I am privileged to be collaborating with Deborah Cantor. We work as a team or independently. Please contact me on assignments to work with both of us, or, feel free to contact Deb via her links below her bio, which follows.
Deborah Cantor Costume Designer/Wardrobe Stylist
As a costume designer, Deborah has had endless opportunities to originate inspirational looks and visions in multiple mediums. Her career started after completing a fashion and textiles degree at Manchester Metropolitan University, England (with high honours), having produced a final collection that was showcased at Graduate Fashion Week, in front of professionals within the fashion industry. As a result receiving high profile press coverage of her work. Deborah then moved into the high-end print fashion world working for, among other publications, British Vogue, Harpers and Queen (London) and Harpers Bazaar (New York). Her focal point is now costume design and styling, currently working with all the major UK television channels such as BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, along with international networks including Fox, Amazon and Comedy Central.
Deborah’s costume career started at the BBC costume department cataloguing and indexing merchandise from various productions for over a year. This experience was an intensive training in history and era. Understanding the fabric, texture, makeup of a garment, accessory, item of footwear or millinery and having to measure, describe and colour code, enabled her to date the pieces. This practical experience was invaluable. Deb notes: “There is nothing like having a garment, shoe, hat in your hand and instantly know its history and comprehending how it embodies a person”.
Deborah then became a Costumier. She headed up different departments from uniforms to 1970’s and everything in between. “This became my magical office everyday, a land of make believe!” Deb continues: “Costume designers/stylists would come to me with a brief and I would help realise their vision by creating a look for the programme, commercial, pop video, or film. Having worked on everything from period dramas to game shows, where having knowledge of the complexities of safe numbers for police uniforms or army rankings, for national and international sectors, to modern costume for Absolutely Fabulous, was imperative. High profile fashion designers often came in to the department for inspiration and direction on the following seasons trends. Costume really does influence the fashion industry. I was privileged to be a part of this wave. I was BBC trained in every area of the art of costume. From learning how to dress a period costume drama cast, to measuring garments, to accessorising, working for the BBC has been invaluable. I learned so much during my six years tenure. It is British television at its best, producing high end, world renowned, great drama and entertainment.”
With all the knowledge and experience the BBC afforded Deborah, she decided to go freelance as an assistant costume designer and second designer to a sizeable variety of productions. Working alongside numerous talented costume designers. Deborah built up an even wider background in the inner workings of costume, from fitting artists, costume and fabric buying, lining up costumes, sketching outlines for costume makers and breaking downs scripts. To etiquette on tv, theatre and film sets with various high profile artists, producers and directors. Deborah, inevitably, became an accomplished costume designer in her own right.
Deborah has worked with many incredible talents and production companies as a Costume Designer/Stylist including model Jodie Kidd, pop star Rachel Stevens, actress Alison Steadman, actor Chris O’Dowd, composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, world renowned superstar Dame Shirley Bassey, presenter Sara Pascoe and chef Gordon Ramsay among so many others in Deborah’s extensive portfolio. In fashion print Deborah assisted Fashion Editors on shoots, which included actress Sigorney Weaver, actor Meg Ryan and actor Aaron Eckhart all photographed by the extraordinary Patrick Demarchelier, plus so many more.
Deborah’s work is varied. From the world of fashion and costume, she has designed and created some extremely prestigious programmes including Bafta award winning Liverpool Narcos (Sky Documentaries), The Extraordinary Life of April Ashley (Channel 4), to The Great British Sewing Bee (BBC1). As an Assistant Costume Designer Deborah was a crucial part of a costume team to receive an RTS (Royal Television Society) award for Strictly Dance Fever. Deborah was second designer for shows including Cirque De Celebrite (Sky), Royal Variety (BBC/ITV) and Any Dream Will Do (BBC).
Deborah has been the featured guest on podcasts in the UK and US, magazine articles, a book and radio shows to discuss her depth of work. A slideshow of examples of Deborah’s work is shown below.
https://www.deborahcantor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/deborahcantor/
All credit given to the artists, networks, production companies and professionals that made the visual footage on this page.
