The Tigress

Tigress; Female Tiger;  fierce and cruel. As I checked the spelling, I wasn’t surprised by the definition. But the Tigress I have designed a costume for/inspired by is a jealous,  beautiful tragic creature, and a victim. The human qualities and emotions bestowed on the animal by Angela Carter are haunting. I also liked the contrast between Tigress (creature) and Mignon (human). Mignon (the design isn’t available at the moment I’m afraid) is treated like an animal for the first two acts, but is later transformed by love. The Tigress demands to be treated as human.

The costume has changed slightly, inspired by this dress from the New York Metropolitan Museum:

I think it was the use of colour that first drew me to this dress, but the silhouette fits the design too. I like the curve of the waist and the over-voluminous sleeve, the shape is very attractive yet natural; an obvoius exaggeration of the normal figure, but not an unhealthy one. I also really enjoyed the result of Candide (conveniently forgetting how stressful it was!) and wanted to produce a made costume again for my portfolio.

Below are some fabrics samples I thought about including in my costume. They are very beautiful and unusual- samples provided by my tutor. I was told that a WOW costume was expected to be experimental in terms of textiles but due to both time and aesthetics ( I had been thorough with my fabric samples sourcing when designing Nights at the Circus) I chose to focus on surface decoration, beading- things which would enhance the siliceous rather than the fabric.

 

I did want to include some rather expensive feather I brought from a trimmings shop in London, which is why the frills are button on pieces- so that they can be taken off and stored safely/the corset can be washed and ironed. I love the colours! There are many feathers in the trim.

A Fitting of sorts

These photos are from a fitting of developed costume. The fitting could not be carried out completely because both sleeves are necessary. The weight of the sleeve dramatically changes the jacket. I did not expect them to be so heavy- the over sleeve is made up of two layers or silks, three layers of net and  the beads and bias binding I have choose to decorate with. Something also needs to support the sleeve, I will have to experiment with stuffing it or creating a rigiline structure underneath.

Since the fitting I have moved the armhole 1.5cm inwards, so that the sleeve may sit on a better place and not pull so much. I am happy with the fit of the leggings, these will be overlocked, then accompanied by a loose herringbone stitch to keep it flat.

I had forgotten to put the bust inserts in , but the fit (aside from this) was fine.

Sunday’s SHARP Progress

Sunday’s Corset Progress

HOMESTEAD- Titled Period Drama

Untitled Period Drama no more! There wasn’t the fanfare I expected, I just noticed the script’s cover was missing that familiar gap at today’s meeting.

Homestead it is.

I’m just waiting for my copy via email. Father, RAF pilot, has been removed and Mother makes her appearance, her only appearance, in the first scene now. I imagine her in a olive cloche, with a weighty yet elegant wool coat. I am definitely thinking of Changeling. I can’t recommend that film enough!

I must remember to ask who made the decisions, and their reasons, for the family being upper class. Especially as the children are quite well behaved and modest – unlike the stereotype.

New tatics

I have had a great response to a cry for help/email! Because I am now employed (!) I cannot be on set for Film Number Two- Untitled Period Drama; I’ll be in London from the 25th, if not before.

It’s a shame not to see it through to the end as I’ve been attending meetings for months. We’ve got train stations, pets and planes involved! I will help out where I can, providing my new designer with all my prep work and offering suggestions when welcome. She’s a gem.

I have more help on SHARP, another new face assisting me at fittings and producing some very thorough research. I’m so impressed! I find it difficult to delegate but it looks like my EMP made costume might…might… be possible now. My PPP was handed in today so ‘all’ I have to think about is:

• Costume Design Job
• SHARP; a BU Film (lots of sourcing (Thurs, with K) and paperwork) (Fittings 10.30 and 12.30, this Friday)
• EMP COSTUME (Last fitting this Friday, 9am)
• Updating this blog- The Boxer
• Sorting out finances- The Boxer (Kat- Thurs at 9.30)
• Untitled Period Drama- finishing my prep work and handing it over, sadly.

In total I’ve got 5 recruits- but I have emphasised that their work comes first. Something I can press on other people but haven’t quite grasped myself.

It’s for the best but my word it’s hard to let go.

The weekend was spent decorating the over sleeves for my EMP costume- each teardrop cutaway (there are 12) took at least 1 hour and 15 minutes…the first one took all night! Initially I slip stitched the bias binding down, but because of the braid I could secure it neatly by machine. It took a long time but I am very happy with the result. Attempting to thawrt my knack of overcomplicating, I relied on the right combination of brought materials instead of mass fabric manipulation. I wanted to save time (seemingly unsuccessful) and test the good ‘styling skills’ which my tutor insists I have (ability to ‘style’ the right materials together). Avoiding unnecessary fabric manipulation was to simplify things, but I certainly didn’t want my costume to look simple.

What do you think?

Photographs will appear here tomorrow!

Corset Toile

Here’s the corset toile I made over Easter while I was at home, my fat cat Archie sitting next to me. These photos were taken after the fitting.

Rachel, my friend, muse and actress, is not allergic to cats. I checked!

Doesn’t grow on trees

I’ve just discovered the Barnett & Lawson website (I’m about to lose a couple of hours if I’m not careful). It seems like such a hidden treasure, a little walk from Oxford street, it just never occurred to me they’d have something as modern/public as the internet!

