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MELISSA KING -JULES 

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 MsTickle Arts is the creation of artist, designer, and performer, Melissa King-Jules.

Formed in 2009, originally based in NYC MsTickle Arts was created to bring Melissa’s extensive experience as a performer and conceptual artist together with her expert knowledge of costume and theater.

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MsTickle Arts has cultivated a loyal customer base and has earned the respect of a steady flow of clients from the cabaret, burlesque, circus, performance art, and nightlife entertainment industries. She is well known as the “go to” designer for difficult sculptural, transformative and engineered pieces.

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 As a conceptual artist/performer Melissa has inspired a generation of up and coming performers and is the winner of 3 Burlesque Hall of Fame Awards, and is in the curriculum as a study subject for a performance study course in a prominent NY University.

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 “The most important lesson designing for Burlesque has taught me is that the costume has the ability to be a character in its own right, it can tell a whole story, evoke emotion, transform and be transformative”.

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Resume

Creative costume designer with in-depth experience and knowledge of stage, special events, and the needs of performers. She has a strong background in sculptural, transformational, and engineered pieces. A master at conceptualizing, developing, and realizing a client’s vision beyond expectations who loves to work in a collaborative environment where she can apply her 18+ years of experience and unique skills.

Summary

  • Worked for high profile clients - Marc Jacobs, Madonna, Furgie and Phillip Starck, 

  • Has designs featured in Magazines-Vogue, Vanity Fair, Esquire and Elle.

  • Directed and designed for Broadway Bares

  • Ran a popular NY costume design business for 9 years.

  • Conceived ,directed and designed an off Broadway show with a one year run.

  • Is featured in a theater study course at Columbia university. 

Core Accomplishments

  • Design /conceptualization

  • Art direction

  • Fashion sketching

  • Client communications

  • Sewing - machine and hand

  • Fabric shopping

  • Sculpting

  • Thermoplastics

  • Engineering (moving parts, transformation and quick change)

  • Creation and alteration of flat patterns

  • Hand dyeing and fabric painting

  • Headpiece building

  • Beading and gem-stoning.

  • Redesign (altering garments)

  • Fittings

  • Onsite/Backstage - altering /Mending

  • Backstage management

  • Costume technician coordination

  • Onsite event coordination.

Skill Highlights

Experience

Owner/Director,                                                                                                         2009 - present     

MsTickle Arts                                                                                                                            NYC                                                                             

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        • Costume designer.

        • Project development, conceptualization, fashion sketching. 

        • Generating price quotes. 

        • Fabric and materials selection.

        • Research and buying. 

        • Construction and fittings.

        • Clients include:

   - Melody Sweets (Absinthe / Burlesque Hall Of Fame / The Smith Center, LV)      

   - Quinn Limmley (Gotta Get A Gimmick Burlesque To Broadway, BB Kings, NY)

   - Julie Atlas Muse (I Am the Moon and You Are The Man On Me, P.s 21, NY)

   - Suzan Bartsch (The Life Ball, Vienna and The Standard Hotel, Miami)

   - Phillip Starc (NY Hotel launch party)

Designer/Director                                                                                                                         2008

Broadway Bares-Mad Hatters Tea Party                                                                                    NYC

        • Art Direction 

        • Costume design, rendered fashion sketches for Broadway Bares costuming team.

Designer                                                                                                                              2003-2006

Marc Jacobs Annual Christmas Event                                                                                       NYC

        • Designed 50 male and female character costumes in compliance with a strict theme directive. Researched clothing styles from appropriate areas and era. Rendered fashion sketches. Made fabric selections.

        • Managed the project to a very tight schedule and budget. Supervised team and monitored all construction works. Developed dressing lists, and timetables. Coordinated, scheduled and supervised onsite dressing of all characters.

Writer/Director/Costume and Set designer                                                                   2004-2005

Mantasia,                                                                                                                                        NYC      

        • Writer and concept development /Art direction 

        • Design and production of set and costumes.

        • Brand development and advertising concepts. 

Assistant Designer/Stylist/Stitcher/Dresser                                                                       2003-2008

Anti Gravity                                                                                                                                       NYC

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        • Fabric sampling and buying

        • Costume construction / Fashion sketches

        • Backstage fittings and repairs. 

        • Aerial Dresser in Safety harness.

        • While with Anti Gravity-Stylist for Marc Jacobs LA launch party Costume design and construction for Special Olympics Opening Celebration.

Assistant/Stylist/Stitcher                                                                                                     2004-2008

Shelly Bomb Productions,                                                                                                             NYC

        • Costume construction. Buyer / Stylist / Dresser

        • For a variety of clients and special events including Madonna for the Launch of her children’s book.

Bit Writer/Costume Designer                                                                                                      2006

Guilty Pleasures                                                                                                                             NYC

        • Co-writing and directing /Costume design and construction for a speakeasy-style cabaret.

Bit Writer/Costume Designer                                                                                            2003-2004

Normans Big Night Out and Pink Rhino Review                                                                          NYC

        • Writing and directing weekly bits for two consecutive cabernet style off broadway shows                   

        • Costume design and construction.

Costume Designer/Stylist                                                                                                   2000-2001

Lourdes                                                                                                                                            NYC

Prop/Costume designer                                                                                                               1992

Pade De Duex ,  (funded by the London Arts Council)                                        London, England  

Costume design/Art direction                                                                                                     1992 

Club Heaven,                                                                                                            London, England 

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