Yale University
Master of Fine Arts - MFA, Costume Design
2015 – 2018

Sarah Woodham of The University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design (CAFD) Graduating Class of 2013 graduates from Yale University, MFA Costume Design.

Sarah knew she was sure her career path would be in the creative arts even years before graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Fashion and Design. With a father as a Graphic Designer and a mother a Textile Designer, Sarah had all the support to pursue her dreams in Costume Design.

While there was no costume design programme in Trinidad at the time, there was one in Fashion offered at UTT’s CAFD. For Sarah, this was just her luck. For although her heart was set on costume design, she could still learn the same basic skill sets needed as a costume designer, such as technical sewing, fabric manipulation, design concept, art and fashion history, and illustration.

Sarah describes the four years after graduating with her BFA from UTT as "intense and demanding, but at the end of it I realised why they pushed us so hard: because we not only have to compete with ourselves, but with the rest of the world." She also mentions T&T’s own budding fashion and design industry, which most students of CAFD have and will continue to nurture and foster; tenets which are instilled along with technical skills through the courses and degrees offered at the academy.

Sarah has designed many costumes while at Yale University over the 3 years she has been there. The Play, "Field Guide," the somewhat crazy and adventurous new work by the theatre company, Rude Mechs, ran until February 2018 at Yale Repertory Theatre in a world premiere production.  Taking its inspiration from Dostoevsky’s final novel, "The Brothers Karamazov," "Field Guide" managed to combine elements of stand-up comedy, theatre of the absurd, dance theatre, and several other theatrical genres into one uniquely comical show.  Featuring a cast of six terrific actors, all part of Rude Mechs and all instrumental in the creation of this show, "Field Guide" was decidedly strange, but enough of it was wild and singularly amusing to offer an enjoyable and spiky evening of theatre.  In a free-flowing, 90 minute show, "Field Guide" seemed to throw just about everything but the kitchen sink onto the Yale Repertory stage in its desire to give the audience a good time and it is mostly successful in doing just that. Costumes were designed by Sarah Woodham.

"Field Guide"

Sarah says her biggest obstacle upon entering the MFA programme was having the courage to listen to her instincts and following through on them. "A young woman from a small island with little theatre experience going to an Ivy League school seemed intimidating, but once I made the decision to apply to Yale, with the help of family and friends, it all became a reality."

Beyond her MFA, she says her future looks bright. She hopes to work alongside experienced costume designers in their thriving theatre community and start designing shows professionally. Her inspiration is to create positive narratives that inspire people to collaborate with each other, respect and understand different perspectives on life, and address problematic social issues.

She says her creative process is simple: she continuously seeks inspiration and the answers to the "whys" of the world. "Designers have to do a lot of inspection of the world and I think if people took the time to sit outside of their own bias and experiences and really get to know the people and the environment they are surrounded by globally, then we would be a little closer to a true community."

Sarah is immensely grateful to CAFD and her lecturers for helping her on her first step to realising her creative dreams. "CAFD gave me the tools I needed to get out there and compete with the rest of the world," Sarah says of the irreplaceable motivation and knowledge she gained during the course of her BFA in Fashion Design.

"To have a group of people that are a rich resource to me, that understand where I’m coming from and understand the struggle of becoming a creative professional internationally and locally, is so priceless."

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