Michelle J. Li, Costume Designer

Expressing Character Through Costume

Costume designer Michelle J. Li (CFA 2019) has a fresh take on what to wear on stage and screen, and she’s already “racked up” a resume outfitted with diverse and impressive credits.

Most recently, she designed costumes for the third season of Comedy Central’s “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens,” Peacock’s “Meet Cute” with Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson, and the Sundance Film Festival award-winning mockumentary “Theater Camp."

Her work is also seen in the 2020 film “Shiva Baby,” which won an Independent Spirit Award, and on the 2023 off-Broadway show “JOB,” which The New York Times named a Critic’s Pick.

“I am a designer and a collaborator who is interested in analysis and creating visual structure from a character’s psyche with architectural precision," Michelle says.

Her approach to costume design stems from a love of fine art.

Though she always knew she’d pursue a creative career, theater wasn’t on her radar. She found her calling while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in drama with a focus on costume design.

“I quickly realized that I am fueled by the interpersonal communication that a costume designer has with the directors and actors,” Michelle says. “It’s important to me to be a generous collaborator who relishes in left-field ideas. I love seeing how unknown variables land and where they take the conversation.”

Story by Elizabeth Speed