My Story
For as long as I can remember I’ve been sketching garments and bringing them to life with my sewing machine. (Even as a child my favourite subjects to draw were multiples of women, dressed in coordinated outfits going to a party, or on a picnic!)
I was gifted with a second-hand sewing machine when I was 7… and not long after I was fashioning ballgowns for my dolls out of my mom’s fabric scraps and dishcloths. By high school I was designing and sewing my own clothes.
I went on to study fine art at university for a year, and then I enrolled in a fashion design program. There I thrived and was finally able to immerse myself in my life passion.
But my instructors had one consistent criticism…
“Deanna, your work is too theatrical.”
And yet I still didn’t know my home would be in costume design. It had to find me.
After graduation, my resume unexpectantly landed on the desk of a director at a children’s theatre. I was asked if I was interested in creating costumes for their summer theatre program.
I said yes.
It was instant LOVE.
And I’ve never looked back.
But it would be years before I realized who those multiples of women were in my childhood sketches.
The theatre chorus I’ve been drawing my whole life.
I do this work because I love it.
I love being in the fitting room when a performer looks in the mirror and discovers something new about their character because of the costume.
I love the collaborative journey we all take with each new production.
I love text driven conversations between creatives that get to the essence of each story and delve deep into character motivations.
I love working with people who aren’t afraid of what if.
If this is what you love too, we should talk.
How I work with you
I believe that costume design is more than the creation of a pretty picture.
I begin by immersing myself in the text trying to discern the character arc to get to the heart of each story. I research the time period and setting to consider how these might affect the final look and feel of design. I also consider how to make each design relevant to the modern eye and take the time engage with collaborating creatives to ensure my element works cohesively with the overall story.
It’s only at this stage that I begin to create a visual roadmap with renderings, photos, schematics, and support materials to communicate the creative vision. I believe every detail chosen needs to fit with each character’s psychological journey and also respect the performer’s physicality and movement.
I value and understand the craft of making costumes. I design with this in mind, knowing what makers and technicians need from me in order to fulfill their talents and deliver each piece on time and on budget.
I see every production as a collaborative journey. There are elements that play out a little differently each time depending on the team involved. But my personal roadmap remains the same.
The best piece of advice I ever received – and still follow today – is to tell the story. (It’s not about me.)
“Having witnessed many performers finally ‘getting’ (understanding) their character once they don their costumes is a testament to Deanna’s wonderful ability to fuel the wonder of theatre, always supporting the narrative, and leading the creative team to a cohesive inspired focus.
From her initial design presentation, through to build, fittings and to the final stitch, her costumes consistently surprise, inform and provide that necessary whimsy that can lift a production over and beyond expectations for both audience and performers.
Deanna’s resourceful use of texture, color, proportion, silhouette, weight and movement in every design have contributed to so many successful productions on our stage.
Deanna Finnman, costume designer, has time and again created imaginative, detailed and intuitive costumes. I always look forward to the next production!”
“Truly, one of Canada’s best-kept designer secrets, Costumiere Extraordinaire Deanna Finnman is one of the greatest gifts to our vibrant and passionate arts community.
Whether designing on the grandest of scales for massive, major productions along the lines of LA BOHEME, LE COMTE ORY or TALES OF HOFFMANN… Or working with tiny theatre/musical organizations on threadbare budgets, Deanna never fails to take the breath away.
Her endless creativity, integrity in honouring the work being designed, sense of whimsy, commitment to precision and minute detail, and brilliant realization from sketch to stage, make her possibly my all-time favourite costume colleague and collaborator.
My FIRST choice for any costume design project, I will take my place in the increasingly long lineup to work with her again and again and again.”
Contact me and let’s talk.
I look forward to every production as a new adventure. I would love to hear about yours.
You can send me an email direct at deanna@deannafinnman.com
“Deanna is an incomparable talent with a wild imagination and a tireless work ethic. Her place on my production team has always guaranteed the highest level of professionalism and creativity. No team should be without someone so inspired as Deanna Finnman.”
