Costume Fabricator Jobs: Build Brand Characters for American Guerrilla Marketing

American Guerrilla Marketing creates branded character experiences for campaign activations across the United States and internationally. We build mascot suits, character costumes, and wearable brand installations that show up in real environments: crowded streets, festival grounds, brand pop-ups, and retail floors. When the work is good, people stop, take photos, and remember the brand. That starts with the fabricator.

We need skilled costume fabricators who can build to spec, communicate clearly, and deliver work that holds up under street conditions. This page explains what we build, what we look for, where we work, and how to get in touch.

About the Role

Costume fabricator jobs at AGM are project-based. You receive a brief, confirm specs and timeline, and deliver a finished costume or component that meets campaign requirements. Most projects start with client-supplied creative assets: a character sheet, brand guide, or reference image. Your job is to translate that into something a performer can wear in a street environment for several hours at a time.

We work with fabricators as independent contractors. Some projects are one-off builds for a single activation. Others involve a series of costumes across multiple markets. We source locally when possible, which keeps shipping risk low and allows for in-person fittings before the campaign goes live.

The role requires attention to detail, comfort with construction deadlines, and an honest assessment of your own capacity. We prefer fabricators who ask questions early rather than deliver surprises at the end.

Project Types

The builds we commission fall into four main categories:

Mascot Suits

Full-body branded character suits worn by performers at product launches, retail activations, and public events. These typically include a foam-sculpted head, body suit, hands, and feet. Vision and ventilation are critical: performers need to see clearly, and the suit needs airflow to remain wearable during long activation windows.

Foam Character Builds

Character builds based on foam carving and upholstery, often used for brand mascots that need a specific sculptural look. The foam must be durable enough to handle real-world contact, including crowds, weather, and repeated transport between markets.

Wearable Billboards

Structural pieces worn by brand ambassadors to display messaging or product imagery at street level. These range from simple sandwich-board formats to custom-fabricated wearable structures. The build needs to be lightweight enough for a person to wear for a full shift and stable enough to remain intact in wind and foot traffic.

Branded Clothing Pieces

Custom garments produced for brand ambassador programs where off-the-shelf apparel does not match campaign specs. This includes custom uniform fabrication, branded outerwear, and specialty pieces with integrated display elements.

Costume Fabricators in U.S. Cities

We are actively looking for fabricators in the following U.S. markets. Local sourcing reduces lead time and allows for fit checks before activation day.

• New York, New York – Our home market. High volume of activations year-round.
• Los Angeles, California – Entertainment and consumer brand activations.
• Chicago, Illinois – Festival season and experiential campaign work.
• Miami, Florida – Retail and nightlife activations, bilingual campaign builds.
• Austin, Texas – Event-heavy market with consistent campaign volume.
• Houston, Texas – Corporate brand activations and multicultural campaigns.
• Dallas, Texas – Street team activations and brand launch work.
• Atlanta, Georgia – Consumer product launches and festival presence.
• Boston, Massachusetts – College and street-level campaign builds.
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Street activation and event support.
• Seattle, Washington – Tech and outdoor brand activations.
• Denver, Colorado – Outdoor event and festival campaign builds.
• Nashville, Tennessee – Event marketing and consumer brand presence.
• Portland, Oregon – Independent brand and retail activations.
• Columbus, Ohio – Growing activation market with strong brand presence.

If you are based in a city not listed here, still reach out. We book campaigns across the country and build our fabricator network one market at a time.

International Markets

AGM runs campaigns outside the United States for clients with international brand presence. We look for fabricators in the following international markets:

• London, United Kingdom – Consumer brand activations and experiential events.
• Tokyo, Japan – Character and mascot builds for retail and event campaigns.
• Mexico City, Mexico – Bilingual brand activations and street-level campaign builds.

International fabricators must be able to communicate by email in English, deliver completed builds with sufficient lead time for shipping review, and provide detailed documentation of materials used.

Skills Required

We look for fabricators with hands-on experience in most of the following areas:

• Sewing and garment construction – Machine sewing, hand finishing, pattern work for character suits and branded garments.
• Foam carving – Shaping EVA and polyfoam for mascot heads, body panels, and structural components.
• Fabric selection – Choosing materials that meet appearance, durability, and performer comfort requirements for street use.
• Structural support and framing – Building internal frames and support systems that keep a costume in shape over an activation period.
• Ventilation design – Integrating airflow into full-body suits and foam heads so performers can work safely in warm conditions.
• Performer wearability – Designing for range of motion, weight distribution, and visibility, not just appearance.
• Durability for street use – Building pieces that hold up to crowd contact, changing weather, and repeated transport.

Experience with painting, dye work, silicone finishes, and wig construction is a plus. We do not expect every fabricator to cover every skill, but clear communication about what you do and do not do saves time on both sides.

Portfolio Requirements

When you apply, include a portfolio or link to examples of your work. We want to see:

• Photos of completed builds – Construction shots and finished costume images. Close-ups of seams, foam work, and structural details help.
• Client or campaign context – What was the costume for? A retail launch, a festival, a mascot debut? Context tells us how you approach a real brief.
• Wearability testing evidence – Photos or notes showing the costume was worn by a performer, including any adjustments made after fitting. We want to know you think about the person inside the suit.

If your work has appeared in brand campaigns, we want to know. If you have worked with advertising agencies, event production companies, or experiential marketing firms before, say so. That context matters when we are matching fabricators to campaign specs.

Prior Employment

We work with fabricators from a range of backgrounds. Previous work in theatrical costume shops, theme park costume departments, film and television wardrobe, mascot manufacturing companies, cosplay production, or independent garment studios all translate well to brand activation work.

We have no preference for formal training versus practical experience. What matters is that you can build something that works in the real world, hold a timeline, and communicate clearly when problems come up.

Prior work with advertising agencies or experiential marketing companies is a genuine plus. If you have built costumes that were deployed in front of real audiences at real events, that experience carries weight here.

Compensation and Timeline Expectations

Fabrication fees are project-based and quoted per build. Rate depends on scope, materials, and timeline. We provide a project brief and ask fabricators to submit a quote before confirming an agreement.

Materials costs are typically reimbursed separately from the fabrication fee, with receipts required. We ask fabricators to source materials and submit a cost estimate before purchasing for larger builds.

Timelines vary by campaign. Some builds have a three to four week window. Others require faster turnaround when a campaign is added late. We try to give as much lead time as possible and will be direct about rush situations when they come up. Rush projects carry adjusted rates.

Payment is processed after delivery and approval of the finished build. We do not hold payment beyond a reasonable review period.

How to Apply

Send your application to [email protected] with the subject line “Costume Fabricator Application” and your city.

Include:

• Your name and location (city, state or city, country)
• A brief description of your fabrication background and specialties
• Portfolio link or attached images of recent work
• Your general availability and typical project lead time requirements
• Rate range or preferred quoting process

We review applications on a rolling basis and respond to those that match active or upcoming project needs. If we do not have an immediate fit, we keep qualified fabricators on file for future projects.

Frequently Asked Questions