Former Board Member: Nene Kalu

Why costuming?  What brought you here?

I first got into costuming through Lolita. While Lolita isn’t a costume, it introduced me to a world of alternative fashion and combined my interests in history and fashion aesthetics.

What’s your costuming focus?

I’m currently focused on learning about 18th century patterns and dressmaking. However, I absolutely love the styles of the 1850s and 1860s. Eventually, I hope to do more from the late 19th century as well.

Do you do anything else crafty or artistic?

Costuming is my creative outlet although I’m a fan of vintage and vintage reproduction clothing. I’m currently turning over the majority of my wardrobe to custom made 1930s and 1950s repro pieces. I consider putting together a vintage wardrobe an artistic pursuit!

What’s your day job?

I work at Facebook (FB) managing larger advertising technology partnerships. Ironically, I’m not huge into social media, but I truly believe in the power of the form to bring people of niche interests together. I’ve learned so much from costuming groups on FB and costumers on YouTube and Instagram for instance.

What was the first costume you made? Is there a picture?

I’ve actually never made a costume! I usually commission my costumes. It’s just now during quarantine that I’ve started to teach myself to sew. I’ve made a vaguely 18th century style shift, and it fits so I consider that a win.

What’s on the sewing table now?

I just finished making my first blouse (a kimono-style linen blouse). It was self-drafted based on a 1950s pattern that I heavily hacked to make it more flattering to my figure. For my first time making a garment, it’s not bad at all. Upcoming projects include: a 1950s linen slim skirt, merino wool men’s and women’s t-shirts, 1930s style linen shorts, and a 1780s silk satin Robe à la Circassienne.

What was your first/most memorable costuming disaster/learning moment?

Putting together a Victorian ball gown outfit was a challenge. I bought a costume from Ebay that, looking back, was certainly not the best expression of my style. I learned that balancing proportions is key.

Costume you’re most proud of?

I love my first Dickens Fair outfit. I worked with an extremely experienced sewist who was able to make the dress based on a fashion plate I found. I’m proud of how I accessorized the dress with a head covering, bonnet, gloves, American Duchess boots and reticule. It was great!

What’s your holy grail costuming project?

I’d absolutely love to make a silk faille late 1870s walking dress.

What’s your costuming Kryptonite, the one thing you just can’t master?

I’m still a newbie so there’s plenty that I haven’t mastered. In general though, I see these as opportunities to learn. It’s why I’m forcing myself to self draft so that I can better understand the why of garment construction as well as the how.

Tell us one (or two or three) things about you that others might not know.

I’m really into languages and have studied Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Persian, Igbo, Korean and Hebrew. I’m not yet multilingual, but I can read the scripts of those languages.