A.A. Bakhrushin Central State Theatre Museum

Martin Pakledinaz (September 1, 1953-July 8, 2012) was an award-winning costume designer for theater, dance and opera. In a career that spanned three decades, he is renowned for his work on plays and musicals on Broadway, across the United States, and abroad. His designs for opera productions have been seen at venues ranging from the Metropolitan Opera and the Salzburg Festival, to a community center on the lower East side in Manhattan. He is the winner of two Tony Awards ("Kiss Me Kate", and "Thoroughly Modern Millie"), a Drama Desk Award, and is an American Theater Hall of Fame inductee, amongst other awards.

He added the role of educator to his list of accomplishments as well, teaching his craft and sharing his knowledge with his students at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Born in 1953, Martin grew up in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and went to Wayne State University in Detroit, studying directing before focusing on design. He was later accepted into the masters program at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He moved to New York in 1977. One of eight children, Martin's vivid and active imagination as a child was the genesis of a journey that propelled him from the suburbs of Detroit to venues all over the world. He stayed active and creative up to his final days, when he lost his battle with cancer.

Designer Gallery

Click on the photograph to start the gallery