We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nicole Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nicole below.

Nicole , appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I got out of writing a paper for my Theatre class in high school if I signed up for “Backstage Tech.” That’s where I discovered Costume Design! Then took fashion classes geared toward sewing and illustration which set me on my path to my BFA in Costume Design in college. I was hooked!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I took advantage of my summers in college to start PA-ing in the costume department. My first job was PA-ing on Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah.” It was then that I was hooked on Costume Design. That movie was a crash course, we had a full work room of tailors, ager/dyers, an on staff knitter, two supervisors, three assistant costume designers and a troop of costumers.

It was important for me to try and work all positions in the costume department to guide me with what I wanted to do for my career. It also helped me get tricks of the trade depending on what part of the department I was working within. Costumes help establish the first opinion the viewer has about the characters. The smallest of details matter! I love breaking down the script and conceptualizing what that character would wake up and wear in the morning.

I love all aspects of film making and started my own movie that I produced. It’s a documentary about my grandfather, Henri Dauman, who is a photographer and Holocaust survivor. Having producer experience helped shape me as a designer. Understanding budget better and the importance of planning ahead, or alternatively, thinking on your feet. This project is what I’m most proud of as I was not formally trained, but still managed to raise budget, shoot & edit, and then find distribution after we premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

When talking to friends and family not in the industry, I often get the assumption, “Omg Costume Design?! So do you just get to shop and hang out with actors all the time?” While I wish my job could be boiled down to those two assumptions, the Costume Department is much more involved. There are logistics and a lot of labor that is not seen. From schlepping 200+ lb racks from location to location, offloading and loading a truck, turning a brand new outfit into a much more lived in (“aged”) version of the outfit, tracking continuity when you shoot a scene in the beginning of the shoot (& then matching it when we come back to it another time), sooooo much steaming, sooooo many returns (of things NOT worn on camera), and so much more. The hours are long, sleep is merely a suggestion, and you’ll definitely get your steps in.

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

The most rewarding aspect is when you get to see a final product. Most times you’ll work on something and it won’t get released for a year or longer. Seeing your work on screen and witnessing collaboration with all departments is so satisfying and keeps me going project after project!

Separately, I’ve worked on a couple projects that will never see the light of day, the industry is fickle!      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ndjcostumes.com
• Instagram: @kneecolejones

Image Credits
Sara Seward – headshot