Celeste Ratazzi

Education

Equipment

My Equipment/Kit: Electronic Sewing Machine, Iron, Sewing Kit

I can use: Sewing Kit, Iron, Electronic Sewing Machine

About me

My name is Celeste Ratazzi and I have been working as a theatre seamstress since 2013, my year of admission to Accademia Teatro alla Scala; even though sewing is a passion I have been keeping for years.
I started as seamstress and wardrobe technician in theatres of Milan area, such as Teatro alla Scala and Piccolo Teatro.

As a self-employed seamstress I collaborate with Fashion and Costume Designers, I also design costumes by myself for theatre and historical reenactment companies.
I spent the last month of 2019 on a cutter and pattern maker job for the world Premiere of Gaetano Donizetti’s lost opera L’Ange de Nisida at Fondazione Donizetti in my homeland, Bergamo; where I drafted patterns of ladies’ and gentlemen’s costumes made in fabric and different kinds of paper, making most of the main characters’ ones from the beginning to the end; and performing quick changes behind the scenes.

The experiences which influenced most on my working skills took place at costume workrooms Atelier Brancato, Casa d’Arte Fiore and at Italian broadcasting station RAI, where I was hired five times as dresser and costume maker. As a dresser, I have been working for theatres, television and runway shows. An earlier internship at Tirelli Costumi in Rome was pivotal as well for developing my knowledge about period costume construction.
When I am unemployed, but also in parallel with my jobs, I make period clothing and fantasy dresses for drama companies, theatres, reenactment associations (I am a reenactress myself), but also for people who participate to peculiar costume events and unconventional brides. My passion for corsets brings me near reenactresses as well as burlesque performers.
Besides theatrical and historical costume construction techniques, throughout my experiences I learnt the grounding of prêt-à-porter methods, also with light woven fabric. In my free-lance job I use all of them, depending on the kind of commission I am asked to achieve.

I am always in search for a challenging opportunity to improve my skills in this working environment, and to handle costumes from the sketch to the realization.
The world behind the scenes is thrilling, I can watch the show from a completely different perspective; but since I am a maker too, I also love giving birth to living characters with fabric and thread. My greatest passion are corsets and period clothing.

Some examples of my sewing activity can be seen at:
http://www.instagram.com/la.teiera.di.alice/
http://www.etsy.com/it/shop/LaTeieraDiAlice
Additional skills:
Good knowledge of English, Italian, French and German Literature, achieved through my studies;
Good knowledge of Opera, achieved through my studies and five years of Lyric Singing practice.
Industry awards:
My costumes have been chosen twice in a row to be shown at Fantastika, an art exhibition in Italy where international renown fantasy artists exhibit their creations in a Renaissance castle.

One of my period costumes was chosen as an inspiration by fantasy illustrator Paolo Barbieri for his last artbook, "Star Dragons" (publisher: Lo Scarabeo-Tarot).
Referees:
Silvia Bonanomi, Production secretary at Fondazione Donizetti.
removed

Nicola Thomas, Costume Supervisor at Queen's Theatre.
removed

Barbara Garofalo, Recruiter at Backstage Service agency.
removed

Gianluca Gasparini, freelance Costume Designer based in London.
removed

License & Passport

Skills

Secondary Job Title	Costume Designer
Job Titles	Costume Designer, Costumer Maker, Wardrobe / Wardrobe Support, Set Dresser
Years in industry	3 to 6 years
Organisations / Memberships	BECTU (UK)
Work Permits	EU