Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty

Matthew Bourne's interpretation of Sleeping Beauty played at Sadler's Wells. This production was a ballet with gothic  with influences. It started in a Edwardian era setting and then processed to modern day after Aurora's 100 year sleep.  This is the first ballet I have seen and it was quiet enjoyable. I liked the use of moving floors in order to make the movements more magical and too create the appearance of the dancers floating. I also liked the set and was surprised at how quick it could be changed.
Though I would have liked more visual costume, they was numerous garments I liked. I was also able to roughly identify the era it was set from the costumes. I liked the costumes worn by the fairies the most due to the embellishments and the wings that were attached.
Visit their website at:

http://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2015/matthew-bournes-sleeping-beauty/

http://new-adventures.net/sleeping-beauty

Sadler's Wells

Madame Tussauds

Today's visit to Madame Tussauds was fantastic. It is amazing how realistic the wax figures look. I enjoyed looking at the costumes the figures were wearing. Madame Tussauds had different sections so I was able to view modern, historical and fantasy/sifi figures and their clothing which was really interesting.
Visit their website at:

https://www.madametussauds.co.uk/london/en/

Emma Watson Wax Figure

Henry VII Wax Figure

Captain America Wax Figure

Princess Leia and Jabba the Hutt Wax Figure

Angels Costumiers

Today's tour of Angels costumiers was a great chance to learn about the inner workings of a costume house as well as a bit of Angels history 
I found out that the making department is constantly working on projects and that the client's wishes are always followed even if the changes they want to make aren't fully accurate for the time period.
Angels has different departments: stock, fancy dress, altering, tailoring and dress making. The stock section is split into various different sections including: military, uniform, religious wear, ethnic clothing, etc. There is also various different ways to build up a costume stock including donation,  buying items and making.
I also had a chance to look at some of the costumes they have produced for films, TV and Theatre. Dresses worn by the actors who played Queen Elizabeth in some films were also on show including a reproduction of our current Queen's coronation gown, which I loved.
I really enjoyed this tour and it made me consider work experience or working when I finish my course at a costume house.
Visit their website at:
http://www.angels.uk.com/

Angels' recreation of the Queen coronation

gown.

Angel's Elizabeth I dress

                                           

 

Angels' costume rails.

Angels' has eight miles of costume rails.

  

Harry Potter Studios

Harry Potter Studio

Todays tour of the Harry Potter Studios was amazing. We were able to see numerous original sets, props and costumes used in the production. I learnt how the production was filmed and what kind of special effects were used in order to create the magical elements in the film. It was also really interesting to find out that a large amount of robotics was used to create some of the characters.

A large amount of work went into the making of the films so it was fun to be able to view and read about the different elements used.

We also had a costume workshop where we got to look at the costumes, designs and moodboards created for the production. As well as this we learnt about how the character's personality has been reflected in the material texture, colour and design such as rough, worn materials for a poor character and velvets for the rich. It was very interesting to learnt that even the tone of a colour could change how the character is viewed.
Visit their website at:

https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/  

Model of Hogwarts school

The actors were filmed on a green screen then inserted into a video made using this model when outside.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

This is Fred and George's shop on Diagon Alley

Mannequins wearing Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione costumes from the final scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 2 

Matilda

The production Matilda was playing at Cambridge Theatre and I went to watch it. This was a fantastic performance full of energy. The amount of effort and rehearsal that must have been put into the production really shows in the performance. The timing was done really well and the set was amazing with multiple moving parts that were brilliantly included into the action made by the performers.
Due to a large focus being on the amazing set, there wasn't any large scale or heavily embellished costumes but I really enjoyed this production and would recommend it to anyone who loves theatre and physical performance.
Visit their website at:

http://uk.matildathemusical.com/?_ga=1.38840099.1805077302.1449013991

Cambridge Theatre

Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace

At Kensington Palace there is a exhibit called Fashion Rules showing dresses worn by royalty in the 1900s. I loved the embellishments on the dresses! They sparkled brilliantly in the lighting.
They are also some dresses worn by Queen Victoria on display. Throughout the palace there were these amazing 18th century dresses and men's suits that seemed to be made out of paper and these represented some of the people who visited the palace.
They was also an amazing 18th century dress heavily embellished worn by Queen Caroline that I think was the best dress I have seen today.  I think these will be great elements to add to my design research.
The added projection seen on the walls made the experience even more exciting.
Visit their website at:
http://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/

