Ghost Whisperer Costumers Share Halloween Tips for Unique Costumes
Los Angeles, CA, October 14, 2009 --(PR.com)-- When it comes to Halloween, Ghost Whisperer Costume Designer Dorothy Amos and Costume Supervisor Barbara Inglehart know a thing or two about creating original, spooky costumes. For the past three years, they’ve designed more than 100 ghost originals for the popular Friday night CBS show.
“Every year at Halloween time, friends and family will come to us asking for advice with their costumes,” said Amos. “My biggest advice when it comes to costumes is to just have fun. You can’t make a mistake!”
Most recently, Dorothy’s creations were on display during the 4th Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum.
Here are a few Ghost Whisperer trade secrets to perfecting a ghostly wardrobe:
· Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop
o You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low
· Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil
o Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress
· Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter
· Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest
· Try using dirt with glue to age the garment
o Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens
Two good examples of Ghost Whisperer ghosts whose costumes underwent many of these steps are Lorelei the Ghost and the Lake Spirit Ghost. The vintage 1970’s evening gown worn by Lorelei the Ghost (played by Peyton List) appears in Episode 404 “Save Our Souls.” Lorelei died when she was thrown overboard on a cruise voyage, hence the discoloration and real seaweed that adorns her garment. In Episode 413 “Body of Water” (directed by Jennifer Love Hewitt), the Lake Spirit Ghost died on her wedding day, and the dress was painted and distressed for the scene. For these costumes, Amos used the diluted paint and oil techniques.
Child’s Play
When preparing costumes for children, don’t assume the best costumes are in the store. As parents of small children themselves, Amos and Inglehart both advocate for original costumes.
“Think outside the box and allow your child to create their own super hero and super powers,” said Inglehart. “It allows the child to be creative and get involved in the process.”
A few tips to keep in mind when creating children costumes include:
· Make sure the costume is child-friendly
o Will they be able to take it off by themselves? Is it comfortable enough to wear to school?
· Make the costume fit over the child’s clothing
o This is helpful in case the teacher doesn’t allow the students to wear the costume all day
· Put the zipper in the front
o Again, this makes it easy for kids to dress for themselves.
Ultimately, Amos and Inglehart say the idea is to have a good time. Avoid the double take of duplicate costumes by designing your own and you can’t go wrong. Remember, It’s Halloween – Anything goes.
Ghost Whisperer’s Halloween episode “Head Over Heels” airs Friday, October 30th at 8 pm on CBS. Ghost Whisperer is produced by Sander/Moses Productions.
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“Every year at Halloween time, friends and family will come to us asking for advice with their costumes,” said Amos. “My biggest advice when it comes to costumes is to just have fun. You can’t make a mistake!”
Most recently, Dorothy’s creations were on display during the 4th Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum.
Here are a few Ghost Whisperer trade secrets to perfecting a ghostly wardrobe:
· Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop
o You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low
· Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil
o Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress
· Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter
· Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest
· Try using dirt with glue to age the garment
o Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens
Two good examples of Ghost Whisperer ghosts whose costumes underwent many of these steps are Lorelei the Ghost and the Lake Spirit Ghost. The vintage 1970’s evening gown worn by Lorelei the Ghost (played by Peyton List) appears in Episode 404 “Save Our Souls.” Lorelei died when she was thrown overboard on a cruise voyage, hence the discoloration and real seaweed that adorns her garment. In Episode 413 “Body of Water” (directed by Jennifer Love Hewitt), the Lake Spirit Ghost died on her wedding day, and the dress was painted and distressed for the scene. For these costumes, Amos used the diluted paint and oil techniques.
Child’s Play
When preparing costumes for children, don’t assume the best costumes are in the store. As parents of small children themselves, Amos and Inglehart both advocate for original costumes.
“Think outside the box and allow your child to create their own super hero and super powers,” said Inglehart. “It allows the child to be creative and get involved in the process.”
A few tips to keep in mind when creating children costumes include:
· Make sure the costume is child-friendly
o Will they be able to take it off by themselves? Is it comfortable enough to wear to school?
· Make the costume fit over the child’s clothing
o This is helpful in case the teacher doesn’t allow the students to wear the costume all day
· Put the zipper in the front
o Again, this makes it easy for kids to dress for themselves.
Ultimately, Amos and Inglehart say the idea is to have a good time. Avoid the double take of duplicate costumes by designing your own and you can’t go wrong. Remember, It’s Halloween – Anything goes.
Ghost Whisperer’s Halloween episode “Head Over Heels” airs Friday, October 30th at 8 pm on CBS. Ghost Whisperer is produced by Sander/Moses Productions.
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Contact
Sander Moses Productions
Alonda Thomas
818-733-1701
sandermoses.com
Alonda Thomas
818-733-1701
sandermoses.com
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