Lin-Manuel Miranda celebrates Costume Industry Coalition workers and supports fundraising

The Costume Industry Coalition (CIC) has been publicly supported by Pultizer Prize, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

In a newly released video, Miranda celebrates the large number of costumiers who create, supply and maintain costumes for stage and screen in New York City and beyond. He makes particular reference to Carlos Abreu of Jennifer Love Costumes who are one of the many costume shops who make costumes for Hamilton.

With huge debt and with 2021 looking equally uncertain due to the pandemic, CIC is fighting to make sure these experts still have artistic homes following this unprecedented time.

Miranda said: “Because of the lack of federal arts relief, this industry is struggling to survive.”

Broadway Associate Designer Sky Switser has been working closely with 51 of the 55 CIC member businesses to brainstorm ways to raise emergency recovery funds for those affected. He said: “I thought maybe with some creativity I could give them something that would have more impact than just my few dollars. I tried to think about what their unique assets were as a collective, who their audience should be, and who I knew with the most influence…and I immediately thought of my friend Bernadette.”

Becoming somewhat of a Youtube celebrity with one million followers, Bernadette Banner posts content online mostly on the reconstruction and interpretation of historical dress. She uses the techniques appropriate to the historical period of the garment she’s making, meaning she is usually sewing by hand.

So Switser chose a period garment designed by a Broadway designer, gave Banner the original pattern for that garment from the costume shop that created it, asked her to film herself constructing the costume, and then sell the pattern on Etsy so her viewers can make it at home as well.

Banner said: “I was honored to be asked, honestly. I thought it was a brilliant marriage of my passion for period dress, while being a wonderful way to raise awareness and funds for the costume industry.”

Tony Award-winning Costumer Designer of Hamilton, Paul Tazewell, also joined the process by offering a gorgeous design for a spencer jacket that he thought would be especially appealing to Bernadette’s audience of enthusiasts. The owner of Tricorne, Inc Katherine Marshall then had to lead the tasks of drafting the pattern and writing the instructions.

Marshall said: “I was enthusiastic about this project the moment I heard about it. I knew the Hamilton spencer would be a popular item since almost every actress we fit one on says the same thing: ‘I would love one of these to wear with my jeans!’”

Since posting the video in December, the video has been viewed 265,000 times and over 2000 patterns have been sold. Five more YouTube personalities have already been inspired to join in and are making videos of their own about the CIC Hamilton spencer jacket.

The pattern can be purchased on Etsy for $22 here and is an opportunity for the CIC Members to raise funds in a creative way.

Switser said: “It’s been a true creative team effort, coming together in the most inspiring way. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s recognition of the costume workers’ contribution is an amazing way to celebrate the collaboration between Paul, the CIC Members and Bernadette. This is exactly how we work in this business, and honestly, the only way we are going to collectively survive this shutdown.”

To view Manuel-Miranda’s video testimonial, please see below: