Costume designer and jewelry artist Barbara Gregusova was born to fashion designer Elena Gregusova and photographer and graphic designer Martin Gregus in Bratislava, Slovakia - an artistic family that extends back to her grandfather, a sculptor and jeweler, and her grandmother, a textile artist. Moving to Vancouver, Barbara enrolled in Capilano University's Costuming for Stage and Screen and Theatre Institute programs, garnering top marks for her graduation project, an eighteenth century period costume, titled "Marie Antoinette - Lost in Vancouver". The following year Barbara earned her Fashion Merchandising Diploma at the Blanche Macdonald Centre. Barbara worked as lead costume designer on various independent productions including Agam Darshi's and Sophie Ann Rooney's "Bollywood Beckons" for which Barbara earned her first Leo Awards nomination for best costume design in short drama. Barbara's interest in period costume design kept her roots in theatre; Barbara designed over twenty plays including the dark underworld fairytale "The Skriker", Moliere's modern adaptation of "Tartuffe: Born Again", "Bye Bye Baby" and Jay Brazeau's "Old Love" for North Vancouver's Presentation House Theatre, Shakespeare's 1960's adaptation of "As You Like It", "Brighton Beach Memoirs" for Gateway Theatre, Stuart Aikins' western "Sly Fox" and "The Crucible" for Exit 22 as well as Studio 58. Barbara's decade long collaboration with Exit 22 gained her a nomination for the 8th annual Ovation Awards for outstanding costume design in "Cinderella - The musical". Barbara reunited with Sophie Ann Rooney to design costumes for her theatre production of "Beggars In The House of Plenty" staring Kyle Labine, worked with Tyler Labine's wife Carrie's Ruscheinsky on Ben Ratner's theatre production "Dying City" and her most recent collaboration with Labine's family was with Cameron and Tyler Labine on the feature film "Mountain Men". Two years in a raw Barbara was nominated for Leo Awards; in 2013 for best costume design in feature length drama "Lucille's Ball" and most recently for best costume design in a motion picture "Evangeline" directed by Karen Lam. Her recent film credits include Gil Bellow's "Three Days in Havana", "June In January" with Marilu Henner, "Ring By Spring" staring Stefanie Powers and Rachel Boston, "For Better Or For Worse" staring Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields, "Paper Angels" with Josie Bissett and Matthew Settle, Christie Will's "Baby Boot Camp" and cyber-punk web-series "Residenz". As a member of the Slovak Association of Textile Artists, Barbara exhibits her work around Europe. In Summer 2008, Barbara introduced her all-new Hauteware jewelry collection made from recycled hard drives, laser toners, ink-jet cartridges and other electronic waste at the Enviro Couture exhibition in North Vancouver's CityScape Community Art Space, and later FMA Vancouver and Vancouver Fashion Week S/S 2009. To accompany her one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces Barbara created haute couture metallic collection "Solar Epoque" which was showed on the stage during XXI Olympic Winter Games at Olympic Victory Ceremony.
