Heidi Riss' work isn’t just about designing costumes.
The clothes maketh the character. Imagine a Roman emperor dressed in baggy jeans or sweats instead of a period-specific, richly textured costume. It’s not believable. It’s the job of the costume designer to help audiences believe in the magic of theatre or the storytelling of cinema and television.
Celebrated South African designer, wardrobe mistress and all-around creative ball of energy, Heidi Riss, has shaped hundreds of characters during her career. Whether it’s been the over-the-top look and feel of opera through to cave people and, well, everything in between, she’s been there, achieved that.
Theatre was always her first love and after she studied at the Curzon fashion school, Riss hot-footed it straight to the centre of the action. “I was fortunate that a well-known director at the State Theatre saw my portfolio when I first started out,” she said. “He told me to wait and find a gap, to stay in touch. When I did, he eventually called me in.”
Her theatre career started quickly after that. She designed costumes for productions with South African legends like Sandra Prinsloo and Marius Weyers. “We did opera, drama, everything in between,” she said. “We started with nothing at the genesis of the productions. Just fabric and often in less than a month, we had a full production on stage.” It was pressure and that fuelled creativity.
After a few years behind the curtain, she left to backpack through Europe. When Riss returned to South Africa, she dipped her toes into new territory and headed for commercials. “In advertising, the deadlines are even tighter than theatre. You have 10 to 12 days to deliver. You have to make things work under pressure and I loved that,” she said. “It taught me to stay on my toes and work quickly.”
Unlike what people tend to believe, her work isn’t just about designing costumes or coming up with a look courtesy of retail. “I’ve never been one to just shop for a costume off the rack,” she said. “If I can’t find what I need, I’ll make it myself.”
She recalled working on a commercial where she had to design leather costumes. “The client wanted something authentic, so I went to the tannery, bought leather and made the whole set myself,” she said. “The result was perfect and the agency’s art director loved it.”
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Then came the movies and television. “In long-form work, you get to spend time with the character and the actor. You can explore what the clothes say about them,” she said. “Costume design is as important as any other part of character development.”
Her career has included big projects, like 10 000 BC and Madiba with Laurence Fishburne. “Every job has its special moments,” she said.
“But I really value the collaboration with so many people, from directors, actors and crew members.” She has often spent days with performers to develop and understand the characters they are playing, brainstorming every aspect of dress, look and feel.
Working with talent can be challenging, though, but Riss said that it was often the more experienced cast members who were the easiest to deal with.
“The more experienced actors tend to have less ego than the younger ones,” she said. “The new generation doesn’t always have the same foundation and grit, and it shows in the quality of their work and the size of their egos.”
It can be laborious, but she loves it and never tires of the process. It’s also become easier to let go of the natural attachment to items that she created. “You learn to detach yourself from the work a bit, especially as you get older,” she said. “But you still take pride in seeing your work on screen. If it works, it works.”
Costume and wardrobe design are not the only things she does. In between engagements, she designs and creates garments for a host of clients, from making friends’ ideas come to life through to ball gowns and all in between. Her home cum studio in Kempton Park feels like an art gallery; it’s an immersion in creative energy from the moment you step through the front door.
Riss values a balance between work and personal life. “It’s important to have time for yourself,” she said. “When I’m not working, I like to make cushions or do something creative at home. It’s all about finding that balance.”
