Hi, I’m Elizabeth Licata

I’m a die-hard lover of textiles and stories, which is why I’m so happy to have found my home in the theater. I love making costumes because it gives me an endless cycle of opportunities to create and explore character through clothing, and also to touch and play with beautiful fabrics. 

As a technician, I rely on precise pattern-making techniques and sculptural, naturalistic draping to create elegant, well-made garments that I hope will help elevate the production and assist the actor’s performance. I am committed to ensuring every costume fits its actor perfectly, whether I’m altering an existing garment or building one from scratch. 

By this summer I expect to have earned my MFA in Costume Technology from Indiana University Bloomington, where my research thesis will focus on the reconstruction of an extant spring-wired petticoat from 1895. In addition to my work at IU, I’ve studied art and photography at the Art Institute of Chicago, haute couture construction techniques at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and classical ballet tutu-making with Travis Halsey in Chicago. Click here to see my full theatrical resume.

In addition to making costumes, I’m a prolific writer and teacher. I regularly present at conventions and conferences about costume-making, and my writing has been published in Threads, Racked, Apartment Therapy, The LA Times, The Chicago Tribune, Yahoo News, The Gloss, Bustle, Foundations Revealed, Business Insider, and more. Click here to submit a writing or speaking request.