Following the completion of a three year BTEC Costume Making Course in Liverpool in 1985, Lois began her career as a sewing assistant at the RSC in Stratford upon Avon.
She went on to become a costume cutter at Leicester Haymarket Theatre, ladies’ cutter at Welsh National Opera and head cutter at West Yorkshire, now Leeds Playhouse.
In 1995, Lois became a Freelance costume cutter and maker, working for many different theatre companies and productions, including Music and Lyrics’ tours of Oklahoma, Calamity Jane, The Addams Family and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Shakespeare’s Globe & the Sam Wanamaker; Salisbury Playhouse; Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse; Birmingham Stage Company; Welsh National Opera; Heels touring production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Lapland UK. Her TV work includes series one of Poldark, The English Game and Becoming Elizabeth.
Lois began to work as a visiting tailoring tutor at BOVTS in 2017, before becoming full time in 2020. She works along side the second and third year students, advising on the practical aspects of design interpretation, pattern cutting and construction methods for the costumes they create both for BOVTS shows, and specifically for their tailoring projects.