Jenny Leigh Du Puis

My name is Jenny Leigh, and I am a PhD Candidate in Apparel Design at Cornell University and a circus costume designer and technician. My dissertation explores the safety and function of what people wear when they train and perform circus, which I explore through archival, qualitative, and design research into the past, present, and future of circus costume. I curate exhibitions of circus costume in physical and digital formats (see clickable links: Flights of Fancy and Circus Fashion sites), develop programming through print materials, workshops, and the coordination of panels and webinars. As a costume designer I have worked with Circus Juventas, Cirque Us, Circus Culture, and Circus Couture, and operated as a costume technician for Circus Smirkus and Cirque du Soleil's "KA" where I executed special projects and major alterations. I regularly give presentations and guest lectures on my work and career in circus costume, including professional organizations, conferences, classes, and recently as a visiting artist and guest scholar for Florida State University's "Trust & Transformation" exhibition celebrating 75 years of the Flying High Circus.