The Florence-based fashion school opens its doors to the world of costume design through a new short course in partnership with Broadway, led by celebrated choreographer and director Lorin Latarro. The most talented student will be selected for an internship in New York’s famous theatre district.
Renowned for its lavish productions and iconic costumes, Broadway is a dream come true for every lover of theatre and the world of musicals. Creating costumes for a musical is an art form that requires creativity, attention to detail and a deep understanding of the personalities of the characters involved. Costume designers must have expertise in fabrics and garment-making techniques based on the movements required on stage, but most importantly they need to know how to use clothes to represent specific settings or psychological profiles.
That’s why famous Broadway choreographer and director Lorin Latarro has been chosen by Polimoda as a mentor for the new short course in Costume Design starting in July 2023. Latarro will share her wealth of expertise and experience with students on an introductory course in costume design, with the support of Broadway professionals and teachers at the school.
The short course in Costume Design will be held in Florence at Polimoda’s workshops and run for a month, during which students will gain specific knowledge about the cultural and technical aspects of costume design and discover the secrets behind the iconic looks of famous New York musicals. They will learn all the steps involved in creating an outfit for a character in a musical, from the first visual concept to the final design and prototype production.
At the end of the course, the top student will also have the chance of an internship on Broadway with Lorin Latarro, flying to New York to put into practice what they’ve learned in Polimoda’s workshops.
Confirming its international mission and a desire to develop the training offering in new artistic and cultural contexts, with this short course Polimoda presents an introduction to costume design and anticipates the launch of a new undergraduate course for aspiring costume designers next October.
Lorin Latarro
After graduating from the Juilliard School and NYU Tisch, Lorin Latarro began her career as a dancer performing on Broadway and touring with world-class dance companies. She has choreographed some of Broadway’s many hit musicals, including Into The Woods, Waitress, Mrs. Doubtfire, Les Liasons Dangereuse, Waiting For Godot, Merrily We Roll Along at Roundabout, Assassins, La Traviata, Chess, 21 Chump Street, The Visitor, Twelfth Night, The Odyssey, Fanny, God Bless You, Mr Rosewater and A Christmas Carol.
She is currently working on the stage adaptation of Lauren Sandler’s novel This Is All I Got, and recently directed Candace Bushnell’s one-woman show Is There Still Sex In The City at the Daryl Roth Theatre, named as a NYTimes Critics’ Pick. She also directed Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, Queen Of The Night (with which she won a Drama Desk Award), David Foster and Kat McPhee’s show #DateMe at the Westside Theatre, A Taste Of Things To Come at the Nederlander Broadway in Chicago, Swelling And Irritation by Jodi Picoult and Tim McDonald, Trails by Jeff Thompson at Christy Hall, and Rodgers After Hammerstein and Three Part Harmony by Beth Malone at the Aspen Theatre.
lorinlatarro.com @latarro