Paper Dress

 

 

                  Paper Suit                                           Formal Gown                                                Close up detail-

                                                                     This dress is made from Duchesse                              Rockington Mantua

                                                                     satin by Norman Hartnell in 1963.

                                                                        It is embellished with beading.

The Rockington Mantua

This was made in England from French brocade silk in 1765. It was worn by Lady Mary W. The Prime Minister's Wife

The fan is from 1750

Close up detail of the Formal Gown

Victoria and Albert Muesum

Iolanthe- The Queen of the Fairies.

Today I visited the V and A to look at the Shoes: Pleasure and Pain Exhibition and the other costumes they have in their collection.
In the shoes exhibit there was a wide variety of shoes from different time periods and it also featured modern shoes that have used technology such as 3D printing to create them. How the shoes are constructed is also explored and it was really interesting to see how the technique for making shoes has developed.
The fashion costumes were set out in a circle starting from the 1700 to the 2000, this made the development and changing of the clothing throughout 300 years clear to see. The V&A had some really beautiful period costumes and structured undergarments on show. Some of the costume were placed open so I could see inside them so it was interesting to have a look at how they might have been constructed.
Upstairs was a variety of set, prop and costumes from multiple different theatre productions which were amazing to see. I especially loved the Queen of the Fairies dress because of all the embellishments that decorate it. The dress was made in 1977 for the production Iolanthe by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. It was made by David Garrett and designed by Bruno Santini. In order to create it: cotton, netting, Lurex, lacing, wire, cording, Velcro, lame and diamante and sequin embellishment was used.
Visit their website at:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

1835-1838 Day Dress

This is a day dress made in England in

1835 to 1838 from wool.

 

       

1895- Bodice

        This bodice was made by Mlle L. Guiquin in 1895. It was made in New York.

  Silk Satin with beads and sequins were used to create this bodice.

1890-1900 Fan

This fan was painted by Ronot-Tutin in 1890 to 1900. It was made in France.

It has a structure made from pearl and the main part of the fan is silk.

The Illusionist

Shaftesbury Theatre

Today I arrived in London, it is the first time I have visited the city.
The Illusionist is playing at The Shaftesbury Theatre, I went to watch it and for anyone with a love of magic (like me), this is perfect for you. There was a variety of different tricks and jokes that had me and everyone else laughing. It was not just magic though, there was also some dancing in between the scenes.  

The women dancer's costumes consisted of a modernised  corset and bustle/skirt decorated with glitter that sparkled when the light hit it. They looked really good on stage and matched the dramatic atmosphere of the production fantastically.

The show consists of amazingly talented illusionist; The Trickster, The Magician, The Escapologist, The Inventor, The Deductions,  The Warrior and The Manipulator.

I loved this production and I would highly recommend it to anyone, of any age.

Visit their website at:

http://www.shaftesburytheatre.com/shows/the-illusionists

The Illusionists

The Illusionist- Paper Plane

Knit and Stitch Exhibition

At the Knit and Stitch it was really enjoyable to have a look at all the different fabrics and trimming that are available and I got a good collection of buisness cards and leaflet that I can use in the future. I also got a lot of inspiration from the crafts that were on show. There was graduate work being displayed so it was interesting  to have a look at what some graduate are producing.
Visit their website at:

http://www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/harrogate/ 

Corset Making

Corset Construction

For my Cut and Construction module I will be making a corset and a bustle. I have started to pin and cut out from my main fabric and Coutil. The pattern I am using is a Victorian Corset from a Janet Arnold book and I had to size it up so that it fit my model. The fabric I am using is a brocade from www.fabricuk.com. This website also gives the option to order a matching coloured thread. 

