We love working with excellent humans to create all kinds of glamorous nonsense. To make sure we’re a good fit, here is how things tend to go around here:

 

1. it begins...

It starts with a form. Tell us about your big beautiful vision, your hopes and dreams, and your budget. We can work miracles, but we need to know what we’re working with.

From there, things can go three ways:

• The "Not in our Wheelhouse" - We can usually tell you pretty quickly if something isn’t a fit - whether you need someone with a different skill set, we can’t meet your deadline, or you’re asking for four flying ibises to be made for the price of a pub lunch.
• The "Straight to Quote" - If your request is perfectly quotable from the information you’ve given us. (We’re unsure if this has ever actually happened, but hey… it might!)
• The "Vibe Check" - Most projects start here. We’ll have a chat (Zoom or in-person) so Liss can ask approximately 863 questions to see into your soul and figure out what you’re actually asking for.

2. sketches!

Generally, after we chat, Lenore will create sketches to confirm we’re on the same page. We’ll send those over with a quote - including options if you’ve requested them - and our standard agreement for you to review. Need more consults? Supplemental sessions are $150/hr for Liss, or $250/hr for both of us.

3. lock it in

We love clear boundaries because they protect the creative magic. Our workflow follows a specific pattern:

You sign the agreement. This tells us you're ready to go.

We send the deposit invoice. This is for 25% of the total quote.

You pay the deposit. This officially locks in your spot on our calendar.

Until that agreement is signed and the deposit is received: There is no commitment to build or design on our end. We won’t buy any of the pieces needed for your project, nor will we start work.

4. magic...

Once the deposit hits, we throw our whole hearts into making you something glamorous, functional, and beyond your expectations. We don’t just make it look pretty; we make it work. Between Liss’s high-precision garment construction and Len’s stage-tested wisdom, we ensure the "nonsense" is technically sound and built to last.

When we’re making costumes:

• We ensure fabric and construction choices are fit for performance. We make sure reveals work and that every detail reads under lights.
• We can provide templates for you to rhinestone yourself (if that’s the option you’ve chosen) or Lenore handles it with the individual-stone-precision she brings to every project.
• We build for the body you have. We take measurements and adjust as we go. We understand that bodies change size and shape and just ask that you keep us updated throughout the project.

When we’re designing (Illustration, Logos, Branding):

• We don’t use generative AI, stock logos, or "things someone saw on Google Images." Everything is drawn or lettered by hand, from scratch, by us, for your project.

5. what we ask from you

We need you to own your timeline. We can tell you how long we expect a project to take, but if the scope changes, the timeline probably will too. We trust our clients to keep an eye on their own rehearsal and performance dates.

Clear communication and decisions. We need clear feedback on design preferences and changes.

An understanding that costume design is an art, and a little creative flexibility makes for the best results! We’ll always do our best to keep you updated if things are changing or suddenly become unavailable.

 

Ok, we know that was a lot of words. But we’ve believe that best magic happens when everyone knows exactly where they stand. If you made it this far without your eyes glazing over, you’re probably the sort of excellent human we love to work with and we can’t wait to see what we can build together.

If you'd like to discuss a costuming commission:

If you'd like to discuss a merch illustration:

If you have an exciting project that doesn't fit into either of those catgories, please tell us all about it in the form below.

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