Wardrobe specialist Jill Focke talked to Blog Talk Radio’s Lanea Stagg about touring and working with some of the biggest names in rock, such as Chris Isaak, Lenny Kravitz, and Jennifer Lopez. She recently toured with Fleetwood Mac on the North American tour, serving as the band’s wardrobe supervisor.
During the 30 minute interview, Focke described her duties involved in getting the band ready for the show. “For Fleetwood Mac, I’m actually a one-woman operation,” Focke explained. “I do the wardrobe for the band members and Stevie, and Mick, John, and Lindsey, just by myself. I don’t have any local help with them. In the grand scheme of things, they’re a fairly small entity. They wear one outfit, usually. Stevie changes a few things, but her basic outfit is the same. She’ll change a jacket, put a different skirt on, or something. For that scenario, once they’re onstage, that’s it; they’re done. And then I can start loading out and cleaning up dressing rooms.”
Focke has enjoyed working with Stevie, saying the following about their time together on the tour:
“Stevie’s great. She’s just one of the girls. I mean, we just all sit around in her dressing room and talk. You know, we just talk about anything. She’ll come up to you and say something to you that’s like so…she has to tell you this right now, and it’s really cool. Stevie Nicks thinks I’m important enough to talk to. This is great!”
Focke has a BA in costume design from the University of Pittsburgh. One of her first jobs after college was working for Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, where she was in charge of the costume shop for the clown college. She also managed the costume department for the Houston Grand Opera for six years.
Focke celebrates more than 20 years of wardrobe experience in the entertainment industry this year.
