The Background: How I Started Working with General Hospital
You might be wondering how I got this interview with Shawn Reeves, the Head Costume Designer from General Hospital. It started when I was working at K. Carroll Accessories, a Detroit-based handbag company. As a fan of General Hospital, I noticed that the women on the show carried handbags in almost every scene. I thought that our bags would look great on the show. The next step was figuring out how to make that happen.
After some research, I found that Shawn is the show’s head costume designer. Next, I needed to find the studio’s address. That’s when I decided to take a risk and ship out a box of handbags addressed to Shawn. What was the worst that could happen? I was hopeful, but I didn’t expect much.
Just a few days after I shipped the bags, Shawn called me directly to thank me. He was so thankful to receive the bags, and we had a fun conversation. We talked about how they use the bags on the show and how difficult it is to always find new bags. This turned into a two-year relationship where I sent bags every few months, and we would have a short email exchange. He is a very nice person (and funny, too).
When I emailed him that I was leaving the company, I asked him if he would answer a few questions for the new blog I was founding with my niece, Jen. Being the nice and kind person he is, he agreed. He put a lot of time and thought in answering the questions below. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed talking to Shawn!
And while this interview is a couple years old, Shawn’s advice is timeless!
Above: Just some of the many K. Carroll Accessories bags shown on General Hospital over the last several years. The Lucy bag, on the left, actually went viral. The actress, Katelyn MacMullen, even talked about the bag on her Instagram. The center bag, the Harper Crossbody, is still one of their top selling bags and was one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2018.
The Shawn Reeves Interview
Can you tell us a little bit about your background? What did you want to do growing up? How did it lead to where you are today on General Hospital?
My background is in theatrical design, which I studied at New Mexico State University before moving to New York City. I was also very involved in theater in junior high school and high school. I studied fashion sewing in high school and was the only guy in my class. My mother had taught me to sew when I was younger, so I was fairly proficient in high school.
I tailored my own suit to wear to prom. When my mother taught me to sew, she started me sewing clothes for my sister’s Barbies. I liked working with my hands and I liked learning about fabrics and how pattern pieces fit together to make a garment. I also started developing a design eye for color/palette and how colors work together.
When I moved to NYC in 1989, I started working in the costume department of the Juilliard School. I managed the extensive stock of costumes and worked in the workroom sewing and helping the pattern makers. From there, I moved on to working backstage on Broadway shows such as Phantom of the Opera and Kiss of the Spider Woman. I was also working as a freelance costume designer and designing any type of project that came my way. One of my favorite design/wardrobe jobs was doing costumes for Forbidden Broadway. It was an off-Broadway musical that spoofed the big Broadway shows.
When determining a character’s style on General Hospital, what are the key factors you use to choose a specific character’s wardrobe? This could be occupation, age, or even if their character is considered “good” vs. “evil”? My favorite is how you dress Maura West – you can tell from her clothes that she is a force to be reckoned with!
I start creating a character after I’ve spoken to the writers who establish the world that a character will reside in. I start to create a world in my head that represents that character. After that, I really start to add layers to help really define who a character is. Age, social standing, and occupation are all important factors in helping me flesh out a character.
As a designer, I need to feel like I can embody a character. So when I shop or design clothes to be made, I’m doing it as that character. An actor or actress will really influence how I dress a character.
You mentioned Maura West and her wardrobe. She is a muse of sorts because she is such an amazing actress and she’ll be fearless with her costuming choices. She’s very bold and I can really try very dramatic styles on her. I also have to consider body type when I costume a character.
It’s rare that I have the “perfect” body to dress so a lot of time is spent finding clothes that will fit correctly.
Can you tell us a little bit about the process of creating a character’s wardrobe for a particular day/scene. What factors do you consider, such as script, set design, and other characters in the scene? It seems like it’s not just as simple as what looks on them!
When we prepare costumes for a day of filming, we start by reading the scripts and making notes of anything that is a costume moment. A day in our fictional town can be spread out over several shows. So we have to lay out several scripts to begin plotting out the costume changes. We also have to make charts for continuity purposes so that all the scenes are seamless and nothing is out of place or missing. Scenes aren’t shot sequentially, so we have to really keep track of continuity.
We have a very large warehouse type room which is filled with racks of clothes that are organized in “closets” for each character. As I begin to pull each outfit, I go through there closet just like any of us would do when we’re getting ready for the day. I reference the script and try to pull outfits that help tell the story each day. If they’re going to work then I pull something professional etc.
We pull each outfit from head to toe meaning shoes, clothes, undergarments, jewelry and accessories. All the character outfits hang on a rack so we can evaluate the palette for the day. We have to make sure that each person is hopefully wearing something that doesn’t match color to another character and that fits the overall look. Mostly, I know these characters very well so much of how I pull their costumes is instinctual.
What is the most fun/rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding/fun part of my job is being able to go onto the set while we’re filming a scene and to watch our story start to become real. I love when I’ve really gotten great colors on my characters and they really look comfortable in their costumes.
How did you develop your own personal style? Has it evolved over time based on things you’ve learned and done on the shows you’ve worked on?
My personal style has changed so many times during my career and much of it is due to the influence of my job. I get to shop at amazing stores and get to experience beautiful fashion. I’ve always preferred a more classic refined look. As any of us will experience through our lives, we can look back and see all the different people we have been and we can see the style of clothing that we’ve dressed in.
When I edit my closet, I’ll really look at my clothes and ask if I’m that person anymore. When I lived and worked in NYC, I wore more suits and had a very professional fashion style. I dressed for each season and loved putting together outfits from head to toe. Autumn was my favorite time of the year for clothing because I loved coats, scarves, gloves and sweaters…I loved all the fabrics and colors of Autumn. When I moved to California to work on General Hospital, my style changed and I became more casual and my clothes started to evolve for the weather and style of the West coast.
What tips can you give us “ordinary folks” in creating a personal style for ourselves?
Whenever I help out an “ordinary folk” type person, I always try to make sure they understand good fit. I also always want people to be true to themselves. Personally, I try to stay away from fads and extreme styles because I want my clothes to last longer than a season. I always try to emphasize to people that what we wear will influence how we feel and how we approach our daily lives. Sometimes we need a good splash of color to lift our spirits. Sometimes we need to push ourselves to dress in something other than our comfy at home clothes. I still like to dress to go to dinner to make it feel special.
If someone only had enough money to invest in one key piece for their wardrobe, what do you recommend they spend their money on? (good pair of jeans, designer handbag, etc.)
Choosing one item to spend some money on for a key piece in someone’s wardrobe really depends on each person. I personally will invest in a beautiful pair of shoes that I can wear with several different types of outfits. I’m a shoe guy so that pair of shoes will make me feel like a million bucks. Someone might find a fantastic necklace will be that great cross-over piece that really makes them feel great each time they wear it. A dress could be the key piece in someone’s wardrobe that they can mix and match with heels or a great pair of current on on-trend sneakers. I think it comes down to picking an investment piece that can be the most versatile cross-over wardrobe item. A great pair of jeans can be worn in so many different ways from pairing with a blazer or just a fabulous t-shirt.
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