VALERIE MARCUS RAMSHUR
COSTUME DESIGN

This week on the blog: a birthday reflection on creativity and rest. Still making, still dreaming, still finding beauty in the becoming.

Esther Perbandt | Fall 2016 Ready-to-Wear Collection Couture and contemporary designers often return to the tabard —a sleeveless,...

The Four Basic Garments: A Foundation for Dress Theory In dress theory (sometimes called fashion theory—a title I don’t particularly...

As you know, I run a costume design program at a major American university. Within our costume studios and workshops, and a long-standing...

Photo Mosaic of Burano Island located in the Venetian Lagoon, Veneto Region, Italy I am captivated by how images tell stories—not just...

There’s a particular kind of disorientation that comes with returning after time away—whether from a physical place, a creative project,...

Happy New Year !! Not to sound too medieval... Pray forgive the delay in the forthcoming treatises, for I find myself wholly engrossed in...

"Arms and crests are not mere decorations; they are the silent heralds of ancestry and achievement."  – John Gough Nichols Coats of arms...

"Every decoration on a garment or object is a statement, a shield, a prayer, or a celebration of identity." — Peter Frankopan, The Silk...

1: The Allure of Color in Travel – The Language of Place-Based Palettes “Colors are the deeds and sufferings of light.” – Goethe This...

I used to compare history to a layered lasagna, that metaphor is not quite right. Layers of fabric stitched together over time is better.

August has been a whirlwind of reading, listening, studying, and preparing. I've spent these days gathering knowledge, honing skills, and...

Embarking on a research journey is like packing for a vacation, but instead of swimsuits and sunscreen, you're armed with notebooks,...

Consider the practices of collage, quilting, assemblage, mosaic creation, and even putting together a jigsaw puzzle—not to mention...

Introduction to Sabbatical Projects

Blogging serves as a public journal, offering a space where thoughts can be fully formed or gradually developed on the page. The creative...

Welcome to a journey through the cross-cultural world of costume, textiles, and the influence of trade routes that brought not only...