Corset Construction

Remember to always order a sample first when ordering online. The fabric colour doesn't always look like the picture and the quality and sheen might be different then expected.

I have already made a toile, fitted it and adjusted the pattern accordingly. When measuring for my boning I measured the length of my seams on my toile and then minus it by 4 (the size of my seam allowance 2cm at the top and 2 at the bottom). To measure for the busk, I measured the front of the toile when the model is sitting down.

I order my boning and busk from Sew Curvy www.sewcurvy.com.

Pride and Prejudice

I have recently watched Pride and Prejudices made in 2005. The costumes for this production were designed by Jaqueline Durran and are inspired by clothing in 1790 due to the directors vision.

I did some research into the costumes and according to the website Costumers Guides the waistline are lower than the empire waistline to due the period it is being set. They are also differences in the main characters costumes to portray ideas about them such as earth colours being used on Elizabeth Bennets costumes to portray her love of countryside and how Caroline Bingley's costumes have a empire waistline to show that she is very fashionable and of a upper class status.

I especially like this costume because of the strap of colour that has been added to the a white dress. The pleating used creates a really nice decorative effect and really aids in making a elegant silhouette.

Resources: Costumers Guide. http://www.costumersguide.com/pride_prejudice/2005.html (12.11.2015)

The image is taken from http://soberingconclusion.com/movies/2005/pride-prejudice-2005/  (12.11.2015)

Digital Design

For the next four weeks I will be doing digital design sessions. In these I will be learning how to uses to Photoshop and Illustrator in my designs.

Maria- Glorious!

In the first session we learn how to create line drawing on Photoshop and how to uses the magic wand tool to select the areas you want to colour. The burn tool or dodge tool can then be used to add dark or light to the designs making them look more three dimensional.
A really great tip when using Photoshop is to add different layers, don't add to the background layer since the options are limited on this layer. By creating layers you can remove section that you dislike easily without ruining other parts of the design.
You can take your designs and scan them into the computer, open them in Photoshop and using the magic wand tool you can select the lines from the drawing. The design that is scanned in needs to have really good lines and any breaks in them will cause the colour to leak out. This line can then be darkened using fill.
Cut this line and then paste it in another layer, change the background to a solid colour commonly white. Create another layer and start adding colour. By changing the colour saturation and hue you can easily view your designs in different colours.
Patterns and fabric can also be scanned and added into the designs and wrapped around the design to make it look three dimensional.
Here is my design for Maria for Act 2 Scene 3 of Glorious! by Peter Quilter. This was made using Photoshop.

Making a Toile

In today lecture in Introductory Cut and Construction we learnt about toiles. A Toile or a Muslin is a garment test made of cheap fabric. A toile is like a test to make sure that the pattern you are using works. This prevents you from wasting your expensive fabric if you get the pattern wrong.
The toile is then tried on the actor or the person you are making it for so that it can be altered. People have different body shapes so it may need to be adjusted to accommodate a deeper back curve or broader shoulders. A Toile is useful when making a close fitting garment and also when making a garment with darts that need to be in a certain position.
Traditionally, calico is used. This is unbleached cotton. Bed sheets, spare fabric can also be used.

Tips

-When making a toile it is easier to use lighter fabrics so that the markings made during fittings are more visible.
-Using similar weight calico to your final fabric will give you an idea of the drape.
-When adding a sleeve to a toile only one needs to be added unless a tailored garment is being made.
-Use contrasting coloured thread and long stitches on the toile will make the toile easier to take apart.
-Button holes, zips and neckline facing doesn't need to be added to the neckline.
-When fitting the toile make sure that the fabric is hanging nicely and that the garments not pulling or too tight. Get the person you're fitting to move around to make sure that it is not restricting their movements.
-Mark the stitching and cutting lines and mark where the pins have been put in case they fall out when taking off the toile.
-If there are too many changes make another toile.
-The toile can be used to work out how much fabric is needed.

