendly, and funny.

Check out video footage from the interview!

I asked Oana about when her desire to learn about design and fashion sparked.  She said it was when she was a little girl in Romania she would watch her mother sew. One day her friend came to her and asked her to make a dress. So she did. She took the fabric cut it by eye and then sewed the pieces together (without previous experience). She said that it looked pretty good for being her first work. That was when it all started.

I wanted to know about how much of herself she puts into her work. Do she envision herself when she makes costumes for plays? She said that when designs she tries to leave herself out of the process, because she understands that she is not designing for herself but for the actors and the production.  She says that it’s usually fashion designers that ask themselves if they would wear what they design.

I wondered whether she preferred to design for films or for live theatre. Oana explained that she didn’t mind one more than the other. She appreciates both.

I wanted to her more about her process when coming up with a design. She explained that she doesn't really have a process because each project is completely different with various characters, themes, plots, etc.. So she doesn't really have a process. But she does always sit down with the directors to ask what they are looking for with each character and costume. It is together as a partnership that Oana creates the designs.

Lastly, I wanted to know if she ever dealt with an actor saying, “No! I'm not wearing that!".  She laughed and said all of the time!