Lafayette costume designer makes it big in movies - 27 minutes 3 seconds ago by KRIS WARTELLE LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Lafayette native Claire Breaux, 33, has always dressed with flair.When Claire went to preschool, I told them, I am not responsible for her clothing choices, said her mother, Flossie Turner. Even then she was very opinionated. I havent bought her an article of clothing since she was 12 or 13.That knack led Breaux to a career as a lead costume designer for major motion pictures. She was the costume designer for the recently released big-budget When the Game Stands Tall, filmed in New Orleans about a winning football team.Its based on true story set in 2003, so I wanted to match the uniforms as much as possible, Breaux said. There was a lot of product placement so I worked with Nike, Adidas, Russell, all big athletic companies. I would send them pictures and they would send me what they had available. In some cases, they built them for me.The movie hit theaters Aug. 22. Breaux needed a year to outfit the stars and hundreds of young extras who showed up as football players, cheerleaders and fans.Director Thomas Carter called it a Herculean task.It was a tough movie to do because you had a lot of characters and not a lot of money, with a lot of changes and a lot of football teams, Carter said. So she had to acquire costumes for all the teams and all the games. It was great working with her because she always has a positive attitude. She really did an amazing job.Breaux didnt start at the top. After graduating from Lafayette High School, she studied apparel design and later interned at the Lincoln Center in New York. That led her to a Los Angeles internship in the costume department for the film Soul Plane.Just like in the movies, Breaux said the minute she graduated, she packed her car with everything that would fit and drove out to Los Angeles, hoping for a job.I ended up hostessing at a couple of restaurants before I got rolling, Breaux recalled. She said she eventually got in touch with Soul Planes production manager, who helped her get a job. In this business, knowing people is the only way to get in.As a costume-production assistant, she did all sorts of entry-level work such as filling lunch orders and picking up and returning items to stores.She worked her way up to assisting on movies like National Treasure: Book of Secrets and Big Mamas House 2.Today, Breaux can name dozens of A-list stars she has outfitted, including Kevin Costner, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Octavia Spencer.Kevin Costner is very professional, she said. He has so much experience. He knows every facet of the film-making business. He knows how to look at a call sheet, a list of scenes. He is a true pro and he taught me a lot. It was amazing working with him.Breaux said she still gets a bit nervous when she first meets a big celebrity, but that fades when the work begins.She and the director will usually work out a plan including a certain color palette.Sixteen-hour days are normal once work on a film gets started. Then there are the unforeseen events, when actors and other major players get involved.Sometimes they come in and their plan is completely different from our plan, Breaux said. The week leading up to shooting is crazy.Costume design involves a lot of scoping out pieces but not necessarily sewing, or what they call building a piece. Everything is tailored, Breaux said.Has she ever had a star refuse to wear a costume?Absolutely she said.Ive had some say, I dont want to wear this. It doesnt look good on me - sometimes on the same day they are supposed to wear it. And then I say, Well, you need to talk to the director because he is one that makes the decision on what to wear.No matter how far her career takes her, Breaux remains close to her Louisiana and Lafayette roots.Her father, former Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission director Gerald Breaux, said, She has a sense of adventure. I dont know if it came from my side of family or not, but she is willing to go out and do things some people shy away from. Im not surprised she has done so well. Proud, but not surprised.Gerald Breaux was one of many Louisiana tourism professionals who lobbied to get legislation for tax credits to lure the film industry. State leaders saw it as a way to attract more business. And so far, it has worked.Breaux said it is one of the reasons she and her husband, Todd Lewis, have been able to move back to Louisiana and still work on major motion pictures full time. Lewis is the production manager she met while working on Soul Plane. He just completed work on the blockbuster movie The Fantastic Four, which was filmed in Baton Rouge - another example of how big the film business has become statewide.Its huge, Breaux said. More and more people are moving here. There really is not that much out in L.A. Its really picked up here because of the tax credits.Breauxs parents said they are thrilled because Breaux is a new mom. Now grandparents can visit Wyatt, 6 months, without cross-country travel.I am thrilled to be a grandmom, said Turner. Its special because its my daughters first child, and it is wonderful that they are so close.It makes me feel great to have a daughter who is successful and is happy with what she does and who she is.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 20:11:07 +0000
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