Tony Award-nominated costume designer (Porgy & Bess) and Project Runway All Stars alum Emilio Sosa was elected Chair of the American Theatre Wing in 2021. The American Wing is best known as the creator and sponsor of the iconic Tony Awards, which annually celebrates the best of Broadway.
Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, Sosa made a name for himself styling music videos for hip-hop pioneers Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, and Kid & Play. He later designed wardrobes for music icons Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, and Gloria Estefan, and became an in-house stylist for film director Spike Lee. He also toured the world with Celine Dion, The Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
Sosa was mentored by legendary stage and film director George C. Wolfe, for whom he designed his first Broadway show, Topdog/Underdog. Sosa has often shared, “Theater has the ability to build the bridges needed for all of us to better understand ourselves and the world we live in.” —T.T.