We were lucky to catch up with Marquecia Jordan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Marquecia, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
Yes, I’ve been working full-time in the arts for years as an actor, vocalist, and now a costume designer. Of course, it took a while starting out to get things to the point where I was being booked more consistently, but nothing moved as quickly for me as when I started designing costumes and wardrobe styling. I owe that to my good friend, Christopher Chase Carter, who is the Artistic Director of Mercury Theater Chicago. When the theater was reopening with its first show after the pandemic, Sister Act, he asked me to come on as the Costume Designer. This was in the Fall of 2021. Mind you, this was my first major production! I’d costumed a few shows in the past for a children’s theatre company of which I was an ensemble member, but my focus was more on my acting career. I wasn’t thinking I’d switch paths, but here we are several years later and the work has been so full and frequent that I stepped away from acting altogether. I’ve costumed numerous productions around Chicago, and so far one in Columbus. I’ve been the Wardrobe Stylist for a few episodes of a documentary series here called Chicago Stories. I even costumed a feature-length film last summer. I don’t think there’s anything I could’ve or would’ve done to speed up the process – it has been flowing pretty quickly on its own.
Marquecia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi folks! I’m a Costume Designer from Chicago who works primarily in theatre. I started out as an onstage actor/singer in 2005 and have made many connections and formed long-standing relationships with a lot of people in our theatre community. It’s how I first met the people who gave me my first design jobs in theatre. I used to work in Graphic Design many years ago, and a couple of things that these jobs have had in common is having to solve a problem in an way that the result is aesthetically pleasing as well as gets a particular message across. I love helping to create a story that impacts its viewers. I’m really proud of my work so far, and I think one thing that sets me apart from other costume designers in Chicago is that there aren’t a lot of designers of color. I’m grateful that I’m among the talented few who work consistently.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Getting to do what I love for a living. Trust, it can be very stressful at times, but I really love it when all the elements of a production I’m working on come together beautifully! I especially love when the actors are excited about what they’re wearing as it can really influence their performance in positive ways.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
100% word-of-mouth. I have a reputation for doing great work and being great to work with, so I get referred to other companies who are looking for costume designers.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Brandon Dalquist Liz Lauren Alan Davis