Crafting characters through clothes
- Caroline specialises in creating period costumes
- Her costumes have appeared in major feature films
- Hugely diverse, her work involves many different skills
“I was 15 when I knew that I wanted to be a costume designer. I loved history and sociology, sewing and building things as well as film history and making, so it was clear to me that this was what I wanted to do for a living.” Caroline Koener studied costume for screen and stage in Bournemouth, England, gaining essential work experience from makers and designers in the industry during her studies. Straight after university she started working as a costume maker and dresser, mainly for theatre, film and dance, and then as a costume designer. Her first professional assignment was making patterns for 40 costumes for a dance performance directed and choreographed by Helen van den Kerchove.
Discover her work
INTERVIEW
The film industry is growing in Luxembourg and is therefore becoming a bigger part of its cultural background. Being one of the few Luxembourgish costume designers, I enjoy working on entirely Luxembourg-made productions.
The creation of film or theatre costumes is the opposite of the modern fashion industry, where clothes are considered perishable consumables. In this craft, the design and making process has to fit one specific person and reflect something unique and not mass made.
Everything! From the constant change of subject, concept, to getting to know new people, bringing words on paper to life, developing characters, creating identity through assembling materials. And, of course, working with textiles.
Quite a few. I will never forget the first time I saw my costumes on stage, or when an actor or director actually hugged me because the costumes I made provided the final touch to bringing their character´s vision to life.
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