Pattern Construction

In workshops I have been learning different ways to create a pattern:

-Pattern drafting a block

-Pattern drafting onto pattern paper from a grid

-Draping on a stand

Drafting a Block

A block can be constructed to fit an individual figure or to fit an average measurement that has been taken from a sizing survey. The basic patterns made by this can then be altered in various different ways in order to create different styles.

Drafting from a Grid

Drafting a pattern from a grid is usually found when creating historical patterns. These are drafted up in one size, then sized up after.

Draping on a Stand

Draping on a stand is used to create unique, elaborate designs. This method is useful for creating bodice patterns. This is done by pinning calico to a dummy that has the same measurements of the person you are making the garment for. The pieces are then laid onto pattern paper and drawn around.

Tips

-Make sure your lines and curves are smooth. This is very important because if they are not the garment will have unwanted bums.

-Use a pattern master, French curves and a flexible ruler, these will help you create smooth lines.

-Remember you shouldn't but seam allowances on your patterns. The seam allowance should be added on to the fabric, this is because seam allowance change depending on fabric, garment and production type. Theatre productions will have large seam allowances because they will be worn multiple different times and the large seam allowance allows the garment to be made bigger if needed.

-Label your pattern pieces with the name, number of cut, construction lines, fold marks, grain line, pattern size, name of the costume, actor and production.

-Cut pieces in the direction of the warp to create a stronger garment

-Cut pieces in the weft direction to create a garment with more give

-Cut pieces on a cross grain (on an angle) for better stretch and drape.

-Line garments with lining or calico for a more durable costume.

Seam sizes 

-Basic seams- 1.5cm

-Enclosed seams (collars and cuffs)-0.5cm

-Hem allowances- 1 to 5cm. These vary depending on the fabric type, the shape or the type of hem finish you've chosen to use.

-Costume seams- 3cm

-Fraying fabric requires large seams.

Research

Costume Industry Roles

Today in my professional studies session and in my costume design class we explored a range of different jobs in the costume industry.

The wardrobe and costume departments are in control of the clothing, shoes, hosiery, millinery, jewellery, armour and underwear worn by all the characters. They design, plan and organise colours, sizes, fabrics and costume construction.

The wardrobe department is split into two section; the making and running wardrobes.

Making Wardrobe is in charge of the design, purchase and construction of the costumes before the production.

Running Wardrobe is in charge of organisation, maintenance of all the costumes during a production.

This is the hierarchy of the costume industry; designers being on top and the costume daily at the bottom. Though in the costume industry the role vary and some tasks do mix.

Designers

Designer’s Assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Supervisors

Costume Makers

Costume Assistants

Costume Trainees

Costume Daily

Costume Daily

Costume Dailies are usually employed on the day that they are needed. They get their instructions from the costume and wardrobe supervisors as well as the costume designer’s assistants and costume designers. Their responsibilities mainly involve crowd fittings, working with extras and dressing the performers. As well as ironing, cleaning clothes, taking care of accessories, gloves, hats, researching and buying items.

They sometimes find costumes that will suit an actors figures and face shapes and photograph costumes.

Costume Assistants

They are employed during any part of the before production process and follow instructions given to them by costume designer, costume designer’s assistants, costume and wardrobe supervisors.

Costume assistants have numerous of different roles. These consist of researching and adapting costumes, organising accessories, fitting supervision, setting up work rooms, measuring and ordering supplies. They also carry out tasks such as pattern cutting, costume making, aging and breaking down, sourcing and buying accessories and costumes, shipping costumes, maintain costume during productions and explaining costumes to performers.

