Costume Designers Call for Pay Equity: ‘Our Work Is the Most Important Real Estate in the Frame’
Sophia Scorziello editor “Naked without us” was the motto for costume designers who gathered at UCLA for the Business of Costume Design Summit on Saturday. Among the panelists were Deborah Landis, former CDG president, costume designer and founding director of the UCLA Copley Center for Design; Madeline Di Nonno, president and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media; and Deirdra Govan. Costume designers, activists, journalists, researchers and guild members were among those who gathered to share their stories over the decades. They discussed the ongoing discussion surrounding pay equity – a topic that is not new to the guild. For years, costume designers have been fighting for pay equity and recognition for their valuable work. Not only are they the last people off set, they are the first ones there in the morning, the costume designers argue. Their industry is comprised almost entirely of women, and they are paid far less than those in the male-dominated field of production design.