This is a triumph for aspiring costume designers everywhere. The NFTS partnership with industry giants like Angels Costumes and John Gore Studios creates an unprecedented pipeline from education to employment, with Sandy Powell lending her legendary expertise to shape the next generation of storytelling talent.
Insiders are whispering that this program could become impossibly competitive — with only a limited number of spots available each year, expect nepotism rumors and industry connections to play a role in admissions. Some costume department veterans feel the real training still happens on set, not in classrooms.
The NFTS announced this partnership on July 9, 2026. The program is a two-year postgraduate degree in costume design for film and television. Angels Costumes — the legendary Soho-based costume house responsible for countless period dramas — is directly involved alongside John Gore Studios.
When Sandy Powell puts her name behind something, the industry listens. But with elite costume design programs few and far between in Britain, this NFTS venture raises the stakes for every young designer hoping to break into film — and might just expose some uncomfortable truths about who actually gets access.
The U.K.'s prestigious National Film and Television School has unveiled a major new educational partnership that could reshape how costume designers enter the film and television industry. On July 9, 2026, NFTS announced its collaboration with Angels Costumes — the legendary Soho-based costume house behind countless period dramas and prestige productions — as well as John Gore Studios to launch an ambitious two-year postgraduate degree in costume design for screen.
The program arrives backed by Sandy Powell herself. The three-time Oscar winner, whose credits include THE AVENGERS, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and the recent SANDMAN adaptation, has lent her name and expertise to the initiative. Her involvement signals that this isn't just another academic exercise — it's a direct pipeline from one of film's most celebrated costume designers into the next generation of talent.
Angels Costumes brings something invaluable to the table: over 100 years of accumulated fabric, period pieces, and institutional knowledge sitting in their North London archives. Students won't just be sketching designs on paper — they'll reportedly have access to real garments, real historical references, and potentially even placements within Angels' working costume department during their studies. But here's where things get interesting for those of us who track industry dynamics.
Costume design has long been an insider's game, with positions often filled through connections rather than open applications. A prestigious new program — especially one bearing Sandy Powell's imprimatur — could either democratize access to the profession or become yet another avenue where well-connected applicants have advantages. John Gore Studios' involvement adds commercial film credibility to the academic framework. The company has been expanding its production slate in recent years, and their stake in the program suggests they're looking to cultivate relationships with emerging talent early — potentially locking in promising costume designers for future productions before they even graduate.
