Film Costume Designer

Marie Schley accepting an Emmy for her film costume designer work

Fashion. Character. Storytelling. All are central to the compelling costumes Marie Schley designs for film and television. Her fascination with human drama and creative expression began as a child, growing up painting, drawing and designing with her father, a landscape and portrait artist. The most important thing she learned from him was to be fearless with her ideas. He taught her never to erase when drawing because a mistaken line or error can guide your next move. Her first aha moment in design was as a child when she visited the Yves Saint Lauren exhibit at the Met curated by Diana Vreeland.  

Marie attended the University of Vermont and graduated with Honors in English and a minor in Anthropology and Art History. She lived for a year in Florence, Italy studying Renaissance Art and Italian, but was distracted by the fashion.

 

Marie began her career in television and worked her way into independent film. Realizing that she also wanted to pursue fashion, she attended the FIDM in Los Angeles for a graduate degree in Fashion Design and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She started her own custom dress design business in 2000, SCHLEY, specializing in costume wedding and other couture dresses. At the same time, Marie worked in television with Debra Macguire on the TV show FRIENDS and She designed independent films SEVEN AND A MATCH, THE GO GETTER and short films.

Most recently, Marie teamed up with Jill Soloway, designing the costumes for AFTERNOON DELIGHT, which won best director at Sundance 2013. Next, they collaborated on Season 1 and 2 of TRANSPARENT on Amazon Prime, earning Marie the 2015 Emmy for Best Contemporary Costume Design. Recently, she worked with Larry Charles for THE COMEDIANS on FX

A vintage caftan. A worn sweater with tiny moth hole that adds a subtle realism, A daring cowgirl costume that oozes pinup appeal. Marie Schley's memorable costume designs draw from her obsession with fashion, character and storytelling. Marie Schley is an innovative and resourceful designer who collaborates with actors and storytellers to create unique and memorable characters for a range of strong, narrative voices.

To download a copy of my resume press here.