From Concept to Costume: Behind the Scenes of the Entertainment Industry's Silhouettes

Ashley Ryan
Jul 11
7 min read

Updated: Jul 13

Orange County-based costume concept artist and illustrator Gina DeDomenico has spent years honing her craft to develop a career she is passionate about.

Gina DeDomenico, center, working on an illustration. Left, a drawing using traditional techniques of a gown for the character of Celia Foote, portrayed by Jessica Chastain, in “The Help.” Right, a digital art drawing of a costume concept for Madame Morrible’s dress, portrayed by Michelle Yeoh, in “Wicked.” Images courtesy of Gina DeDomenico

Gina DeDomenico frequents San Diego Comic Con, where she is often invited to speak about her career during professional panels. Photo courtesy of Gina DeDomenico

Whether it’s Hollywood movies, award-winning television shows or high-energy musical performances, the glitz and glam of the entertainment industry holds a unique appeal. While the actors and performers are dressed to the nines before stepping into the spotlight, there’s a whole team of experts who help create these fantasy worlds – from sets and props to intricate costumes.

Enter Gina DeDomenico, a costume concept artist who has spent decades working alongside costume designers to ensure that the outfits turn out just right. Through this collaborative process, the Coto de Caza resident has been a part of creating costumes for everything from 1990s classics like “Galaxy Quest” and “Batman Forever” to modern favorites like “Wicked,” popular superhero television shows and even entertainers like Madonna and John Legend.

A seasoned pro, DeDomenico has embraced learning, innovation and her fair share of challenges, but is thriving in a tumultuous, and sometimes thankless, industry.

An Illustrious Look Back

Now a flourishing costume concept artist, DeDomenico has always been artistic. While growing up in Hawaii, she loved to draw and hoped to one day become an illustrator, but a chance encounter set her on a new path. “I met the head of fashion design (from Parsons School of Design) in New York – he was a friend of a friend,” she said. “He said, ‘Don’t be an illustrator; be a designer who can illustrate.’ So I went into the fashion industry.”

After graduating from Parsons with a bachelor’s degree in fashion design and illustration, which taught her garment construction and proper draping, she became an assistant designer for a sportswear company but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. “The design process in fashion is you design for one week and then you're in production for four months, then you start again with a new season – design for a week and then in production. The production part was the worst. I hated everything about it.”

Desperately seeking a chance of scenery, DeDomenico moved from New York to Los Angeles and joined the Costume Designers Guild, the local chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees union, as a costume illustrator. “That was it,” she said. “I never wanted to do anything else. I started working and I never stopped.”

For her first few jobs, she worked as an assistant designer, combining her designing and illustration talents, but realized that illustrating was truly her passion. So DeDomenico made the transition to costume concept artist, essentially an architect drawing up the blueprints of the costumes under the direction of the lead designer.

Costume concepts using traditional art techniques. IMAGE 1: A gown for Celia Foote, portrayed by Jessica Chastain in “The Help.” IMAGE 2: A costume concept for Hilly Holbrook, portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard, the antagonist in “The Help.” IMAGE 3: Illustrations of looks for Nicole Kidman’s Dr. Chase Meridian, also in “Batman Forever.” IMAGE 4: A concept for Val Kilmer’s Bruce Wayne in “Batman Forever.” IMAGE 5: Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken in “Escape from L.A.” Images courtesy of Gina DeDomenico

In the ’90s, her work featured water-soluble gouache paint, pencils, markers and Bristol paper. “When I used to go to work, I’d have to bring this huge set of art supplies,” she said. “I’d do one illustration at a time and it would take a couple of days. In those days, the designer would tell me exactly what they wanted the dress to look like .… I’d get all these magazine tear sheets and that was my inspiration. If she later wanted to see it in blue, the process started all over again. I’d have to do a whole new painting.”

DeDomenico worked with Oscar Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter on some of her early projects, including “Malcolm X” and “Amistad,” garnering her attention in the industry. She also helped create costumes for films like “Escape from L.A.” and “Galaxy Quest” that have since become cult classics. But after more than a decade illustrating, she took time off to raise her three daughters.

Once she was ready to return to work, DeDomenico discovered a whole new world. “When I came back, everything was digital, which was traumatic,” she said. “But I had gotten a divorce and I was raising my daughters on my own, so I had no choice.”

She ended up being one of only two female illustrators in her union to make the jump from physical media to digital, as the role became oversaturated with male artists. After a lot of tears and a year of learning to navigate Adobe Photoshop, she was finally comfortable with digital illustration – and the next chapter of her career had officially begun.

A Day in the Life

Today, DeDomenico has mastered her craft despite the struggles she faced with the switch to digital. Using a Wacom Cintiq tablet at her Laguna Beach office and a Xencelabs Pen Display when working at home behind the gates in Coto, as well as 3D modeling software ZBrush, she relies on her fashion training to illustrate functional pieces. “Everything I know about construction informs the way I draw,” she said.

