This Maine man dresses ‘The Masked Singer’
Luke D’Alessandro, a 30-year-old Biddeford native, won an Emmy Award in September for his costume design work on the Fox reality competition series “The Masked Singer.” The award, shared with five colleagues, was in the category of outstanding costumes for a variety, non-fiction or reality program. D’Alessandro serves as the head designer for the show, overseeing the creation of all costumes, which range from soft, sculptural elements to hard plastics and other unconventional materials.
His journey to this achievement began in his hometown, where his involvement in youth theater and school plays at Biddeford Middle School sparked his interest in the performing arts. A pivotal moment came through his participation in the Academy of Developing Artists of Maine (ADAM) in Biddeford, where mentor Ronda Verges encouraged him to explore backstage roles beyond acting. “I remember Ronda saying, ‘Okay, if you’re going to be an actor you need to have some other skills. You need to learn something about costumes, lighting, sound.’ That sort of opened up my eyes to the backstage part of it,” D’Alessandro recalled.
This early exposure led him to pursue a more design-focused path. Without informing his parents, he applied to and was accepted at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, a performing arts high school. Financial aid covered most of the tuition, enabling him to move to Michigan. During a summer job in Italy working as a prop master on operas, he gained hands-on experience in scenery painting and prop creation. A suggestion from an Interlochen graduate then guided him to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, Australia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Properties and Objects in 2018 and a master’s in Design for Performance in 2020.
D’Alessandro’s professional career began in Australia, where he worked on local versions of “The Masked Singer” and “Dancing with the Stars,” starting in the workroom with tasks like sewing and fabric dyeing before advancing to costume design. His success on the Australian edition of “The Masked Singer” led to an opportunity with the American version, where he has served as head designer for the past four seasons. In addition to his television work, he has contributed to theater productions and films, including Marvel’s “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” He currently lives in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Reflecting on his path, D’Alessandro emphasized the importance of collaboration with performers, noting that costumes must accommodate complex movements like splits and cartwheels while conveying character traits. “When the singer or performer joins the process, they bring to life the piece you designed on paper,” he said. “The minute the actor or performer gets involved, it really elevates the ideas.”
Looking back at his upbringing, D’Alessandro credits his family’s deep roots in Maine’s music scene—his grandfather, Eugene D’Alessandro Sr., founded Portland’s legendary Geno’s Rock Club in the 1980s. Spending childhood mornings at the club with his twin brother, Dominic, playing jukebox tracks and dancing, he absorbed a creative environment that nurtured his artistic ambitions.
Now, with an Emmy on his shelf and “The Masked Singer” renewed for another season, D’Alessandro hopes his story inspires young people in Maine. “I hope that young people in Maine see that there are opportunities everywhere, you just gotta go for it and follow your dreams,” he said. “That’s kind of what I did.”
