Costume design, February 2025
University of Colorado, Boulder

One of the most interesting challenges of designing Mr. Burns was imagining how clothing might evolve in a society rebuilding itself after an apocalypse. The play takes place across three time periods, spanning 75 years, and I wanted the costumes to reflect how people's relationships with clothing, materials, and cultural traditions might change over time.

In Act II, seven years after the collapse of civilization, I imagined the survivors wearing familiar contemporary clothing, now worn and weathered from years of use. The materials for their Simpsons costumes, used for performance, would have been difficult to come by, but could have been begged, borrowed, or stolen.

75 years later, in Act III, I envisioned a society that had rediscovered basic weaving and dyeing techniques. Newly made garments would be relatively simple, while scraps of fabric and objects surviving from before the apocalypse would be treasured and incorporated into ceremonial clothing. I wanted the Simpsons characters to remain recognizable while taking on the qualities of mythological figures. I incorporated found objects into their costumes as symbolic references to their original identities: an old helmet for Homer's round head, bottle caps to adorn Marge's headdress, sticks to represent Bart’s spiky hair, and paintbrushes for Lisa's crown. I loved exploring how ordinary objects might take on new meaning as familiar characters evolved into the legends of a new civilization.

Director: Sam Collier
Assistant Director: Kasra Mirfattahi
Assistant costume designers: Aria Gronberg, Sunny Lee
Mask artisans: Koral Jackson, Shannon Kosman, Saysha Dewey
First hand: Sasha Solovyev
Scenic Design: Jonathan Spencer
Lighting Design: Evan Hunter
Photos: RDGPhoto

Costume design, October 2023
University of Colorado, Boulder

For The Revolutionists, I drew on the clothing of late eighteenth-century France to create a historically grounded world for four women whose lives intersect during the French Revolution. I enjoyed exploring the silhouettes, fabrics, and details of the period, particularly the corsets and petticoats that shape the clothing. Most importantly, I wanted the characters to present as real women who laughed, cried, fought, and dreamed in their clothes.

The production was double-cast, with each performer wearing her own costume. This created an interesting challenge: designing two versions of each character's look that would remain visually consistent while accommodating different bodies. I worked to maintain the same silhouettes, colors, and character details across both casts, allowing each performer to have a costume that fit her individually without changing the overall design.

Director: Tamara Meneghini
Assistant Director: Allison Wilson
Assistant Costume Designer: Sara David
Wig stylist: Mari Beazley
Scenic Designer: Hayley Delich
Lighting Designer: Alessa Oltman
Photography: RDGPhoto

Costume design, February 2024
University of Colorado, Boulder

For John Proctor is the Villain, I wanted the costumes to feel authentic to a group of teenagers attending a rural Georgia high school in 2018. The characters are navigating friendships, relationships, and questions about identity, and I wanted their clothing to feel natural and lived-in, rather than overly designed. My goal was for the clothing to help establish each character's individuality without drawing attention away from the relationships and conversations at the heart of the play.

Raelynn Nix was one character whose costumes reflected a clear character arc, taking her from a small-town preacher's daughter to a teenager beginning to step outside her comfort zone and explore gender norms and identity.

For the character Shelby Holcomb, I chose a red-toned wig to give her a quirkier, edgier appearance than the performer's natural hair would have conveyed.

One of the biggest challenges was communicating the passage of time. The script takes place over eleven distinct days, requiring multiple looks for each character and frequent changes between scenes. I used layering and carefully planned costume combinations to create variety while allowing performers to change quickly.

Directors: Kevin Finkelstein, Julia Anderson
Scenic Design: Peyton Burns
Assistant Costume Designer: Adison Palmer
Lighting Design: Cheri Bauman
Photos: RDGPhoto

Costume design, October 2022
University of Colorado, Boulder

For this immersive outdoor production, I designed Elizabethan-inspired costumes for 35 of Shakespeare's most haunting characters. I wanted to create a world that felt rooted in Shakespeare while leaving room for the magical, and sometimes strange qualities of his supernatural characters.

