Gabriela Hertel | Costume Designer & Illustrator
Gabriela Hertel is a Costume Designer, Illustrator, and Crafts artisan. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with a certificate of Textiles & Design. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Costume Design at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
In her last semester at UNCSA, she will spend her semester designing her thesis show, along with working as a firsthand in the costume shop.
She is looking forward to finding work in the industry wherever opportunities lead her, as she loves traveling and exploring new cities.
My Story
Before her enrollment at UNCSA, Gabriela spent a semester at The Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy, with a focus in painting, fashion illustration, and garment construction. Coming from this experience, she took interest in the costume shop at UW-Madison, her first role being a crafts artisan for Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Since her time at UNCSA, she has had the opportunity to design stage plays (Barbecue, 2023), operas (Die Fledermaus 2025, Opera Scenes '24 & '25), and films (Envoi 2026, Little Miss Daisy Lee 2026), finding interests in all of these forms of entertainment. She also has spent time as the crafts artisan at the Chautauqua Opera Company in the summer of 2025. She enjoys working on set and backstage on the wardrobe crew, recently working on UNCSA's yearly production of The Nutcracker.
Gabriela has a strong love for fashion; including thrifting, styling, and sewing. As a young girl she started a bow business and has made thrift bundles for friends. Below are moodboards and outfits that showcase her personal style
