Costume Designers Guild (IATSE Local 892)

Overview

The Costume Designers Guild (CDG), operating as IATSE Local 892, is the union representing costume designers, assistant costume designers, and costume illustrators working in motion pictures, television, and commercials in the United States. Founded in 1953, Local 892 is one of 22 Hollywood union locals under IATSE. The Guild's jurisdiction covers creative design leadership of the costume department: the costume designer who develops the overall costume concept for a production, the assistant costume designers who execute specific design work under their direction, and the costume illustrators who create visual reference art.

The CDG is distinct from the Motion Picture Costumers (IATSE Local 705), which covers the broader costume department workforce including costumers, set costumers, and wardrobe supervisors. Together, the two locals cover the full range of costume department work on union productions, with the CDG covering design-level creative work and Local 705 covering the operational and execution roles.

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) runs from August 1, 2024 through July 31, 2027. The agreement covers studios including all AMPTP signatory companies. Separate agreements exist with Western Costume Co. (January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028) and Mavencraft Studios (February 1, 2026 through January 31, 2029).

Membership Requirements and Costs

CDG membership covers costume designers, assistant costume designers, and costume illustrators working on theatrical features, episodic television, movies of the week, miniseries, commercials, and new media. Applicants must meet qualification requirements under their specific classification and provide independent documentation (deal memo, crew list, call sheet, DVD screenshot with credits) plus 3 signed letters of recommendation from costume designers or working professionals familiar with the applicant's skills. An in-person interview may be conducted after application review.

Costume Designer membership costs (2026):

Assistant Costume Designer membership costs (2026):

Three payment options are available: (1) pay the full total upon acceptance, (2) pay half plus the remainder within 45 days, or (3) pay an initial amount with the balance charged monthly over 3 consecutive months (3% convenience fee applies to credit card charges). Quarterly dues fall on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.

The Guild does not find work for members or act as an employment agency. Members become eligible for health insurance and pension benefits through the IATSE Motion Picture Industry Health Plan and Pension Plan after accumulating qualifying on-the-job hours.

Wage Minimums (2024-2027 CBA)

The CBA increased wage minimums effective August 3, 2025, with further increases scheduled for August 2, 2026. Key studio minimum rates for the period August 3, 2025 through August 1, 2026:

Rates effective August 2, 2026 through July 31, 2027 increase to $1,344.39 daily for theatrical costume designers and $1,032.66 daily for television costume designers. A 3% reduction applies to Wage Schedule #2 rates for certain production types. Low-budget theatrical productions operate under a separate agreement with reduced minimums. Pilots, 1st season, and 2nd season productions revert to the previous year's rates.

The full wage schedules are published at costumedesignersguild.com/contracts. Producers should consult these documents directly when budgeting a signatory production.

CDG Awards

The Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA) are the most significant peer-voted honors in costume design. The 28th CDGA ceremony was held on February 12, 2026, at the Ebell of Los Angeles, hosted by Courtney Hope. Nominations were announced December 12, 2025.

28th CDGA winners (2026):

Since the CDG Awards launched in 1999, the Academy Award for Costume Design has gone to a period film every year except four. The CDG Awards are voted on by Guild members, making them peer recognition from working costume design professionals rather than a general industry electorate.

Notable Members and Leadership

Terry Ann Gordon is the current President of the Costume Designers Guild, IATSE Local 892. Brigitta Romanov has served as Executive Director since 2022, succeeding Rachael Stanley (2008 to 2021). The Executive Board includes Vice President Ivy Thaide, who also directs the Guild's Comic-Con program. The Board of Trustees includes Jacqueline SaintAnne, Mikael Sharafyan, Jennifer May Nickel, and Barbara Inglehart.

Colleen Atwood is a 4-time Academy Award winner for costume design and a CDG member. She won the 2026 CDGA for Excellence in Contemporary Film for One Battle After Another. Her career spans decades with credits including Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, Alice in Wonderland, and the Fantastic Beasts series.

Paul Tazewell won the 2026 CDGA for Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film for Wicked: For Good. He is an Oscar-winning designer known for Hamilton on Broadway and the film remake of West Side Story. His work on Wicked earned him an Academy Award for Costume Design.

