A five-day summit of talks, activities, and workshops

 WCIA CDMX 2022

In May 2022, Mexico City hosted the Annual Meeting of the OISTAT Costume Subcommittee, an event that brought together costume designers, academics, and theater professionals from around the world to discuss and explore new trends and approaches in costume design. The event was held at the Centro Nacional de las Artes (CENART), where a series of activities were developed, including lectures, panels, presentations, and exhibitions, creating a space for cultural and professional exchange.

The event began on Wednesday, May 11, with a meeting of the OISTAT Costume Subcommission in the Aula Magna of CENART. This opening session, conducted in English, provided an introduction and presentation of the activities that would take place during the following days. After a short break, Laura Marnezti gave the first lecture of the event entitled "Costume as a piece of art", where she highlighted the importance of costume not only as a functional element, but also as an autonomous artistic expression.

In the afternoon, a series of presentations called "Flash Talks" took place, in which international designers shared their experiences and projects. Participants included Alexandra Bonds, who spoke about her return to the basics of couture, and Marianne Custer, who explored the creation of leather fantasies during confinement. This session was an opportunity to hear diverse perspectives and creative approaches from designers hailing from countries such as the United States, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Denmark and the Czech Republic. The day culminated with the opening of an exhibition at CENART's Central Gallery and a dance performance entitled "Solos", directed by Carolina Jiménez and with live music by Juan Pablo Villa, at the Raúl Flores Canelo Theater.

Thursday May 12 began with a presentation by the Mexican Association of Costume Designers "Vestuario a Escena MX A.C.", where outstanding designers such as Laura Marnezti, Jerildy Bosch and Sara Salomón shared their experiences and projects in the field of stage costumes in Mexico. Next, several Mexican designers presented their work, highlighting the richness and diversity of costume design in the country.

In the afternoon, activities focused on curating costume events, with the participation of Sofia Pantouvaki, Rosane Muniz and Simona Rybakova, who discussed the challenges and strategies for organizing exhibitions and events related to costume. This was followed by a panel of international designers who explored the relationship between designers and artisans in the creation of costumes. The day concluded with an introduction to Procreate, a digital tool for scenic design, given by Snezana Pesic, followed by a dance performance at the Plaza de las Artes entitled "Inhabiting Noise and Silence," directed by Laura Marnezti.

Friday, May 13 was marked by a presentation on the history and restoration of costumes from the golden age of Mexican cinema by Elisa Lozano and Renato Camarillo. This activity was followed by a session dedicated to violence against women and how artistic manifestations, through costumes, can address this issue. Designers such as Nermine Said and Rosane Muniz presented projects that explore this issue through the materiality of clothing.

In the afternoon, Estela Fagoaga presented her book "Methodology of costume design based on Mexican designers", a work that proposes a structured approach to costume design in Mexico. The day concluded with an internal meeting of the OISTAT Costume Subcommission, where future plans and development strategies for the international community of costume designers were discussed.

On Saturday, May 14, the event continued with an international panel moderated by Deborah Landis, where leading Mexican film costume designers shared their experiences in the industry. Finally, on Sunday, May 15, Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko gave a lecture on costume design for contemporary opera, highlighting long-distance communication techniques.

Let us know if you'll be attending!