Amanda Williams

I began my career in Theatrical Costuming in San Francisco in 1993 as a Wardrobe Supervisor with performance companies such as Dance Through Time, California Shakespeare, Smuin Ballet and Pickle Family Circus. I was invited to design for Diablo Ballet and ODC/SF where my costumes or Weird Weather and Walk Before Talk were favorably reviewed in the SF Chronicle and my designs for ODC/SF's Below The Rim earned me a nomination for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award in 1997. Within that period, I also had the great fortune of working with Eleanor Coppola on a commission for a Y2K party gown for a private event held at their winery in Napa Valley.

 

Eventually I returned to school to complete my BA in Art History at UC Berkeley, which resulted in my studying abroad in Paris for half a semester in 2006. While living there I studied Art and Architecture and of course, French. Upon my return to the Bay Area, I worked in a few art galleries but ultimately returned to my other passion, Costume. I was hired at Berkeley Repertory where I assisted their Master Tailor who generously shared her incredible knowledge of Men's Wear. Tailoring became my new passion and has enabled me to take on a few clients including a world famous charismatic Structural Engineer based out of Berkeley. 

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 I've also had the unique opportunity to work at San Francisco's iconic Dark Garden where I learned the fine art of corsetry.  After a stint there, I was hired on to Academy of Art College's Fashion department to share my advanced sewing skills with their MFA students as they prepared their final design projects. One of the perks of this position was participating in New York Fashion Week and assisting with the student shows. To this day I delight in following the progress of their Fashion Design careers on Social Media.

 

My next position was a complete departure from the norm, I was hired to join the Engineering team at the medical device company, Alter-G. With the job title of Assistant Soft Goods Prototyper, I had the amazing opportunity to combine my sewing techniques with new technologies. Working alongside their Engineers, I assisted in brainstorming ways to improve upon rehabilitation equipment such as a bionic leg, unweighting harnesses, and the anti-gravity treadmill. I learned an incredible amount and found yet another way my skills could be applied. It's new challenges like these that keep me excited about what I do. 

 

Fortunately, I was honored to have joined the costume staff for SF Opera's 2016 season where I was a Tailor and Assistant Draper for productions such as Aida, Dream of The Red Chamber, Madame Butterfly, Don Pasquale and Andre Chenier. Once the season finished I did a short stint at Jake Atelier SF which is owned by Project Runway's Jake Wall.  I contributed my pattern-making skills and fashion sewing techniques to their high-end design collections worn by well-known San Francisco socialites and politicos.

 

After 25 years of living in San Francisco and Oakland, I accepted a job in exciting Las Vegas! I've begun a new life chapter happily contributing my costuming skills for the aquatic ballet, Le Rêve, The Dream, for Wynn Resorts and Spiegelworld's Opium at The Cosmopolitan. Sadly Le Reve shut down during the pandemic but it enabled me to explore other options in Las Vegas. I enjoyed a brief stint as Wardrobe Assistant at Mayfair Supper Club and have been called on to tailor for iconic musicians performing in Vegas such as Lady Gaga, Barry Manilow, Bruno Mars, Usher and New Edition.

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Finally, I’m honored to have joined Nevada Ballet Theater last year as their Wardrobe Coordinator, returning to my costuming roots in the dance world while still being able to take on custom clothing and design commissions.