Ariana DeBose and Sue Makkoo. | Source: Getty Images

Sue Makkoo is not just Ariana DeBose's partner, as her support goes beyond being an audience member to crafting custom costumes for the performer during an award show. Their relationship extends into the realm of creativity and collaboration.

Ariana DeBose is an actress and singer and a Tony Award nominee for her 2018 portrayal of Disco Donna in "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical," on which she worked with her partner Sue Makkoo, one of the costume designers on the production.

The successful theater professionals spent the pandemic tucked away in their chic cottage, which caught the attention of a magazine, earning it a featured spot.

Ariana DeBose and Sue Makkoo attend 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards at New York Hilton Midtown, on May 6, 2022, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Ariana Debose Is Dating Sue Makkoo – A Costume Designer and Mother of Three

In an interview ahead of her first hosting stint of the Tony Awards in 2022, DeBose proudly mentioned that her partner designed a few looks for the opening number:

"She's a very talented costume designer. I'm excited for her work to be seen on stage."

Over the past decade, Makkoo has had a hand in over 300 productions. The alum of Arizona State University's career of 25 years is grounded in her days of sewing in the kitchen with her grandmother in rural New York.

Ariana DeBose (R) and Sue Makkoo at the opening night of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" on Broadway at The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, on July 25, 2019 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

During her 11-year tenure as a costume designer at the La Jolla Playhouse between 2005 and 2016, she helped develop new work for the stage. Many of the productions she worked on went on to Broadway, like "Cry Baby," "33 Variations," "Sideshow," "Hands on a Hard Body," and "Memphis."

The costume designer has a long history in academia. Her first job listed on LinkedIn was her position as an assistant professor in costume design at the Colorado Christian University from 1995 to 1997.

Sue Makkoo and Ariana DeBose attend the Michael Kors Collection Fall/Winter 2022 Runway Show at Terminal 5, on February 15, 2022, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Since January 2016, Makkoo has been on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music's Department of Musical Theater and has been the creative director of Harvard A.R.T. since the end of 2017.

The educator and freelance interior decorator consider raising her three kids, two boys and a girl, as the "greatest artistic education she has received."

Makkoo's daughter, Adalyn Belle, is a pastry chef, baker turned therapist, and certified art life coach. The mother and daughter duo are best friends and contribute poetry to Makkoo's website, Civilized.

Ariana DeBose with Sue Makkoo at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California on March 27, 2022. | Source: Getty Images

Winning an Oscar Did Not Change Ariana DeBose, and She Showed Her Appreciation for Her Partner

On the night that DeBose won the Academy Award in March 2022, arguably the biggest night of her career, the actress did not "party like a rock star."

She hung out with Makkoo, her mom, and her best friend Jonathan Cobrda at the ceremony and the Vanity Fair party. DeBose said that she did not want to party all night:

"And you know what I wanted? I wanted to get on the bus and sit with my people and hold their hands and eat pizza. And that's what I did. I haven't changed; that's the point."

Days after her historic win for playing Anita in Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story," a role which also garnered an Oscar for Rita Moreno in the 1961 version of the film, DeBose uploaded photos with Makkoo, captioned:

"Grateful to be surrounded by so much love."

In the first image, the couple in black with similar clear stilettos are holding hands while laughing and leaning into each other. In the following image, a photographer captured an intimate moment between them with their noses touching.

Ariana DeBose and Her Partner Have a Cottage in Upstate New York

Just like another original member of the "Hamilton" ensemble, Emmy Raver-Lampman, DeBose has opened her home to a magazine, in her case, the December 2021 issue of MyDomaine.

The cottage helped Ariana DeBose "keep [her] peace of mind."

In the early stages of her relationship with Makkoo, the cozy 900-square-foot two-bedroom cottage in upstate New York was their refuge for "peace and solace."

The design of the country chic home was of such a high standard that the magazine photographed DeBose's property with her interior designer partner without using a prop stylist. The star shared:

"We bring things with good energy into the home to maintain the history of the house. I want to feel like the things that are present and living in my home have soul to them."

According to DeBose, she and her partner initially discovered the cottage as a sanctuary for tranquility and respite from the busy city life in New York. It continued to serve as their haven throughout the pandemic, where they dedicated most of their time to seeking solace and comfort.

The cottage helped Ariana DeBose "keep [her] peace of mind, knowing there was something that was going to last." With all the uncertainty in the industry at the time, they knew that they "were good" no matter what happened once the restrictions were lifted.

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