Each designer has a different process, which shapes how she illustrates. For example, when DeDomenico is working with Colleen Atwood on Netflix’s popular “Wednesday” series, she is given instruction on exactly what to draw, playing a straight illustrator role. Alternatively, with Laura Jean Shannon, whom she has collaborated with on TV shows “The Boys” and “Stargirl,” as well as the recent holiday movie “Red One,” she plays a larger role in the overall design as costume concept artist.

Costume concepts using digital art techniques. IMAGE 1: A look at the research and options that went into determining the right jewelry pieces for Starfire, a character in “Titans.” IMAGES 2: Queen Maeve from DC Universe’s “The Boys.” IMAGE 3: Black Noir from DC Universe’s “The Boys.” IMAGE 4: A-Train from DC Universe’s “The Boys.” IMAGE 5 & 6: Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible in “Wicked.” IMAGE 7: Tony Lip, Viggo Mortensen’s character in “Green Book,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2019. IMAGE 8: Lady Gaga’s as Ally Campana in “A Star is Born.” Images courtesy of Gina DeDomenico

First, when developing an illustration, she has to do research (or is provided the information from someone else on the crew) and create a mood board for the character. Relying on the body type they hope to cast, she then starts to draw, offering different options for not only clothing but also accessories like hats, sunglasses, goggles and more.

“I can’t take credit for the design because it’s a team effort,” DeDomenico said. “I’m part of the design process. The designer gives me inspiration and I give her options. We could … (go back and forth) for weeks.”

All of the details are perfected – and it’s so much more than just the type of pants, jackets or dresses the characters will wear. They consider how the cut of the clothing showcases the actor’s muscles, the specific colors and fabrics that will be used, where pockets and seam lines should go, whether it’s accurate for the era the film or show takes place in and much more. Then, they showcase these options in varied angles and distances. After they’ve collectively solidified their version, they clean it up before presenting the costume idea to any showrunners, directors and producers. (And then, when the costume is actually put together, various departments have their hands on it, too, from stitching to painting to aging the fabric.)

LEFT: A detailed look at Homelander’s epaulettes from “The Boys.” RIGHT: Costume designer Laura Jean Shannon in the midst of a fitting with Antony Starr, who stars in “The Boys” as Homelander. Images courtesy of Gina DeDomenico

Of course, once things are finalized, they’re not necessarily set in stone. Challenges can arise once the character is cast, as fittings can require changes for body size, shape or even personal preference, like a desire to keep certain parts of the body covered. As she works on a lot of superhero-themed projects, DeDomenico also said she has to attempt to honor the essence of the comic book costumes while making updates to keep them practical for shooting.

Now that she has spent more than a decade drawing digitally, DeDomenico recognizes the importance of technology in the art realm. Costume concepts can be easily adjusted and colors can be changed in the blink of an eye. But knowing how to create conventional, physical art is equally as crucial to design realistic outfits. “Digital is the priority – understanding, learning how to do it. But have your foundation in traditional (art).”

A Tale of Style and Success

It’s been over 30 years since DeDomenico moved to the West Coast and it’s possible that she’s just now at the height of her illustrious career. Since returning to the industry in 2010, she has worked on a long lineup of blockbuster films, including “The Help,” “Django Unchained,” “Godzilla,” “A Wrinkle in Time,” “Green Book” and Lady Gaga’s breakout film “A Star is Born.”

She has been creating costume concepts for DC Universe’s streaming shows for the last eight years, heavily involved in multiple shows at the same time, while also working on series like “Sirens,” HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” and “Murderbot” on Apple TV+. On top of that, DeDomenico has illustrated attire for a plethora of popular names, such as Lady Gaga’s Ally role in “A Star is Born,” Madonna’s “The Girlie Show” tour book, Jane Fonda’s Fire Drill Fridays climate change movement and live performances by Earth, Wind & Fire, John Legend and Lionel Richie. Beyond illustrating, she regularly serves on San Diego Comic Con panels and has taught classes and workshops at UCLA and Laguna College of Art + Design in Laguna Beach to share her knowledge with the next generations.

Costume concepts are also sometimes created as signature looks for celebrities. IMAGES 1 & 2: Costume concepts created for John Legend’s “Love in Las Vegas” residency. IMAGE 3: Jane Fonda’s signature red coat from “Fire Drill Fridays.” Images courtesy of Gina DeDomenico

With such an impressive repertoire, it’s clear that she has a passion for the artwork she creates. “You know you love what you do when you lose track of time,” DeDomenico said. “You get swept away. I’ll start drawing and look up and it’ll be dark outside, when I sat down in the morning.”

From her early days in design school and the tears shed while learning to navigate the digital realm to creating illustrations for “Wicked,” which won Best Costume Design at the 2025 Academy Awards, DeDomenico’s journey is more than a behind-the-scenes look at the silhouettes that fill our screens. It’s a testament to hard work, resilience and the power of embracing your passion – the key to lasting success.