Ruth E. Carter received the CDG Career Achievement Award in 2019. She is a 2-time Academy Award winner for Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, making history as the first Black person to win the Costume Design category. Her work spans Malcolm X, Amistad, and Sinners.

Benefits Breakdown

CDG members receive health insurance and pension benefits through the IATSE Motion Picture Industry Health Plan (MPIPHP) and the IATSE National Benefit Fund. Members accumulate qualifying hours on union productions to earn and maintain coverage. The plan includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus an Individual Account Plan for retirement savings.

Pension benefits accrue through credited hours on signatory productions. Members who meet age and hour requirements can retire with health coverage and monthly pension payments. The vesting schedule depends on qualified years and total credited hours worked over a career.

Contract enforcement is a core union benefit. The Guild represents members in disputes over wage rates, overtime, and misclassification. If a producer pays below CBA minimums or denies required contributions, the Guild can file grievances and pursue remedies. This protection applies only to work on signatory productions.

The Guild does not find work for members or act as an employment agency. Members are responsible for securing their own jobs through industry relationships and agent representation. The Guild office handles classification disputes, dues questions, and contract enforcement. Members also access professional development through panels, screenings, and the annual CDG Awards.

How Initiation and Eligibility Actually Works in Practice

CDG membership is not earned through a fixed day-count system like Local 706. Instead, applicants must document relevant work experience and submit 3 letters of recommendation from costume designers or working professionals familiar with their skills. The Guild reviews applications and may conduct an in-person interview. This means the path to membership is less formulaic and more dependent on professional relationships.

The practical path begins when a costume designer, assistant costume designer, or costume illustrator gets hired on a union production. The designer accumulates experience and builds relationships with established CDG members who can provide recommendation letters. Many applicants work as assistants or illustrators for years before applying for full designer membership.

The cost difference between classifications is significant. A costume designer pays $7,028.84 in total upfront costs (entrance fee, first quarter dues, IATSE processing fee, and sketch stamp). An assistant costume designer pays $4,201.45. The Guild offers 3 payment plans: full payment, half plus remainder in 45 days, or monthly installments over 3 months with a 3% credit card convenience fee.

The practical decision of when to join depends on the type of work an applicant is pursuing. Designers who want to work on AMPTP signatory productions must join CDG to accept those jobs. Designers working only on non-union or independent productions below the signatory threshold do not need membership. However, joining the Guild provides access to health insurance, pension contributions, and contract protections that non-union work does not offer.

Applicants should gather their documentation before applying. Required materials include a deal memo, crew list, call sheet, or screen credit screenshot, plus 3 signed recommendation letters. Quarterly dues fall on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1, so timing the application near a quarter boundary can simplify the first payment.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For productions hiring a costume designer, IATSE signatory status is required to access CDG members. The costume designer is a key pre-production hire whose work begins with character and story analysis well before principal photography. Their rate is governed by CDG minimums for the applicable production type and budget tier. A theatrical costume designer earns a minimum of $1,298.93/day or $4,796.83/week under the current CBA (August 2025 through August 2026).

Independent productions frequently underestimate the costume budget, treating costume as a minor department when it is often one of the most resource-intensive aspects of period and genre productions. A single period feature can require hundreds of custom-built garments, extensive fittings, and a costume department staff of 10-20 people. Understanding CDG minimums and what a professional costume designer brings to a project helps producers plan realistically.

For costume designers seeking membership, the $6,500 entrance fee (plus first quarter dues and fees totaling $7,028.84) can be paid in installments. Membership requires documented work experience and 3 letters of recommendation. The Guild office handles classification disputes, dues questions, and contract enforcement. Contact information and application materials are available at costumedesignersguild.com/join-membership.

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See Also

For the broader IATSE structure within which Local 892 operates, see IATSE in this directory. For the wardrobe and costumer local that works alongside CDG, see the Motion Picture Costumers (Local 705) entry in this directory. For budgeting union productions and estimating costume department labor costs, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.