Costume Designer
Dominique Lemieux designed the costumes for all Cirque du Soleil's productions between 1989 and 1998. Every single show—We Reinvent the Circus (1989), Nouvelle Expérience (1990), Saltimbanco (1992), Mystère (1993), Alegría (1994), Quidam (1996), "O" and La Nouba (1998)—bears her unique imprint.
As a costume designer, Dominique does a lot more than simply outfit the artists. Her designs play a key role in creating the fantastic characters that populate the Cirque du Soleil universe.
With an expert eye, Dominique weaves colours, patterns and fabrics into fabulous costumes. But her choice of material is not strictly guided by aesthetic considerations alone. For Dominique, determining how fibres react to skin, movement, fire or water is of vital importance, and she never loses sight of the artists' needs.
Dominique's passion for drawing started at an early age and led her to study fine arts at Concordia University. After earning her degree, she worked as an art designer and children's book illustrator. She later enrolled in the scenography program at Canada's National Theatre School (NTS), where the courses she took in drawing and costume design took her career in a whole new direction.
From 1986 to 1988 she worked as an assistant to François Barbeau, one of Montreal's top costume designers and also a teacher at the NTS. During this period, her creations could be seen on stages across the city. Her skills were soon much in demand among directors from every corner of the theatre world in Quebec.
Dominique Lemieux designed the costumes for all Cirque du Soleil's productions between 1989 and 1998. Every single show—We Reinvent the Circus (1989), Nouvelle Expérience (1990), Saltimbanco (1992), Mystère (1993), Alegría (1994), Quidam (1996), "O" and La Nouba (1998)—bears her unique imprint.
As a costume designer, Dominique does a lot more than simply outfit the artists. Her designs play a key role in creating the fantastic characters that populate the Cirque du Soleil universe.
With an expert eye, Dominique weaves colours, patterns and fabrics into fabulous costumes. But her choice of material is not strictly guided by aesthetic considerations alone. For Dominique, determining how fibres react to skin, movement, fire or water is of vital importance, and she never loses sight of the artists' needs.
Dominique's passion for drawing started at an early age and led her to study fine arts at Concordia University. After earning her degree, she worked as an art designer and children's book illustrator. She later enrolled in the scenography program at Canada's National Theatre School (NTS), where the courses she took in drawing and costume design took her career in a whole new direction.
From 1986 to 1988 she worked as an assistant to François Barbeau, one of Montreal's top costume designers and also a teacher at the NTS. During this period, her creations could be seen on stages across the city. Her skills were soon much in demand among directors from every corner of the theatre world in Quebec.
To create the costumes for Corteo, Dominique Lemieux wanted to accentuate the natural beauty of the artists. "The show's theatrical approach distinguishes it from all previous Cirque du Soleil shows," she explains. "We are closer to traditional circus, in which the humanity of the artists is revealed. That translated into costumes that resemble regular street clothes."
Since joining Cirque du Soleil in 1988, Dominique Lemieux has never ceased to amaze spectators worldwide with her astonishing creations.
Since joining Cirque du Soleil in 1988, Dominique Lemieux has never ceased to amaze spectators worldwide with her astonishing creations.
Dominique Lemieux was born in 1957 in Montreal.
