Both fashion designers and costume designers are artists. Both are responsible for creating original clothing, use a variety of fabrics and need to understand color and texture. And both ultimately need to make original work with a sense of style and purpose, considering both form and function. But there are essential differences too: fashion designers make clothes for the general public, while costume designers make them for specific characters; fashion designers make clothes for here and now, while costume designers have to worry about when and where the story takes place. Their goals and responsibilities are distinct. But there are times they’ve had to work together to make a film. Their collaborations haven’t always been easy or friendly, but the output was often stunning.