I used more traditional silhouettes for the human characters, while experimenting with exaggerated shapes, textures, and unexpected details for figures such as Ariel, Titania, Puck, and the witches. Because the production took place outdoors in October, I also had to consider how to keep performers warm without compromising their costumes. Layers, wigs, and hats became practical solutions that also contributed to the characters' visual identities.

As both costume designer and assistant costume shop manager, I worked with students on mask-making, wig styling, makeup, and draping, bringing a wide range of skills and ideas into the process.

Co-Directors: Heather Kelley, Andy Park, Kevin Rich
Assistant Costume Designer: Sophia Morris
Makeup Designer: Sophia Morris
Wig Stylists: Mari Beazley, Celeste Fenton

Costume design & construction, March 2022

Paper dress, designed for Denver’s The ONE Club Paper Fashion Show, benefitting Downtown Aurora Visual Arts.

1st Place Winner

The 2022 Paper Fashion Show theme was "Chiaroscuro," and designers were asked to explore either light or darkness. I chose to imagine the darker side of Mother Nature, invoking earthy ideas of death and decay.

I experimented with papier-mâché, braided paper, hand-rolled paper beads, and origami to create a variety of textures and sculptural details. I loved discovering how many different qualities I could coax out of paper, transforming a familiar, fragile material into something dramatic and powerful.

Model: Veronica Amancio
Makeup: Pure Joy Artistry

Costume design & construction, April 2019

Paper dress, designed for Denver’s The ONE Club Paper Fashion Show, benefitting Downtown Aurora Visual Arts.

Winner of the ONE Club Spirit Award

TInspired by the theme "Flight: Beyond Wings," I designed Up in Flames, a phoenix rising from the ashes.

I wanted to capture the movement, energy, and transformation associated with the phoenix, and this design floated down the runway. I experimented with papier-mâché, braided paper, hand-rolled beads, and paper shapes sewn together on a sewing machine to create a dramatic wearable design.

This project gave me an opportunity to push the boundaries of what paper could do.

Model: Veronica Amancio
Hair: Angie Difrancis-Cox
Makeup: Cecilee Ciparro

Costume design & construction, April 2023
Title: In Bloom

Paper dress, designed for Denver’s The ONE Club Paper Fashion Show, benefitting Downtown Aurora Visual Arts.

With a theme of “Art Masters”, I chose Georgia O’Keeffe as my inspiration.

For the 2023 Paper Fashion Show, the theme was "Art Masters," and I chose Georgia O'Keeffe as my inspiration. I was drawn to the organic shapes and close-up perspective of her flower paintings, particularly Pink Tulip, 1926.

I translated that inspiration into a wearable paper design that explores the sculptural possibilities of an everyday material. I enjoyed the challenge of turning a two-dimensional artistic reference into a three-dimensional garment.

Model: Miki Sibayan
Hair: @LisaKayHair
Makeup: @MakeupByJessicaThommes

Costume design & construction, 2018

Paper dress, designed for Denver’s The ONE Paper Fashion Show, benefitting Downtown Aurora Visual Arts.

This year’s them was “Places”, and I found inspiration in the architecture of Antoni Gaudí and the imaginative world of turn-of-the-century Barcelona. I began by wondering what a dress designed by Gaudí might look like, or what his muse might wear while strolling through the city.

I drew on the organic forms, decorative surfaces, and playful details of his architecture to create a wearable interpretation of that idea. I hand-cut approximately 1,000 paper circles and sewed them together to construct the skirt, exploring how repetition and layering could turn a simple shape into a richly textured garment.

Model: Karina Rivera

CU Boulder, College of Music, 2021

The director envisioned a gritty, steampunk-inspired world for The Threepenny Opera. I explored that aesthetic through layered clothing, distressed textures, and a mix of familiar and unconventional costume elements that reflected the rough-edged lives of the characters.

