06/04/2026
Emily Bossé is the costume designer for Bard's 2026 production of Love's Labour's Lost.
The first show that Emily Bossé “designed costumes for from the ground up was Influentia (NBActs) in 2024”. She “loves to read about costuming and design" and thinks about "how we “code” ourselves with clothing and how it can evoke powerful feelings in the wearer and viewer”.
Bossé discussed her process and inspiration for costume designing Love’s Labour’s Lost:
“For this show, I worked closely with the directors on what we wanted the look and feel to be. The late 70s to early 80s was a transitional time in terms of fashion and pop culture. What we think of as hallmarks of 80s style (neon, spandex, big shoulder pads) weren’t in vogue just yet. For the women’s costumes I relied on vintage reissues of early 80s sewing patterns, and for the men I looked for photos of the bands we felt embodied prog rock at the end of the 70s. I presented the concepts and look book to the cast, and then I talked a little bit with each cast member during fittings or rehearsal to get a sense of how they see their character and what they need their range of motion to be. I try to give everyone at least one personal touch in terms of an accessory or embellishment that is a nod to how they see their character in the world of the show.
Since the core concept of this show was “insufferable male prog rockers meet women of the new wave,” I looked to a lot of band photos for the men, specifically from the late 70s. I mostly focused on Rush, Led Zeppelin, and a pre The Wall Pink Floyd. For the women, there wasn’t a single all female new wave band I referenced from the early 80s, but I looked at very young Debbie Harry, early Annie Lennox and vintage clothes patterns of the era. Other characters play on style and culture moments of the era. Armado is inspired by Marc Bolan of T Rex, Boyet references Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music David Bowie in his suits era, Holofernes draws from style icon Diana Vreeland, and Costard is the pub rock guy who loves John Cougar Mellencamp”
Snapshots of Bossé's lookbook accompany her words.
