Grace Mimbs

Costumieré. Design Visionary. Needlework Artisan.


A native of Atlanta, GA, Grace discovered her passion for costume design as a girl in middle school. Having always been enamored with the fine arts and fabric, she began educating herself in the art of costume design through personal projects and extensive historical and cinematic research. Gifted in many areas, she is an accomplished designer, seamstress, crafts artisan, and fine artist.

Grace continued her education at SCAD, the Savannah College of Art & Design, through a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in production design, with a costume concentration and a minor in fashion design. She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree in costume design & technology at LSU's College of Music & Dramatic Arts, where she also works as a graduate teaching assistant.

She describes her love for costume design as an entity beyond the allure of creating a fantasy world through fabric. The process of visually articulating a narrative collaboratively is what resonates with her most. Relationships formed in the creative journey, connecting so many people in shared experience and creative dialogue, outlive individual works and productions.

Historical and anthropological studies through travel are one of her biggest sources of inspiration, as she responds to a unique draw for projects exploring and preserving cultural heritage. In 2015, she lived in India for half the year, designing jewelry, apparel, and home goods as director of product development for a non-profit organization.

She collaborates on several theater and opera productions each season, working in LSU’s university costume shop. Her costume work for Andrew Ondrejcak's opera, YOU US WE ALL, is being featured in an Atlanta museum exhibition and documentary in Jan. 2016.

“I find incredible accomplishment and purpose in being able to share with others beauty with a message, hoping to impart visions that affect hearts and intellect in meaningful ways. Costumes are the adorning aspect of the most important feature captured in performance – the expression of the heart extending to others.” – Grace Mimbs Read Less

The work of a costume designer is unlike any creative profession I know. -- It is a uniquely fascinating and challenging line of work, as its multi-dimensional demands span a breadth of areas, interests, and skill sets. Focusing on the human element is the dearest aspect of my work. Collaboration to produce something greater than yourself, and be able to do so in community, is an incredible experience.
Although costume design is one part of a greater process, the impact and communication of the art form is strong, whether an audience connects that to their transport experience or not. Specifically in this process, I am most drawn to the message, and captivated by the way a narrative can be whispered visually to a viewer. What an actor wears communicates volumes about the mind, heart, and role of the individual portrayed in the context of the story. Costumes are the adorning design of the most important feature captured in a performance – the expression of the heart extending to others.

In much of my work, I am trying to express the energy of life and the sacred through the visual and tangible. Evidence of my passion for costume history research is common in my work. I am very influenced by creation; nature's extravagant intricacies and gorgeous minutiae. Masters like Art Nouveau artists Mucha and Klimt resonate with my aesthetic.

In creating an ensemble or look that flows and speaks, for me is a process that requires holistic attention. Every part needs to be in sync and in rhythm with the rest for a pleasing piece. A strong sensitivity to light and texture interplay is common in my work. Attention to fabric’s refraction of light in creating, moving, dimensional "living'-looking pieces is additionally important to my 'eye' for costume design. Read Less