Aleš Valášek

Aleš Valášek is a Set and Costume Designer and an Architect. He grew up in Khartoum (Sudan).
In 1988 he and his family returned back to Czechoslovakia where he received his education.

Aleš gained his art skills from artist Věra Ničová. He gained M. A. Degree in Costume Design at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague under Costume Designer Jana Zbořilová and later M. S. In Architecture and Urban Design under Professor Jiří Suchomel at Technical University in Liberec, Czech Republic. In 2006 Aleš studied as a residency student at the London College of Fashion within Dept. Costume for Performing Arts. In 2008 He Studied Set and Costume Design at Motley Theatre Design Course in London (UK) led by Alison Chitty, Ashley Martin-Davis, Anthony Lamble, and Cat Martin.

In 2009 he became the overall winner of the prestigious British Lindbury Prize for Stage Design.

Aleš ́s portfolio includes set and costume design for dozens of productions including film, opera, ballet, musicals, and plays. Aleš works mainly in Europe. His work includes set and costume design for various productions including Tchaikovski ́s Swan Lake, L. Minkus ́s La Bayadére, A. Ch. Adam ́s Giselle, A. Dvořák ́s Rusalka, G Bizet ́s Carmen, G. Puccini ́s Turandot, Monteverdis ́s Orfeo...Musicals include Alan Menken ́s Little Shop of Horrors (set and costumes), Gypsy King ́s Zorro (set), Green Day ́s American Idiot (set design), Curtains by John Kander (set design), 50 Shades (set and costumes), Next to Normal (set and costumes). In 2019 he designed sets and costumes for the operetta Polenblut at Odessa Academic Theatre of Musical Comedy (Odessa, Ukraine).

In 2010 Aleš personally collaborated with Alain Boublil on the Czech Premiere of Marguerite the Musical (set and costume design) written by Michel Legrand and Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg the creators of the legendary musical Les Misérables. For many productions, Aleš designed original textiles and prints to support the authenticity of the production.

In 2018 Aleš designed German-speaking premiere of the Broadway Musical An American in Paris (costume design) in Linz (Austria), a German tour of An American in Paris (costume design). In 2021 Aleš designed costumes for the musical Sound of Music directed by Francesca Zambello (Glimmerglass Opera, NY, USA). The Sound of Music was Aleš‘s American debut.

His recent work includes Titanic the broadway musical by Maury Yeston (costume design, Linz, Austria), Anastasia the musical (Linz, Austria), Aspects of Love (costume design, Münster, Germany), The King and I (costume design, Mörbisch Seefestspiele, Austria), Pippin (costume design, Staatsoperette Dresden, Germany).

In 2022 Aleš was nominated by Regional Broawayworld.com Awards simultaneously for three productions in the category Best Costume Design of a Play or Musical: Titanic, Anastasia, The King and I.

In 2016 and 2017 Aleš taught Costume Design as externist at the Academy of Performing arts Prague (DAMU).

In 2019 he designed a permanent collection of sculptures for Museum Hořice in the Czech Republic that won several prestigious Museum awards.

In 2014 dir. Hana Pinkavová filmed a documentary about Aleš ́s life and work called „Following the dream...“ for Czech Television (ČT).