These costumes are ‘Wicked’!

SkillsOne heads to Ultimo TAFE to see designer, Anita Hicks, pulling together her graduating show.

For their graduating project, students had to make and design costumes based on their interpretation of a musical or movie. Anita’s amazing creations are designed for the ‘Emerald City’ scene from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ inspired musical ‘Wicked‘.


To achieve maximum effect, Anita collaborates with make-up artist, Jessica Renz and jewellery designer, Rosalie Whitington to complete the overall look.

Anita Hicks is about to graduate from the Costume course at Ultimo Tafe. A dance teacher too, she has always had a love of the performing arts. During her High School years Anita was instrumental in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge in both dancing and costume making. ‘What a Buzz’ and ‘The Gallery of Life’ Rock Eisteddfod productions influenced her and gave her a life long passion for creating works of art for the stage.

About Anita:

Anita has travelled the world and is an avid theatre ‘goer’ always drawing inspiration and ideas from the latest trends and designs. Anita’s Latvian grandmother has also been a great influence on her beautifully detailed garment making techniques and decorative designs. An accomplished seamstress herself, Grandma Vera has passed down intricate and fine sewing skills and fabric construction as well as a very recognisable European costume making tradition.

Anita has achieved a great deal of experience in her three year course at Tafe with yearly showcase parades and work experience at production companies and fashion houses. Anita is confident in the career prospects for costume designers because there are many theatres productions, TV productions and film industry opportunities here in Sydney.

The course:

This course is for people who want to work as costume makers, dressers and costume maintenance in the theatre, film and entertainment industries. This is a practical, hands-on course that covers costume research, costume construction techniques, costume making, costume patternmaking, art finishing, working drawings for costume, colour theory for costume, performing arts industry overview and occupational health and safety. The course also includes 40 hours of work placement in wardrobe of actual performance/entertainment productions.