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2022 BFA Costume Esther Zhong
Home Profile Esther Zhong

Esther Zhong

About Esther

Esther is an emerging costume designer and supervisor based in Sydney, who’s always described the world of costume as the perfect overlap in the Venn diagram of her childhood passions: dance, musicals and fashion.

Coming to NIDA from a brief stint in fashion and with the idea that she would be a maker through and through, Esther discovered a new love for design and supervision through her studies. During this time, she’s also had the opportunity to work as the costume designer of several independent theatre shows, for one of which she was awarded the 2021 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Costume Design of an Independent Production.

As a young woman of colour, Esther’s practice is often influenced by her cultural background, proudly combining her Chinese heritage into her work. Her research project explores her background alongside her love for dance, focusing on the coded notions of class and gender in the Red Guard uniforms of the Cultural Revolution, and its dance costume counterparts.

With a range of new skills and experiences under her belt, Esther is eager to continue her work in the industry and further explore her keen interest in costumes for dance and movement.

NIDA Productions

Costume Supervisor
Machinal

Costume Supervisor and Maker
How I Learned to Drive

Costume Supervisor
Hotel

Men’s Tailor
Metamorphosis

Costume Maker
Mr Burns,a post-electric play

Costume Assistant & Maker
The Government Inspector

Milliner
Orlando

Costume Assistant
A Pox On Both Your Houses

Costume Maker
Lunacy

Costume Maker
The Cat

Other Productions

Costume Designer
Three Fat Virgins Unassembled (Slanted Theatre)

Costume Designer
Lady Grey (in ever lower light) (Jolly Good Theatre)

Costume Designer
Moon Rabbit Rising (Little Eggs)

Secondments

Extras Wardrobe Assistant
Better Man (Cosmos Pictures)

Workroom assistant
Moulin Rouge (Sydney Costume Workshop)