This production took place during COVID-19 restrictions, which required me to rethink the usual fitting and construction process. I conducted fittings over Zoom and worked with performers to incorporate clothing from their own wardrobes, adding pieces and details to establish each character's look. I also used hair extensions to heighten the stylized appearance of the characters and created a makeup tutorial so performers could apply their own makeup.

It was an unusual design process, but one that pushed me to be resourceful and find creative solutions within significant limitations.

Director: Justin Johnson

Costume design, September 2021
University of Colorado, Boulder

CU Theatre & Dance partnered with Climate Change Theatre Action 2021 in New York City to produce ten brief climate plays by authors from around the world interspersed with fun Cabaret-style musical numbers.

I chose a color palette of “hopeful neutrals” to convey a positive message about the climate, while presenting a unified look. I dressed the cast in simple, contemporary clothing that could be adapted quickly to change characters as the mood switched between silly and serious. I am always conscious of trying to conserve resources, but for this show, we went to the next level. Nothing was purchased new, and everything came from our stock or a thrift store.

September 2021

Director: Ben Stasny

Costume design, October 2019
University of Colorado, Boulder

Costume design, October 2019
University of Colorado, Boulder

Burning the Old Man is a darkly comic story about two estranged brothers who reunite at a rundown desert motel to carry out their father's final wish to scatter his ashes at Burning Man.

The contemporary costumes needed to feel believable within the play's offbeat setting, while supporting its shifts between humor, conflict, and moments vulnerability.

Two of the fun moments to create were the Burning Man costumes, and the clothing and ash effect from an implied car explosion.

Director: Chip Persons

Costume design, 2018
Academic work while at University of Colorado, Boulder

For this design project, I reimagined A Midsummer Night's Dream through the flowing lines, organic forms, and decorative details of Art Nouveau.

I created a visual distinction between the human and fairy worlds through color. The human characters wear restrained palettes of black, white, and sepia, while the fairies appear in vivid colors, emphasizing the contrast between the familiar and the magical.

Costume design, 2018
Academic work while at University of Colorado, Boulder

I reimagined The Wizard of Oz through a combination of Rococo-inspired extravagance and the fantastical theatricality of Cirque du Soleil.

The designs explore exaggerated silhouettes, playful proportions, and imaginative character interpretations, transforming familiar figures into a highly stylized theatrical world.

Costume design, 2017
Student work while at University of Colorado, Boulder

I created twelve Elizabethan-inspired costumes for Romeo & Juliet, balancing historical references with characters that would feel relatable to a contemporary audience.

My color palette was inspired by the changing colors of sunrise and sunset. The Capulets wear warm golds, oranges, and fiery reds, while the Montagues are dressed in cool, dusky blues and purples. These contrasting palettes visually reinforce the division between the two families.

Costume design, 2018
Academic work while at University of Colorado, Boulder

The task was to reimagine a classic Disney character's costume in historical, high fashion, and hip hop style. My chosen characters were The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, and Captain Hook from Peter Pan.

Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids
July 2017

Costume Design Assistant
to Mary Jo Farr

My first experience designing for theatre, Narnia gave me the opportunity to design and create approximately twelve costumes for the "Cruelies" under costume designer Mary Jo Farr.

Working within a short production timeline, I combined existing costume stock with newly constructed elements to create a cohesive group of characters. I designed and built several distinctive headpieces, using them to establish individual character identities while unifying the overall look.

Photo credit: Kevin Snyder

This is where my journey into costume design really began. I started making elaborate Halloween costumes for my kids and discovered how much I loved the process of imagining a character and figuring out how to bring that character to life.

These projects gave me the freedom to experiment with pattern making, construction, and unfamiliar materials, often learning new techniques along the way. What began as a creative outlet eventually inspired me to pursue costume design as a career.