I welcome the highly sought-after Hollywood costume designer, Leesa Evans. We talk about the film business and also some wonderful spiritual truths.
Leesa is a true purveyor of style: from her work as a costume designer for film to her dedication as a private stylist for celebrities and professional clients alike. Her personal philosophy and professional inspiration are drawn from a lifelong commitment to fashion, individuality, and the art of storytelling.
Raised in Laguna Beach, the daughter of a couture designer with retail stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, Leesa grew up in and around the fashion industry. She spent her formative years at runway shows, mingling with the socialites, politician’s wives and rock stars that her mother designed for. It was here that Leesa experienced firsthand the intricacies of the fashion world. She went on to spend the first part of her career working alongside her mother, gaining extensive experience in clothing design, manufacturing, as well as the retail business.
However, once Leesa was given the opportunity to work with a costume designer in 1989, she found her true calling. Since then, she has dedicated herself to the craft of costume design and styling for film, commercial advertising, and celebrities. Leesa’s work gives her the ability to nurture her own passion for fabric, color and design, while simultaneously instilling a sense of confidence, ownership, and originality in every actor and private client she dresses.
Leesa said, “I love to create the feeling of confidence when dressing someone. Whether it’s a character who needs to exude authority and influence or an individual I’m working with one on one who wants to be more confident. It delights me to know I’ve helped someone feel amazing in their daily life.”
In 2018, Leesa launched, along with actress, friend and client, Amy Schumer, Le Cloud, a ready-to-wear collection of wardrobe essentials for women of all shapes and sizes. 30 percent of net proceeds from sales of the collection will be donated to Community Partners, a not-for-profit organization in support of the STYLEFUND project, the duo’s program that aims to empower women from all economic backgrounds, to use clothing to increase their confidence and their success.
Leesa’s credits include more than 25 films such as I Feel Pretty with Amy Schumer, the Netflix original Always Be My Maybe, Why Him? starring James Franco and Brian Cranston, Zoolander 2, Trainwreck, Bridesmaids, for which she was nominated for a Costume Designer Guild Award for Excellence in Contemporary Film; Neighbors, starring Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, and Rose Byrne; and 22 Jump Street, starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill as well as Get Him to the Greek; I Love You, Man; Forgetting Sarah Marshall; This is 40; Five Year Engagement; and Scooby-Doo, among many others. She has more than 500 television commercials under her belt, including ones for clients like Coca Cola, AT&T, Verizon, HP, Samsung, GM, Ford, Mastercard, Porsche, and Kelloggs, among countless others.
Leesa’s work with films and celebrities has been seen in such illustrious publications as Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, People, Nylon and InStyle; as well as on the red carpets of events from the Academy Awards® to the Grammys® and everywhere in between.
Leesa is based in New York and Los Angeles, but leaves clients self-assured and well styled wherever her work may take her.
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