Today we’d like to introduce you to Tish Yates.
Hi Tish, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Raised by parents who worked in the music touring industry, life on the road was familiar to me from an early age. It felt natural that I would eventually pursue a career in costume design and wardrobe for large-scale tours.
While earning my degree in costume and fashion design, I was already flying around the country to work on small productions. Shortly after graduating, I was given the opportunity to assist on Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveShow, traveling the world while dressing the female dancers. That tour led to an incredible opportunity to style and create the dancers’ wardrobe for the Madison Square Garden HBO special. Seeing my name in the credits was a true pinch-me moment.
Because tours typically last only a year or two, it was soon time for the next adventure. By my second tour—Alicia Keys’ As I Am World Tour—I had been promoted to Head of Wardrobe. I was responsible for the upkeep, tailoring, and fitting of the artist’s stage wardrobe, an experience that allowed me to strengthen and refine my tailoring skills.
From there, I moved directly onto Britney Spears’ Circus Tour, another world tour where I was fortunate to be Head of Wardrobe again. This was when I truly began balancing costume creation with running an entire wardrobe department. The artist might sketch a quick idea on a napkin, and I would find a way to bring it to life—all while we were actively touring.
That experience strengthened one of my most valuable skills: learning how to create with what is available. Sometimes we were in cities where our runners could not quite understand what I was requesting, and other times the materials simply were not available. I had to be resourceful, flexible, and willing to shift the design at a moment’s notice, often producing costumes within a day or two while traveling around the world.
After the Circus Tour, I was ready for a different challenge and was offered the Lead Wardrobe position for none other than Steven Tyler on Aerosmith’s Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock Tour. I had heard they were having difficulty finding the right fit for the role, and I was excited to take it on. Steven trusted me to take the creative lead on his wardrobe styling in each city. It was another world tour, bringing me back to many of the places I had wanted to explore again.
At that point, I felt I had experienced nearly every side of touring and was ready to invest in myself, spend more time at home, and start a family. I opened a boutique specializing in bridalwear and custom costumes—but my time away from touring was short-lived. When Britney began her Las Vegas residency, I saw an opportunity to return to the work I loved while bringing my child with me. We could spend three weeks in Las Vegas and then return home for a month. It sounded like a dream, and it truly was.
I was once again creating and building stagewear, and we had the opportunity to genuinely design, experiment, and have fun with the costumes. The wardrobe department became a family, and I could not be prouder of where that team is today, with its members now leading wardrobe departments on tours around the world.
We eventually took the show on the road, and I brought my child and a nanny—my sister—along with me. I will always be grateful for that chapter and for the opportunity to show my child the world while continuing to do the work I loved.
After five years with the show, I was ready to pause again and return home, where I began creating for artists from my sewing studio. I found my rhythm designing and building stagewear specifically for the demands of live performance.
What many people may not realize is how different true stagewear is from runway or off-the-rack clothing. The placement and strength of every zipper, hook and eye, and gusset matter. Fabrics must be durable, and removable liners are often needed so garments can be properly cleaned. So much goes into creating a costume that can withstand the movement, quick changes, lighting, travel, and repetition of a live show.
It became a personal mission of mine to be involved in the creative process before a tour hired its stylist and wardrobe department. Preparing garments correctly from the beginning meant the wardrobe team would not have to completely rebuild or alter everything once it was handed over. Throughout those years, I would still travel for rehearsals or step in whenever an artist needed additional hands, including working with Janet Jackson and Shania Twain.
I later returned to Las Vegas as the tailor for John Legend’s residency—an absolutely gorgeous show filled with beautiful costumes. At the same time, I was still trying to create a simpler life at home and be present for my son’s achievements. I began working with a select group of clients from my studio, building costumes and shipping them directly to tours as needed, including for some of my favorite guys, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
About a year and a half ago, I felt as though I was beginning to lose my creative spark. I was still working, but I was no longer feeling deeply inspired by the work. Then I received a message from a woman named Hannah Harper.
What made the message especially interesting was that she was a mother of three who lived just down the road from me and was looking for a custom dress. I remember thinking, “You mean I don’t have to fly somewhere for this meeting? She will come to my studio in the middle of nowhere for a fitting? And she has a style that aligns with what I would genuinely love to design? Sign me up!”
Since then, Hannah and I have created more than 20 custom designs together. Working with her has reignited my love for creating and reminded me why I began designing in the first place. I have had the best time building her wardrobe, developing her visual identity, and creating pieces that feel authentic to both of us.
And we are only getting started.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been an incredible road, but certainly not always a smooth one. Touring requires long hours, constant travel, quick decisions, and the ability to solve problems with whatever resources are available. I often had to create or repair costumes within a day or two while moving from city to city—and sometimes country to country. Running a wardrobe department while also designing, tailoring, and managing the unexpected taught me to stay calm, flexible, and creative under pressure.
One of my greatest struggles has been finding a balance between the career I love and being present for my family. I have stepped away from touring at different points, opened my own boutique, brought my son and sister on the road, and eventually built a studio-based business so I could continue creating while being there for my son’s milestones.
There have also been seasons when the work became more about meeting deadlines than feeling inspired. After years of designing for others, I began to lose some of my creative spark. Working with Hannah Harper helped reignite that part of me and reminded me how important it is to create work that feels personal and authentic. Every challenging season has required me to adapt, but it has also shaped the designer, leader, and mother I am today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What sets me apart is that I understand both the creative and technical sides of stagewear. I can help shape an artist’s visual identity while also making sure each piece functions on stage. I do not simply create clothing; I consider the performer, the movement, the music, the story, and the demands of the show.
I am incredibly proud of the artists and productions I have been trusted to work with throughout my career, but I am equally proud of the teams I helped build and mentor. Many of the people I once worked alongside are now leading wardrobe departments on tours around the world.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about Nashville is its creative energy. I attended college here and return often, so the city has always felt familiar to me. I love being surrounded by music, artists, and people who understand the work and dedication that go into building a creative career.
What I like least—and find most surprising—is the lack of quality fashion fabric stores. For a city with so much style, entertainment, and costume design, there are very few places where designers can shop for unique, high-quality fabrics and specialty materials in person. Nashville has such a strong creative community, and I would love to see its resources for fashion and costume designers grow alongside it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stitchbytish.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchbytish_/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosietishcustomdesign/
