Artists Bio

Imogen Jeffords is a recent USC graduate of the BFA, Theatrical Costume Design program. Xe is a summa cum laude graduate and a member of ΦKΦ honor society. Xir's personal design style ranges from the fantastical to period accurate. With a passion for the classics and a minor and focus in Art History, xir has also worked as a curatorial intern and is pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Glasgow. Imogen’s joy comes from the process and quiet focus of draping and construction. Credits include Blue Window (26), Three Sisters (25), and As You Like It: The Musical (24).

My Artist Statement

My art comes from the joy of creation. I love the process, the quiet of focus, the hours spent on a project, and not realising it because I am in a world of my own. From working on miniatures to mocking up garments to pattern making. Taking the time to get lost in the world and create something I’m passionate about and proud of. While I do not believe I can yet describe it, I enjoy diving into the flow of creating a whole world from nothing with precision, focus, and detail. As an introvert, my art becomes my time to relax, reflect on the day, and recharge. As an autistic person, breaking down why people wear what they wear helps me understand the world better. And as an art historian, I enjoy seeing how clothes stemmed from and created social and political movements of their own. I persistently return to the theatre because it allows both viewers and creators to jump into pieces and places from history and reflect humanity.

Mission Statement

I stumbled into costume design because of slogan buttons. I was an actor, and a crusty old bag of pins was pushed into my hands, with instructions to choose slogans my character would wear. I imagined how my character would react to the buttons as I stared at the array. As a designer, I love telling a story through my art, creating garments that show the differences between characters and imply nuanced traits about the role. Every show is a chance to explore a different world and to bring that world to the audience in recognizable and repeatable ways.

As someone who knows how hard it can be to get to know someone, even with human interaction, my goal is to help the audience immediately be able to read the characters, wants, relationships, and nature. I hope to use empathy to bring accessibility, letting the audience see themselves within the characters during the show, and hopefully leaving them with something to think about or relate to afterwards.

In the future, I hope to learn more about pattern making and drafting. Both the practical sides and the multitude of technological advances we have made in the field. I hope that by better learning how to create new garments, I will be able to realise the fantastical creations that live in my head.

Accomplishments 

• Accepted into graduate school at the University of Glasgow

• Dean's List (3.97/4 GPA - press)

• Phi Kappa Phi (USC- 24’ -Pres)

• Alpha Lambda Delta  (USC- 22’ -Pres)

• College Board AP Scholar ‘22

• Distinguished Thespian 2022

• CSUS Travelling Robe Peer Award ’20

• Merit Scholarship to CCA Pre-College ‘20