When Tim Chappel was 13, he was mesmerised by the beauty and creation bursting from the pages of an edition of Vogue. This awakening steered the young artist away from aspirations of becoming a botanist and pointed him towards the alchemy of a hot glue gun and glitter, fabric and fabulousness; and into the world of costume design.

Tim Chappel is one of Australia's leading costume designers and has designed for feature films, TV series, theatre, musicals and music video clips. He was awarded the Academy Award, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award and an Australian Film Institute Award for his costume design of The Adventures of Priscilla , Queen of the Desert. For the stage musical adaptation, Chappel was rewarded again with Broadway's coveted Tony Award for his inspired design and creation.

His extensive design credits include the films Miss Congeniality and Today You Die; Television product such as Australia's Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars; the stage productions Gypsy and Funny Girl and Music Videos for Cher, Missy Elliott and Matchbox 20.

It is a career that has reached beyond Australian platforms to be showcased in the West End, on Broadway and in the celluloid splendour of Hollywood.

Chappel continues to create vivid worlds on various canvases. He relishes too, the opportunity to train a new generation of costume designers, imparting a knowledge built on invention, spectacle and an inimitable style.

Stages was thrilled to meet Tim and to garner a unique insight into the art of the costume designer and to reflect on a celebrated career.

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