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Betty Vickery Williams
Before it was known as Timberlake Studios, the construction group that built costumes for theatre, dance and opera was known as The Studio or simply, Studio.
Betty Vickery Williams, a theatrical costumer and garment researcher, was an influential founding member of Studio. Educated with a BA in English/Music from Jacksonville State University, and an MA in Theatre Arts from the University of North Carolina, Betty was active as a teacher and lecturer at many institutions, including the University of Illinois, New York University and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She was cited by USITT for her encouragement of young designers, one of the parts of her life that gave her the most happiness.
In its inception in1964, The Studio was more of an idea than a location. Costumes were constructed out of apartments belonging to Betty and other focused costume technicians. Sometimes a single costume would be split up - with the bodice being costructed in one apartment while the skirt would be put together in another.
Eventually Betty contracted her first big Broadway job, The Fantastics, which allowed her to give The Studio a proper commercial space in the city. The first space was located on 14th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. In 1980 Betty moved The Studio to its current location - the junction of the fur, fashion and flower districts - Seventh Avenue between 28th and 29th streets.
For forty years, her work with The Studio was seen in New York as well as nationally in regional and academic theatre. Betty was particularly proud of her long association with productions at New York City Opera like Cunning Little Vixen and her many years work with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.
In the 1970's, Betty found no effort was being made to save commercial garment patterns and an important research source was being lost. Encouraged by the Smithsonian, she started a drive to save patterns. It developed into a nation wide network of women (once called "Betty's Brigade") that searched for patterns in attics, church bazaars and estate sales. This led to a collection of patterns, together with tailoring magazines and sewing instruction material dating to the 19th Century. It is a major resource for theatre and fashion designers and a permanent record of one phase of women's lives for sociologists and historians. The Commercial Pattern Archive is available on CD-ROM thanks to the University of Rhode Island Special Collections and Joy Emery, Project Director.
Betty Williams died on June 26, 1996 at the age of 65 after a long illness with cancer.
At the time of her death, Betty was working as co-curator on an exhibit based on her research. This exhibit, Dreams on Paper, A History of Home Sewing in America, was presented in 1997 at the Museum at FIT.
Sarah W. Timberlake
Beginning work at The Studio in 1986, Sarah Timberlake was a protege for 10 years of the late Betty Williams. Sarah became Owner and President of The Studio in 1996, renaming the business Timberlake Studios, Inc.
Sarah Timberlake started her career as a dancer studying in the Midwest. She holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and an MFA in Costume Technology from New York University. She performed semi-professionally with Atlantic Dance Company in Florida and was resident costume designer and taught Costuming for Dancers at Brenau University. Sarah was also on the faculty at the Fashion Institute of Technology specializing in History of Menswear.
322 Seventh Avenue, # 2F New York, NY 10001
Studio Hours: 9-6 Monday - Friday
Phone: (212) 967-4736 Fax: (212) 967-4737
Email: TimberlakeStudios@gmail.com
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