Meet Fan Zhang: The New York-Based Costume Designer Making Her Mark On Live Stage Performances & Film

April 15, 2023

Fan Zhang, a costume designer from Yantai, China, studied fashion design in college, but it was costume design that truly captured her imagination.

Fan Zhang is now based in New York City, and she finds the city to be a constant source of inspiration for her creation. Since her first collaboration with director Don Stephenson on the musical “Sunday in the Park with George,” Fan Zhang has continued to work with Don on their recent musical, “Paperboy,” which has received enthusiastic acclaim.

Passionate about bringing characters and stories to life through costume, Fan takes a meticulous approach to her work. Having worked on a variety of projects in live stage performances and film & TV, Fan is always eager to learn and grow, embracing new challenges along the way.

Tell us about yourself. What’s your grown-up background look like?

I was born and raised in Yantai, a small ocean city in China. Growing up, I was fortunate to have a very liberal family who supported me in pursuing my interests, even though no one in my family had ever worked in the arts or design fields before. As a child, I was always drawn to drawing and fashion and even had strong opinions about what I wanted to wear in elementary school. I remember dreaming of becoming a fashion designer from a young age, so it was an easy decision for me to study fashion design in college.

How did you get into costume design?

It’s an interesting story. As I learned more about fashion, I became fascinated by the idea that fashion is a lifestyle of letting people express themselves in a direct way. I wasn’t necessarily interested in leading fashion trends myself, but rather in the history of fashion and how clothes can be used to create characters. I realized that I wanted to study fashion design abroad with the hope of one day working in the film industry.

It wasn’t until I began researching schools in the United States that I discovered costume design as a field of study. It was a perfect fit for me, as it offered exactly what I was looking for and opened a whole new world of possibilities. So that’s how I got into costume design.

Can you give us a sense of the costume design process for characters?

So, the first step is to really understand the characters and the story that we’re trying to tell. As a costume designer, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of each character – no less than the actors themselves do. This involves a lot of research into the characters, the time, the locations, and the cultures that we’re designing for.

Collaboration is also a huge part of the costume design process. We take a lot of meetings with directors, producers, and other designers to discuss and refine our ideas. The most important part of the process is bringing the costumes to life – from drawing paper to the stage or the front of the camera. This often involves working with a team of artisans and crafts experts to make sure that everything is just right.

We also work very closely with the actors, since they are the ones who bring the characters to life. When we see the actors really connect with their costumes and embody the characters, it’s incredibly rewarding, and we know we’ve done our job well.

How did your experience collaborating with various directors and artists in both live stage performances and the film & TV industry affect your career?

Working in this field has allowed me to collaborate with so many different talented artists, and it’s been a huge inspiration for me. Each project brings new opportunities to learn and grow, and those connections have been valuable assets in my career. Collaborating with directors and other artists has taught me so much about my craft and helped me to go further in my career.

How do you approach designing for musicals, and what unique challenges do they present compared to other productions?

Designing for musicals requires a lot of precision, as everything needs to fall on the beats of the music. Quick costume changes need to be planned out meticulously and executed flawlessly, so as not to disrupt the performance. Collaboration with the choreographer is also crucial, as the costumes need to accommodate movement and work cohesively with the choreography.

One example is in Paperboy, where we needed to create a magical costume change from shorts to long pants. It took several days of problem-solving and creative thinking to find a solution that could be hidden under the shorts and then revealed on stage. Overall, designing for musicals presents unique challenges that require careful planning and coordination with the entire production team.

Can you share with us your experience working with the director Don Stephenson in the musical “Sunday in the Park with George”? What was the biggest challenge of doing this project?

Working with Don on Sunday in the Park with George was a great experience. He had a clear vision for the show and gave us plenty of time to prepare our work. He also trusted our expertise and allowed us to do our jobs. One of the biggest challenges of this project was creating costumes that looked as close to the famous painting of George Seurat as possible, while also being functional for the actors and within our limited resources. It required a lot of creative problem-solving and attention to detail, but the result was very rewarding.

What was your process for sourcing vintage pieces and creating custom-made costumes for “Paperboy”, and how did your team help bring your vision to life for the show?

For Paperboy, my process for sourcing vintage pieces and creating custom-made costumes involved creating a piece list and planning where to source each item. For custom-made pieces that I know would be time-consuming to find, I recruited six artisans to work with me. My team and I thrift shopped online and locally, and we sourced some items from overseas, like UK and Canada, to achieve the vision I had for the show. It involved a lot of planning and communication to distribute the work to the right person.

How has living in New York impacted your creative side?

Being based in New York City is a dream come true for me. It’s the center of the theater and art world and the abundance of resources available to me is simply amazing. The diverse cultures

and communities of the city continuously inspire my creative side. Observing people in the city, whether it’s on the subway or on the streets, is one of my favorite things to do. I love seeing what people are wearing, imagining their personalities or occupations, and where they might be heading. It’s a never-ending source of inspiration for me.

The Fox Magazine is all about inspiration, what/who inspires you the most?

People, I have to say my best answer is the people. I love going to figure drawing sessions with live models, which is always a great way to calm my mind and inspire me. Fortunately, there are plenty of drawing studios available in New York City. The city’s diversity offers endless opportunities to observe different styles, personalities, and cultures, and it’s always fascinating to see how people present themselves to the world.

What is your aspiration for the future?

While I am constantly focused on doing my best work for every project I take on, my aspiration for the future is to continue to grow and evolve as a costume designer. I hope to work on larger and more challenging productions that allow me to push my creative boundaries and collaborate with talented individuals from various fields.

Anything else you would like to share?

I will keep the path I chose and create more memorable and impactful visual experiences for audiences and leave a lasting impression on the world through my work. Thank you for having me and giving me the opportunity to share my experiences.