(they/them; she/her) is a third-year student of the Master of Fine Arts in Costume Production program at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, 2023 candidate. They hold an undergraduate degree in Event Technology from Jorge Amado University in Bahia, Brazil, where they grew up. Lou is a genderqueer theatrical costume technician, footwear designer and shoemaker interested in the languages ​​of theatre, dance, opera and music. Lou was born in the city of Salvador, in the state of Bahia, considered the birthplace of black culture in Brazil; their work is influenced by the fusion of African, indigenous and Luso-Brazilian cultures. They have worked professionally with several designers in Brazil producing sets and costumes for popular music and contemporary dance productions. Lou worked as a Costume Assistant at Teatro Castro Alves in Salvador, Bahia from 2010 to 2014. In 2014, they founded Amarelo HandMade, where they researched, designed and built handmade sneakers until 2020. Since joining the MFA program in 2020, Lou has developed an interested in period costumes, including building corsets and other costumes that alter the shape of the human body such as body padding. In crafts they are interested in construction or reproduction of masks in Varaform thermoplastic/Wonderflex), armor and distressed costumes. 

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