Vantropolis: ALLISA SWANSON

Allisa Swanson is an award winning Costume Designer and a film and television veteran with over 25 years of industry experience in the BC film industry. Knowing her calling early on, she moved to Los Angeles, CA after high school where she earned a BFA in Fashion Design & Marketing. She then returned to Vancouver, BC and started her Costume Design career, where she’s worked on TV series like The 100, Once Upon a Time and Firefly Lane, to feature films such as The Snow Walker, which earned her a much deserved Leo Award for Best Costume Design. Allisa and I discuss how she and her team bring costume concepts to life, from design and sketching to sourcing and construction, and then right onto set, where you are never free of real time wardrobe adjustments and repairs (try sewing a loose button back onto an actor while 60 crew hover around!) Allisa gives back in so many ways as well with mentorship and workshops, and she is also currently the President for The Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design (CAFTCAD), a not-for-profit organization that promotes learning, networking and achievements of Canadian Costume Design.