About

Paula E. Trimpey currently serves as Professor of Fashion/Costume Design at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Messiah University, Grantham, Pennsylvania, and a Master of Fine Arts from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. While at Wayne State, Paula was a member of the Hilberry Theatre Company where she focused her studies in costume design and technology. 

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Paula has held positions in the Theatre Departments at Dixie State University, Huntington University, and Fredonia State University. In the professional theatre arena, she has designed and served as Costume Director at the Tuacahn Fine and Performing Arts Center in southern Utah, worked with touring Broadway shows through Troika Entertainment, and designed shows and held various other positions for 34 years with the Tony award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah. 

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In the fashion industry, Paula has worked with contractors in manufacturing of clothing for OshKosh B’gosh, Izod Lacoste, Lane Bryant, Bobbi Gayle, Speedo Sportswear, and American Vogue Designer, Albert Nipon. She presently works with local cottage industries, As You Like it Clothier and Up Your Kilt, at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire as a shirt and doublet designer. 

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In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Paula manages the Costume Studio for the Fashion Department. Her primary focus lies in Costume Technology which includes period patternmaking and draping, tailoring, period clothing construction, corsetry and applied design. She encourages independent research in period clothing construction and has provided annual workshops in Victorian and Renaissance corset making. Paula is a member of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology.