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AccountancyISCO 3323

Costume buyer

A costume buyer is a person who works with the costume designer to establish what the costumes will be made from, and who buys and hires the fabrics, threads, accessories and other items the wardrobe needs. The buyer may also buy finished clothing off the rail, and the purchases are made on the basis of the designer's sketches.

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Rate 5 of the 9 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

place orders for clothing merchandise

identify suppliers

manage budgets

mark differences in colours

maintain relationship with suppliers

About costume buyer

Reading the sketch is the first skill. A drawing shows an intention rather than a specification, and the buyer has to turn a drawn garment into a list of materials that exist, can be obtained in time and will behave the way the drawing implies. The buyer also has to distinguish differences in colour.

Sourcing is the working day. The buyer identifies suppliers, maintains the relationships with them, places the orders for textile materials and for clothing goods, and hires rather than buys where a production needs something once.

Money and communication close the role. The buyer manages the budgets and reports price changes. A sense of aesthetics matters too: the buyer has to be able to judge what will read correctly from the audience rather than what looks right in the hand.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (9)

aestheticsaestheticsSet of principles based on which something is appealing and beautiful.place orders for clothing merchandiseplace orders for clothing merchandiseOrder clothing items and accessories from manufacturers and wholesale stores; place orders depending on stock needs and availability.identify suppliersidentify suppliersDetermine potential suppliers for further negotiation. Take into consideration aspects such as product quality, sustainability, local sourcing, seasonality and coverage of the area. Evaluate the likel...manage budgetsmanage budgetsPlan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.mark differences in coloursmark differences in coloursIdentify differences between colours, such as shades of colour.maintain relationship with suppliersmaintain relationship with suppliersBuild a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.place orders for textile materialsplace orders for textile materialsSelect and purchase fabrics and textile products in accordance to stock availability.analyse costume sketchesanalyse costume sketchesDetermine which materials to buy to make or finish costumes by studying the costume sketches. Familiarise yourself with the colour scheme and style.communicate price changescommunicate price changesTransparent, straightforward and effective communication with all departments involved; clearly communicate about price changes and their possible consequences.
Optional (21) — show
photographyphotographyArt and practice of creating aesthetically appealing images by recording light or electromagnetic radiation.film production processfilm production processThe various development stages of making a film, such as scriptwriting, financing, shooting, editing, and distribution.dressmakingdressmakingThe craft of sewing clothes and dresses by following a pattern. This includes the assembly of cutout clothing parts.fabric typesfabric typesWoven, non-woven, knitted fabrics and netting fabrics, technical fabrics such as Gore-Tex and Gannex.film studiesfilm studiesThe theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to films. This includes the narrative, artistic, cultural, economic, and political implications of cinema.lighting techniqueslighting techniquesThe characteristics of techniques used to create atmospheres and effects on camera or on stage; the equipment required and appropriate setup to use.document costume stockdocument costume stockKeep records of the costumes held in stock. Track all relevant properties of the costumes and how they are used.assemble costume partsassemble costume partsAssemble cutout costume parts manually or by operating a sewing machine.conduct costume researchconduct costume researchEnsure that costumes and pieces of clothing in visual artistic productions are historically correct, based on research conducted in primary sources as literature, museums, newspapers, pictures, etc.ensure continuous styling of artistsensure continuous styling of artistsEnsure that artists are consistently styled during the production of a motion picture. Make sure that their look remains the same.coordinate purchasing activitiescoordinate purchasing activitiesCoordinate and manage procurement and renting processes including purchasing, renting, planning, tracking and reporting in a cost efficient way on an organisational level.define costume materialsdefine costume materialsDefine and assign costume materials and fabrics.select costumesselect costumesFind the right costume for a certain role and actor.manage logisticsmanage logisticsCreate logistic framework for transporting goods to customers and for receiving returns, execute and follow up the logistics processes and guidelines. Adapt the production processes to the contingenci...organise costume fittingsorganise costume fittingsOrganise fitting sessions for the actors and decide on the required actions. Assign the right size costume to each actor.manage rented goods returnsmanage rented goods returnsOrganise the return of rented goods to the distributor.synthesise clothing with accessoriessynthesise clothing with accessoriesPurchase new or second-hand clothing and a variety of accessory items, as is needed to complete designs.keep up to date on costume designkeep up to date on costume designVisit textile showrooms, read fashion magazines, keep up-to-date with trends and changes in the world of fabrics and designs.maintain inventory of rented itemsmaintain inventory of rented itemsCompose and keep up-to-date inventory of the items rented to customers.maintain costumesmaintain costumesCollect, check, maintain and repair costumes.check deliveries on receiptcheck deliveries on receiptControl that all order details are recorded, that faulty items are reported and returned and that all paperwork is received and processed, according to the purchasing procedures.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

set buyer4 shared essential skillscategory manager3 shared essential skillsclothing shop manager3 shared essential skillsICT vendor relationship manager3 shared essential skillspurchaser3 shared essential skillspurchasing manager3 shared essential skillsresource manager3 shared essential skillstextile shop manager3 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does a costume buyer do?

Costume buyers work with the costume designer in order to identify the materials for the costumes. They buy and rent fabric, thread, accessories and other items needed to finish the wardrobe. Costume buyers may also purchase ready-made clothing items They base their purchases on the sketches of the costume designer.

What skills does a costume buyer need?

A costume buyer needs 9 essential skills, including aesthetics, place orders for clothing merchandise, identify suppliers, manage budgets, mark differences in colours.

Will AI replace costume buyer jobs?

The AI disruption score for costume buyer is 39/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: maintain inventory of rented items, mark differences in colours, place orders for clothing merchandise. Most resilient: maintain costumes, maintain relationship with suppliers, aesthetics.

Quick Facts

SectorAccountancy
ISCO GroupBusiness and administration associate professionals
Essential Skills9

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