Meet Elizabeth Todd of San Gabriel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Todd

Hi Elizabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a former middle school science teacher from Arizona, working in a field like fashion and costume always seemed like it would be hopelessly out of reach just by virtue of the fact that I lived where these industries decidedly weren’t. For about 11 years I was a self-taught seamstress and hobbyist in the realms of fashion and costume design. Almost on a complete whim of passion I entered a design into the 2019 Her Universe Fashion Show, a Geek Couture event that kicks off San Diego Comic Con and features 25 finalists and their original designs inspired by anything celebrated in pop culture. It is notoriously difficult to get into, and to my surprise my design, inspired by Scrooge McDuck, my favorite character of all time, was chosen to be one of the 25 to walk the runway. The show prints a lovely program featuring each of its finalists, and as I browsed through the biographies of the other 24 designers in the show, I realized that I was the only hobbyist among them. Everyone else was either a fashion student, had already finished fashion school, or was actively working in the fashion/costume industries. I think normally this would have made me feel very much out of place among them, but I remember this moment being more of an epiphany for me. These talented people were being paid to do the very thing that I also loved to do. From that moment on, though I went back to my day job teaching, I began to scheme in the back of my mind: how could I get to where I actually wanted to be?

Like many people, I think the COVID-19 pandemic revealed what was truly important. For me, I realized more than anything that life just isn’t that long, and if I wanted to make a career change, the sooner I made the decision, the sooner I could really get started. I remember coming home in January of 2021 during the first week back after winter break and saying to my husband, with no plan whatsoever, “I think I want to quit my job,” and being the absolutely wonderful man he is, he immediately replied “go ahead.” I finished out my contract for the remainder of the school year, and during that time tried to choose my next steps with great difficulty. Again, with my husband’s support and encouragement, I decided on fashion school, quite a big risk coming from an extremely stable and reliable job that I had worked for 8 years. And of course the best fashion programs in the country were not in Arizona. Though we had idly talked about moving elsewhere before, none of those plans had ever been concrete. I broached the idea with my husband a little nervously, unsure of whether we could agree on a place we would like to move.

“Choose a school and apply for it. That’s the city I will apply for work in.” Was his reply, as he truly is the ideal partner. I still tear up thinking about how he believed in my ability to make this work so resolutely that he didn’t put a single condition on this offer.

I chose FIDM in Los Angeles because when I spoke with the Admissions Counselor, Lucinda, I did not get a “salesman” vibe from her at all. It was an easy conversation where she answered all of my questions and took an interest in my past work, asking to see some of the things I’ve made. By the time she was done scrolling through my portfolio, she told me, “We want you here at FIDM. How can I get you to apply?”

My one year program at FIDM was absolutely one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It was an absolutely massive amount of information and skill to learn in a single year, but I have no doubt that it was the right program for me. The professors were all impressively intimidating, clearly experts in their field, and excellent teachers to boot. I took advantage of lab and office hours as often as I could, knowing that these were the type of professionals that I hoped to be myself one day. One of my professors saw something in me, and for that I will be forever grateful. She recommended me for a job on the same project she herself was working on at the time, and a literal dream job for me. Currently, I am a contractor for Walt Disney Imagineering making specialty costumes. If someone had told me even three years ago that I would have to opportunity to be a part of something this cool, I would have laughed and said “Yeah, right!” And though the nature of being an independent contractor means that this work won’t last forever, and soon I will be on my way, I have already met so many amazing people and learned of other roles that I previously had had no idea even existed, that I am optimistic and excited for whatever is going to come next.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There were about a million and one struggles and challenges along the way! Even just deciding to take such a massive leap of faith from an established and stable career into one mostly unknown to me was a huge struggle. I often felt torn between the excitement of new possibilities and feeling that I had failed. I went to school for four years to teach for eight only to leave it behind. However, I see now that leaving my last career wasn’t a failure at all, and in fact that professional experience and skill that I gained during that time has been invaluable not only in going back to school. but also in starting this new career. I find that I often use many of the soft skills that I learned as a teacher in my day-to-day now.

The interstate move was an enormous challenge as well. I still have no idea how my husband and I got the mattress into and out of the moving truck on our own, but somehow we did!

I thought I would be way better at school this time around, having already done college once and becoming sort of an expert in how people learn best, specifically how I learn best, from the teacher side of things. In some ways this was true. I wasn’t afraid to look stupid by asking and answering questions in class! But even still, I began to feel like my brain was just “full” at the end of most days and like it wasn’t quite as flexible as it had been in my teens and early twenties. Though I learned a lot, I wonder if I would have preferred more time to absorb, process, and practice at a slower pace. Now that everything is said and done, I think it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a sewist and designer, specializing in making costumes and fashion. Prior to making a career of it, I had been competing in craftsmanship competitions in many West coast states, and my costumes won awards such as “Best in Show” at San Diego Comic Con and Tucson Comic Con, as well as Runner Up in the Needlework category at Emerald City Comic Con’s Western Championships of Cosplay.

I have been a Designer Finalist in the “Her Universe Fashion Show” twice. Oddly enough, both characters that I designed for had beaks and webbed feet. The first design was inspired by Scrooge McDuck, and the second Perry the Platypus from the show “Phineas and Ferb.” The Perry look is still one of my favorite designs and looks that I’ve created to this day.

Currently, I am working as a contractor making specialty costumes for Walt Disney Imagineering, specifically for audio animatronics, which is just about the coolest thing I have ever gotten to do.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband, Cory, has been the greatest and most supportive partner I could possibly ask for. He has believed in me so fully, often more than I believed in myself. He is the best and I can never thank him enough for all that he does.

My family and friends of course, have been so incredibly supportive of this very scary endeavor that I’ve embarked on. Their encouragement really helped me pull the trigger on making a change.

My professor Ruthie, who essentially got me my first job out of school, I will never be able to thank her enough, nor my boss and colleagues for their kindness and patience in taking on a teaching a newbie!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://liztodd.studio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liztoddstudio/

Image Credits
Vic Rincon, Katie Owens