Costume Makers

Their role in the costume industry is to fit, make and alter costumes. Their main tasks are to source fabrics -if they have not been supplied, pack and transport costumes, make sure costumes fit actors, altering, explaining the requirements of the costume to actors. They also pattern cut, make the toile and construct the garment.
They have most of their work load before the production and work irregular and long hours. They are usually given a brief and costume specifications by the costume designer. The drawings given to them can range between detailed and rough sketches so they need to be able to interpret the designs.

They work with costume designers, costume designer’s assistants and costume supervisors

Costume makers need to have a range of skills. These are creativity, colour and design knowledge, ageing and breaking down a costume, corsetry, hosiery, historical costumes, knowledge of fabric quality, cutting and fitting a costumes, pattern drafting and draping, toile making, hand sewing, machine knowledge, embellishment, wigs and millinery knowledge, stamina and communication skills.

Costume/ Wardrobe Supervisor

A costume supervisor will manage and hire staff like the costume assistants, dailies and standby. They are given other tasks such as arranging transport, organising schedules, budgeting and will work with the costume designer and the whole production team.

For this job they need to have good memory, good attention to detail, leadership, management, organisation and motivation skills, work efficiently, be adaptable, be able to calm others and knowledge of health and safety.

Costume Designer’s Assistant

Their main role is to support the costume designer. They manage budgets, hire and communicate with the costume department in order to give them important details and information from the designer. They work with the designers and costume team as well as helping on set and supervise fittings. They need to be able to breakdown scripts, analysis characters, create costume plots, research well into costume construction, design and styles in order to find method which are suitable for the time period and use libraries, museums and the internet to do this research.

Costume Designer

Their job is to design costumes for all the characters in a production, budget, organise schedules, complete costume plots and breakdown.  They manage the running wardrobe and are in charge of the overall look of the production costumes. They provide the director with initial ideas with fabric samples and a colour palette in order to get approval before giving the designs to the costume team. They work with directors, production designers and photographers.

They need to be able to communicate characters through their designs and have textiles and cultural knowledge. As well as this they need to be creative and have a range of skills such as design, communication, research, organisation, garment production and motivation skills. They need to have knowledge of historical and modern fashion, work under pressure, meet deadlines, calm others and stamina.

Bowes Museum

Recently, I have taken a trip to Bowes Museum to visit the Yve Saint Laurent-Style is Eternal Exhibition which has fifty garments displayed. I so had a chance to look at some historical garments. This is the first exhibit in the UK to show the life and work of French Fashion Designers.

1836-1838 Dress

The fabric(muslin) used is from

1790 to 1818

Yve Saint Laurent

The dress on the left is from 1800s around 1836 to 1838 and is said to be made out of a earlier dress. Small frills decorate the top arm of the sleeves and blue piping follows along the top of the dress adding a nice decorative feature. This is one of my favourite. I especially like the shape of the neckline and how the sleeve sit low on the shoulders. The dress on the right is my favourite from the Yve Saint Laurent exhibit. I love the silhouette and the dramatic drape of the fabric.

Bowes Museum also have a range of original portraiture that is great research when exploring what was worn in the past and also to see how certain fabric types are painted to aid my design presentation.

Resources: Bowes Museum

About

Hiya!

Hi, my name is Alysha Rankine and I am currently attending Cleveland College of Art and Design where I am studying ‘Costume Interpretation with Design’. This blog is part of my degree mainly for one of my modules Professional Studies. This module introduces me to the costume industry, its structure and the jobs within it.
Throughout this blog I will be posting about things that interest me in the costume industry, people, films, theatre production that inspire me and about what I’m learning during taught sessions.
My aspirations for the future is to become a costume maker for programmes, films, theatre and museum’s. I’m also interesting in being a seamstress making a range of dresses from bridal to historical inspired dress.
Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you find it interesting! :D