Meet Lee Diemer | Costume Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lee Diemer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lee, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I pursued an artistic career for the little girl who happily played in the crawlspace taping fabric swatches together to make decor and fashion for hours, and who later spent more time in school drawing gowns and doodling in the margins than taking notes. I’ve always know that creativity was my strength and my passion, but it took until I was able to move by myself to California in my early twenties to fully pursue a living as a Costume Designer. Working freelance and making a living off of my creativity has its challenges and I work all the time, but I would never trade it for a regular 9 to 5. There’s something about getting to see a concept go from just an idea to a full blown creation on a model or the big screen that never gets old. I love creatively approaching a concept or challenge and bringing my ideas to life!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create costumes for a living. Usually for film and television or music videos, and occasionally for theatre or print. I also style for red carpet and events. Working with costumes and fashion is always exciting and challenging as you have to keep ahead of trends and bring the vision, whether its an internet breaking red carpet moment or a character on the screen, to life in a short time frame. I work a lot with historical influence. Doing the research and digging into fashion history is one of my favourite parts of my creative process. What sets my work apart from others is the story telling and inclusion of this research. My costumes and styling always include the small details that give a character a little more depth, an initial added to a keychain sticking out of the pocket, distressing a garment in a realistic way for a character working labor job, repeating a favourite color that calls back to a significant moment in the story. The details really make all the difference in costume design. After studying Fashion Arts and Business in Toronto I moved to California to pursue costume design in film and television. I got my education at FIDM and began building my career staring with student films. Designing for everything from WW2 paratroopers to medieval farmers to modern day haunted house workers during my time designing student films allowed me to really figure out where my strengths were and learn the fast paced film world. I networked my way up and got to work with and learn from many of the designers I most admired. As a freelance designer you grow your business and work based on work of mouth and recommendations which is both the greatest challenge and greatest reward of this industry. You really grow with your fellow artists and community and I feel fortunate to have met so many creative and hard working individuals along the way. Staying true to your style and consistently working hard is the best way to grow. The more collaborators and creatives you surround yourself with the more your design career will flourish! I hope to continue to push my creativity and continue to empower and communicate through fashion and costuming. There is nothing more rewarding than watching an actor put on their costume for the first time and really embody the character, or giving a young star the perfect red carpet statement piece that gives them the confidence to own a press moment. We live everyday of our lives in clothes and I love bringing out the most significance and creative joy possible within these moments!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since I moved here in 2015 i have gown to love Los Angeles!

I would take you to The Reyn, Hank’s Bagels, and Atlantic Seafood and Dim Sum for breakfast/brunch. My local taco truck, Pho So 1, and Connal’s for lunch, Gale’s, Rosalind’s and The Raymond 1886 for diner. Pie n’ Burger, Salt & Straw, and Ginger’s Divine Ice Creams for dessert!

We could drink on the patio at Idle Hour, play arcade games with beer at Golden Gopher, and have rooftop cocktails at Spire 73.

You couldn’t miss The Norton Simon Art Museum, LACMA, The Getty, a cabaret show in historic downtown, afternoons on all of the beautiful beaches, thrifting at all my favourite shops, watching an outdoor film at the Hollywood forever cemetery, and
enjoying a drive up the coast to Santa Barbara and Solvang for the best day trips!

There’s so much more!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mentor Jacqueline Saint Anne is an extremely accomplished Costume Designer and educator who I had the privilege of studying under during my time at FIDM and continue to have a working relationship with today. She referred my to my first director out of college and has always supported my career with the best advice and leadership.

Website: leediemer.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leediemer/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leediemer/