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OCTA COSTUME & HAIR/MAKEUP DESIGN COMPETITION

Each year, OCTA honors outstanding achievements in the areas of Costume Design and Coordination, and Hair and/or Makeup artistry.​

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Eligibility: 

  • The costumes/hair/makeup must be from a show produced by an OCTA member theater.

  • Designers may submit as many entries as they want, however they must be sponsored by an OCTA member theater and produced in the current season.

  • A designer cannot have been paid more than a nominal fee of $250 for their work.

  • The costume entry can be built anywhere, including professionally. 

  • A piece that has been dramatically altered to accommodate the needs of a show will qualify as an original design if it bears little resemblance to its original form as demonstrated by before and after photos. 

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Awarding criteria: 

  • Did the costumer achieve the desired effect- from conception to actual costumes used in performance? 

  • How did the costume(s) work within the overall look of the show? Did they fit the overall concept of the show? On stage, did costume(s) enhance the overall effect? 

  • Did the costumer utilize an apparent color palette to differentiate characters or types? 

  • How authentic to the period, season, time of day were the costumes and the shoes to the play? 

  • Craftsmanship is a must. The costume worn by the actors must fit and hang properly, being the correct length for the time period. The authentic of visible period construction techniques will also be used as a criterion. 

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Award categories:

  • Overall Costume Design

    • 10 or fewer costumes used in the production- 75% must be built from an original design​

    • 11-50 costumes used- 50% must be built from an original design

    • 50 or more costumes used- 25% must be built from an original design

  • Individual Costume Design

    • One (1) costume specifically built for a production from an original design or reproduced/inspired from an existing piece. ​

  • Overall Costume Coordination

    • Costumes for a production have been gathered from more than one source, i.e. borrowed, rented, pulled from stock, etc...​

    • Productions which rent all costumes from the same one source or rent "the show" from a professional costume source are NOT eligible. There must be more than one source if the show is not being pulled strictly from the stock of the producing theater. 

    • Productions which do not meet the percentage requirement for Overall Costume Design will fall in this category. 

  • Overall Make-up Design

  • Overall Hair Design

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*SPECIAL NOTE: A specific individual costume included in a production entered in either "Overall Costume Design" or "Overall Costume Coordination" may also be entered in the "Individual Costume Design". No single production is eligible for all three categories/awards. 

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An official entry will include the following: 

  • The official entry form

  • Clearly labeled color photographs of the actor(s) in costume- no more than three (3) photos per individual costume. 

    • Photos should be of the total look (head to toe): shoes, hat, hosiery, accessories. 

    • Include group shots, as well as individual examples. 

    • Include a photo of costumed actors on stage under performance conditions. 

  • For Overall Costume Design and Individual Costume Design submissions (NOT needed for Costume Coordination or Hair/Makeup submissions):

    • Must include 2x2 fabric swatch(s)

  • For Hair and/or Makeup submissions: 

    • Provide a close up headshot of the actor(s) in full hair/makeup.

    • Include photos of the total look (head to toe).

    • Include group shots, as well as individual examples. 

    • Include a photo of actors on stage under performance conditions. 

  • Copies of costume renderings or conceptual representations

    • ​These should illustrate the original intent of the costume project. 

  • A copy of the costume plot or costume resource list. 

    • A list that includes the total number of costumes and indicates which ones were built, which were rented or borrowed, and from whom. ​

  • ​One (1) copy of the show program. If the program does not include a complete listing of the designer/coordinator and their compete team (building, sewing, and running), please include a list with this information. 

  • Answers to questions from the entry form, listed on a separate page.

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Stay tuned for information on how to submit your costume design or hair/makeup design for the 2025-2026 competition!

 

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