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Not many people move to New York City for a more tranquil lifestyle, but
that’s what Donna Langman did some 25 years ago, when she left the roadie
circuit as a costumer for regional theater and “settled down” in Manhattan. A
position with the grande dame of costume houses, Barbara Matera, paved the way
for her own shop soon after.
Much has changed in her professional world,
points out Donna, who studied the theater business at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign. “It used to be that an entire Broadway show would go to one
costume house, but now the lead time has been shortened and I’ll focus on just
one or two performers,” explains the Buffalo, New York, native. “One of the
things that makes this industry so expensive is that everything is one of a
kind, made for each individual. These clothes take a beating—the performer has
to wear them in extreme circumstances, so they’re constructed in a way that
makes them more lasting.”
(a) Every production has a three-ring “bible” of sketches and swatches. (b) Detail of
period dress. (c) Donna made
1950s-style clothing for the 2002 movie Far from Heaven. (d) Broadway’s The Lion King is a longtime client. (e)
Bodice-in-progress.
When Passion Meets Promise page
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