People

Jennifer Irwin

Costume Design

  • Sydney

Jennifer Irwin has designed for drama, opera, and dance as well as the largest spectacular events ever staged in Australia. Jennifer has been designing costumes for Bangarra since the early 1990s.

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Bio

Jennifer began her design career at Sydney Dance Company in 1982, designing 34 works for the Company. Simultaneously the costume aesthetic for the entire Repertoire for Bangarra Dance Theatre since its inception in 1993.

Other Commissions include over 90 ballets for The Australian Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Universal Ballet of Korea, Joffrey Ballet, Queensland Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Singapore Ballet, NT Dance, TasDance and ADT among others.

Events include Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, the Official Ceremony marking the Centenary of Australian Federation 2001, Belvoir Theatre Co, Sydney Theatre Co, Opera Australia, Melbourne Theatre Co, Opera WA, Opera SA and Opera Queensland.

Internationally she has designed and built shows out of London, Paris, Utrecht, Chicago, Toronto, Berlin, New York and Hamburg. In 2004, Jennifer designed the costumes for the International Box office sensation ‘Dirty Dancing’ the musical, still playing globally after 20 years.

She was recognized for her contribution to Dance at the 2015 Australian Dance Awards ‘Service to Dance’ as well as a Centenary Medal.

In 2023 Australian Production Design Guild Awards she was honored and awarded ‘Outstanding Contribution to Australian Design.’ She has won ten years consecutively ‘Best Costume Design’ for Live Performance at Australian Production Design Guild Awards.

Her design for the feature film ‘SPEAR’ was nominated for an AACTA award in 2017.

Jennifer received a Theatre Board Grant for an internship at La Scala Opera Company in 1984.

For Opera Australia commissions include Romeo & Juliette 2005, The Merry Widow 2017, Madame Butterfly 2019, HOSH West Side Story 2019 and Guys and Dolls in HOSH 2025.

Her work has been staged live in over 100 countries, over 450 cities and venues, including the Lincoln Centre NYC, City Centre NYC, Brooklyn Academy of Music NYC, The Kennedy Centre Washington, The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden London, Command performances at the Royal Palace Madrid and many at the Sydney Opera House.

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Awards

  • 2024
    Best Costume Design 'Yuldea' - Australian Production Design Guild
  • 2023
    Outstanding Contribution to Design - Australian Production Design Guild
  • 2022
    Best Costume Design ‘Wudjang’ - Australian Production Design Guild
  • 2019
    Best Costume Design ’30 Years’ - Australian Production Design Guild
  • 2018
    Best Costume Design 'Dark Emu' - Australian Production Design Guild
  • 2017
    Best Costume Design 'Bennelong' - Australian Production Design Awards
  • 2017
    Service to Dance - Australian Dance Award
  • 2016
    Best Costume Design 'Spear' (Nomination) - AACTA Awards
  • 2015
    Best Costume Design 'lore' - Australian Production Design Guild
  • 2013
    Best Costume Design 'Terrain' - Australian Production Design Guild
  • 2012
    Contribution to the Australian arts community by an individual 'Terrain' - ArtsHub Awards
  • 2012
    Best Costume Design 'Warumuk — in the dark night' - Australian Production Design Guild
  • 2001
    Centenary Medal 'For service to community' - Australian Government