Costume designer wins top honors
Being a graduate student in costume design at Utah State University has really paid off for Phillip Lowe.
Friday, April 19, Lowe attended a national competition in Washington, D.C., to compete for the Barbizon award, one of the highest achievements in his field. He took first place.
“I went to D.C. with no expectations,” he said. “While I was there I realized I might have a chance, but I didn’t want to think about it.”
Lowe said the work of all of the contestants is displayed for the judges to see and then they have to go before a board of people to give a five-minute presentation and answer questions.
“After I was done, I thought to myself, ‘Dang, you might get it,'” he said.
He said they announced the runner-up first who was the girl he thought would win. Then the girl next to him gave him a pat on his knee and all he could do was shake his head.
“I was speechless,” Lowe said.
The award was given at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to the best of eight finalists from around the country. Lowe received his award in costume design, but other awards were given for set design and lighting.
During his trip to Washington, Lowe had the opportunity to spend some time with G.W. Mercier, one of the top designers in the industry.
Lowe said Mercier spent time with the other nominees to go over a production from start to finish. They all sat down together, read a script and went through the design process.
“It was amazing to be in the room with all of them and work creatively together,” he said.
Along with receiving the award, Lowe also gets to hold the title for a year.
“The award is like a big ticket,” he said.
Lowe planned on eventually teaching at a college or university, but now he has received this award many doors have opened up to him, he said. He now plans on going to New York in the fall to work on some productions.
“It is like one of those pipe dreams every theater student has but doesn’t think will ever really happen to them,” he said.
Lowe said life can get pretty stressful in New York because so many productions can be going on at once.
“We’ll see what happens and maybe I’ll end up teaching in the future anyway,” he said.
Nancy Hills, costume designer professor, said the department is very proud of Lowe and his accomplishments.
In the past eight years USU has had six nominees go to the national finals for the Barbizon awards, she said. Lowe is the first one to receive first place there.
This award is also beneficial to the university because the regional competition will be held at USU next year.
“It’s a win-win-win-win situation,” she said.
Lowe said even with all the hoopla, the whole experience has been very humbling.
“If anything, it as brought me back down to earth … When I got back into town and was doing my laundry I had to stop and think, ‘What has just happened to me?'” he said.