Meet Vancouver-based costume designer, Carmen Alatorre.
20 Questions with Carmen Alatorre
1. Your first job.
Retail at Aca Joe, all the rage in the 80’s in Mexico.
2. The job you always wanted as a child.
Flight attendant.
3. Your pet peeve.
Unspoken conflict.
4. Your hero.
Right now, Carmen Aguirre (see answer #13).
5. Your biggest indulgence.
Local food in Mexico. Cumbia dancing.
6. One thing no one knows about you.
There is at least one person who knows everything about me.
7. Three things you would want with you on a deserted island.
An electronic item with lots of music and books in it. A dog. Moisturizer?
8. The one word your best friend would use to describe you.
Wise, she said!
9. If you were not pursuing a career in theatre, what would you be doing right now?
Trying to be an artist, writer and activist.
10. Hero or villain?
Heroine.
11. Your life’s motto/mantra.
The only thing that never changes is that everything changes.
12. Your favourite playwright.
There are many, but I will say Sabina Berman (Mexico).
13. The last book you read.
Carmen Aguirre’s Mexican Hooker #1.
14. If you were a cartoon character what cartoon character would you be and why?
I would love to be Mafalda, a popular Argentine comic strip about a little witty girl who is too politicized for her age.
15. What will it say on your grave marker?
“I requested cremation”.
16. Who would you most like to have dinner with?
S. De Beauvoir.
17. Your idea of happiness.
Hanging out with the people I love.
18. The one thing in your life that makes you most proud.
Leaving everything behind to start a new life in Canada.
19. If you could go back in time, what would you tell your 20-year old self?
Enjoy the journey. It’s all going to be okay.
20. To be or not to be?
To be, of course.
Meet Carmen Alatorre
Carmen is a Mexican self-imposed exile who came to Vancouver pursuing a grad program in Theatre Design at UBC over ten years ago. She spends most of her time running theatre errands and carrying costume pieces between rehearsal buildings. She can often be found in her car, which is ultimately her office, and where she brainstorms many of her design ideas. When not living out her dream-job as a costume designer, she enjoys hanging out with her charming husband, going for hikes and going for pricey Vancouver drinks with friends.