We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kat Ibasco a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kat, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

The biggest risk I ever took was the beginning of my journey into theatre. Raised in a STEM-focused environment, I was certain, all my life, I was headed for engineering school. Although I stage managed some high school theatre productions as an extracurricular activity, my firsthand experience in the arts was minimal. In fact, I remember receiving a pity grade in my middle school art class.
As I neared the end of high school and the college application deadlines approached, I experienced an existential panic at the thought of saying goodbye to the sense of community and generosity I found in theatre. In a moment of clarity, I made a snap decision to apply to the one school that still had its BFA applications open—Boston University. Conveniently, BU also offered dual degrees in conservatory arts and hard sciences.
I scrapped together a portfolio in three days, telling myself that if I got accepted into this theatre program, it was meant to be. Despite receiving scholarships to several engineering and science programs that I had been excited about, I did the scary thing and committed to Boston University’s School of Theatre.
Interestingly, I didn’t start in costumes. Transitioning into design was another huge leap, requiring me to learn drawing and sewing from scratch during my sophomore year. Actually, I remember a peer questioning my desire to dive into costumes, given my clear lack of experience and knowledge in the field, especially in comparison to them. But as an Aries, I often find great motivation in other people’s doubts about me. I worked to learn as much as I could in the time I had and I am so immensely grateful to my mentors, who saw potential and invested in me. They helped me build my artistry and confidence, and have since become cherished friends.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a Chinese-Filipino costume designer currently based in New York, originally from the Philippines with some time spent in Hong Kong. My diverse cultural background greatly influences my work, allowing me to bring unique perspectives to every project.
Growing up in a business-oriented environment where decisions were often black and white, refined my taste and made me highly discerning. This upbringing, combined with my exposure to different cultures, instilled in me a sense of pride and resilience that I carry into my work. These, along with my journey into theatre and learning about costumes, have shaped my artistic vision, enabling me to create with my own clarity.
In my design work, I strive to create inventive yet honest pieces that spark conversations about the human experience and our society. Collaboration is at the heart of my process—I enjoy dissecting the text and discussing the intent behind the storytelling. The interpersonal relationships that form from these collaborative experiences are invaluable to me.
I also have a deep interest in the complexity of dress as an art form and its role in expressing identity throughout history. My general life aesthetic is heavily influenced by fashion history and the idea of elevated expression in everyday life. This elegance and elevation permeate my work, but I also value the grit, heart, and pains of the human experience. My designs aim to balance and convey this tension between beauty and pain.
I think my perspective in any production hopes to achieve the visually stunning within the deeply meaningful.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is the ability to tell stories that resonate deeply with people and evoke a range of emotions, from the joyful to the difficult. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see my designs come to life on stage, knowing that they contribute to the narrative and help bring characters and their journeys to the audience in a tangible way.

I find immense joy in the collaborative process, where diverse minds come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. The connections and relationships formed through these collaborations are invaluable and inspire me to push my creative boundaries. I find such a strong sense of family in so many collaborations.

Additionally, exploring the complexities of human experience through my work allows me to continually grow and evolve as an artist. Each project is an opportunity to learn, innovate, and express ideas in a unique and impactful manner. Seeing how I shape a world can spark conversations, challenge perceptions, and even change the way people see the world is what truly makes being a designer so worth the challenges that come with being an artist.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

The creative journey is an unpredictable and nonlinear path to success, unlike the clear milestones found in traditional fields like promotions or earnings. In the arts, progress and achievements are much more abstract and subjective. It’s tough to explain the nuances of our work to my friends on the outside, and especially to my family. Sometimes, the jobs that pay well aren’t the ones that matter most to me; their external impact can be emotional, cultural, or social, or more personally, they can be pivotal for my growth as an artist or even just as a person. These intangible successes are hard to appreciate without experiencing them firsthand.
Being a rising designer also means having to balance multiple roles and projects simultaneously, requiring immense flexibility and adaptability. The constant hustle to find opportunities, network, and stay inspired can be exhausting.
And though every project will differ in process, for me it always starts with an “I” statement—how I feel, what I’ve experienced, and my perspective. So, beyond the physical labor and deliverables expected from designers, I put a lot of emotional work into maintaining a personal connection to each project. This emotional labor isn’t visible to the outside world and is difficult to quantify. With that, I’m also self inflicting a terrifying situation of vulnerability, exposing parts of myself in my work.
Creating is not just about producing a final product; it’s about exploration, experimentation, and often, failure. The emotional and intellectual labor involved is immense. Each production I work on carries a part of me, and is a timestamp and reflection of my journey and growth as a human and as an artist

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kmibasco.com
• Instagram: @kat.ibasco / @kat_ibasco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmibasco/

Image Credits

Headshot by Jana Schuessler

Production photos by Ella Bromblin

Sewing Machine photo by Em Khan

at work photo by Matt Gregg