Being a costume designer for Small Axe: Lisa's story

My name's Lisa Duncan and I was the costume designer for Mangrove. Well I originally studied fashion design and worked in magazines and advertising for many years. And then I decided I wanted to move into costume design for film and television, and theatre hopefully… so I decided to go and do an MA in costume design for performance.

Every day is different really in costume, but at the beginning of the job I start by researching, so I'll read the script, usually two or three times and start to make notes. And then I start looking for reference pictures to make mood boards to illustrate the costumes.It really depends on the project, but everything's fitted for each character so I'll do fittings with the actors and I might find some amazing vintage pieces that don't fit, so then we would get them copied. Or we might find some vintage pieces to use as reference,we might remake them in a different colour or add something, change something about the look, like the sleeves bor add decoration to them.

When I'm interviewing, it really helps if they have a costume or a fashion degree, and I think it's really important to study history of costume but also to learn to sew. My experience as someone who came through fashion, I learnt I can sew, I can pattern cut, I know how to make patterns, so that means that when I'm working with makers now, I'm able to explain how I want something made.

If you want to work in costume, study. Go and study costume. Learn about the history of costume, and fashion. You have to be prepared to work really hard. The hours are long, very long, you have to be really determined. I think it's important to kind ofjust be really respectful. You have to be quite persistent and y'know, reaching out to people, writing to people that you want to work with.

There are also trainee schemes, you know, most people come in as a runner or a trainee, that might not seem like the most exciting kinda glamorous thing at first but you have to work your way up. You've got to be prepared to work your way up. There's a lot to learn and I think as long as you're really focussed and hard working you'll get on.

I think it's really important to get experience. It's great to start on the smaller budget jobs. You know, it's hard, you might have to have another job as well to be able to afford to do those jobs 'cos they're not always very well paid, but when I did my MA I literally left and did dozens of short films basically which was really good fun. You make great contacts, you make your friends, you learn as you go along, because when you get onto a bigger production, you need to know about set etiquette and just knowing how to behave. There is a lot to learn. If you really want something I just think keep trying.

So as a trainee, you could be shopping or you might be helping on set. If you start at the beginning of the job, then you would be helping with research, potentially, that might involve doing online research, going to libraries, you might be shopping as well, or going to the costume house with the designer, helping to find the costumes. You also could be helping with fittings, there's lots of different jobs, but when it comes to filming, mostly as a trainee you'll be on the wardrobe truck and you would be helping with anything from laundry, labelling garments, potentially helping with the fittings… and there's a lot of organisational stuff to do, because we have to make continuity notes, so everything that's filmed we have to make notes of,and you really need to learn what everybody does. So, as a trainee you could be helping anybody.It really is basically whatever needs doing.

I think it's really important to have diversity because the actors are diverse, and often the stories are as well. When I'm researching a story, there are books and films and lots of different resources for research, but in the case of Mangrove, I was able to use my family photographs, talk to my father about his experience and other family members, and that brought something that was quite unique.That was just something that I could bring into it and I just think that when you're working with a diverse cast, why wouldn't you have a diverse crew as well?

It just, to have people from all different walks of life adds so much. My best career moment was definitely working on Small Axe.It was such an exciting job. When I was initially sent the scripts I was completely blown away. And knowing that Steve McQueenwas directing a series about the 1970s and 80s, the story of the Mangrove Nine is such an incredibly inspiring story and it just felt really important so this was definitely a real career highlight for me.