Anyway. I tried to get my sleeves done last night but I hit a snag at 3am. My indecisiveness.

I couldn’t decide how to best finish the edge of the teardrops and whether the silk fabric (£15p/m) beneath was ‘enough.’ I reasoned that the price (I needed 2 metres, and a good portion is covered up) was justifiable because I would not have to embellish the inner sleeve myself, saving precious time.

These photographs really don’t do my work justice! I will update these later!

I really like the sample will small bows running down it, but it looks odd within a window. My final decision was to create a picot finish using red chiffon with bright silver thread and a old silver ladder braid. Unfortunately I only have 3 metres of this on me- I need 9 metres in all! I could spend another week creating samples but I want something beautiful, ‘clean’, not too much colour, doesn’t distract from the silhouette and IMMEDIATE. My original aim was to include as much textile work in this costume as possible, but I have come to realise this is something I can work on in my own time While at uni I need to work on areas I find more challenging (fitting costumes, seams), while I still have the support of tutors.

Neither money or beautiful Barnett Lawson braid grows on trees, but what a sight that would be! Unfortunately the decision to use more braid, despite spending more, was the only solution that calmed my mind enough for sleep.

SHARP

I don’t think I’ve mentioned SHARP previously, but this was a film first mentioned to me back in January. Such a long time a go; time has FLOWN. I can’t emphasise this enough. Since Easter I have managed to get hold of myself, my work and just…get on with it. But you may have noticed my blog is unfinished and needs updating. I’ve been at the sewing machine.

I’ve been busy, as usual.

SHARP stands for SkinHeads Against Racial Prejustice and is a non-fictional group who seek to correct the notion that skinheads are racists. In fact, true skinhead culture has roots in Jamaica- it’s diverse, it’s simply a way of life- and not an aggressive one. A shaved head is different from a hairless one. Bald(ing) men are generally ridiculed; the opposite is true for a shaved head! It can imply time in the army (disciplined but ‘used’ to violent/dangerous situations) and then, also, rebellion. Either interpretation is negative, even when matched with pride. It’s pretty easy to find images of skinheads, in comparison to other period films I have designed. Even short clips, like here, ‘Citizen 82′, can provide clear inspiration because the skinhead image is so distinctive. Here, you can immediately pick out the components- skinny, short (bleached) jeans, worn clothes, braces.

Here’s a blog I found without too much difficulty, Modify Me, which has a number of images which confirm the consistency of skinhead style.

This image is from another blog, Skoinkcore. I like the straightforward illustration style and this image as a whole demonstrates the simplicity of skinhead style. Whilst putting my portfolio together I noticed that my own illustration style changes each project to fit the characters/play I am working on. It is not particularly deliberate, but I do try and use different media, different media whenever I design or find the time to draw. This is something I would find hard – working with little/no colour and just a pencil- and should therefore practise!

Here’s Wikipedia’s opinion (as in, not to be taken as fact- but sounds right to me!):

The hard mods of the mid-to-late 1960s eventually transformed into the skinheads.Many of the hard mods lived in the same economically depressed areas of South London as West Indian immigrants, and those mods emulated the rude boy look of pork pie hats and too-short Levis jeans. These “aspiring ‘white negros’” listened to Jamaican ska and mingled with black rude boys at West Indian nightclubs like Ram Jam, A-Train and Sloopy’s.

Hardly racist characters, it sounds like skinheads were actually appreciative of culture. I will look into this more, and how Thatcher is involved (un/employment), over the weekend. Tonight I will finish the budget estimate. I have sought and listed all the costumes necessary (the basics) and am looking at prices online of the individual items. I hope to drive the budget even lower when I’m out and actually shopping, or borrow as much as possible from actors and friends. Any suggestions about where to source appropriate cheap clothes, please contact!

While on the subject of costume sourcing, I must mention Hirearchy Costume. Though pricey (and for this reason alone not the first port of call) they will provide and are very helpful too. They are based in Boscombe, Dorset.

Let’s leave it at that.

Having a stab,

A JAB AT AN EVALUATION

What I have learnt, and learnt the hard way. The best way.

• No one ever expects the volume of costume and how necessary it is. Regardless, it is necessary- no matter how naturalistic/’everyday’ the costumes are. Pass on this wisdom. It is best to flag this up several times and early enough for adequate transportation to be arranged. Of course I hope to be driving this summer, and I will be able to transport my costumes safely myself.

• That the director, production designer, art director and perhaps the cinematographer must view the costume before the shoot. I had a good relationship with the production designer, he saw and approved of the costumes. Despite a constant and ‘clear’ (this was obviously disproved later) communication between the director and I he did not view the costumes. He had seen photographs and sketches. He changed his mind when he saw them on set. There were other factors- the actors had strong opinions about what they should wear, I did not have (a budget to accommodate) extra costumes ‘just in case’, and the director is very indecisive.

• All costume should be collected and prepared in advance; I knew this already of course but I

• You must look after yourself, no-one else is going to, or can. Most importantly, no-one else is going to look after the COSTUME. You can’t be ill. Failing this, You can’t let illness get the better of you. To tackle this preparation is important (reduce stress leading up to the shoot), take vitamins, make sure you eat and sleep properly. I now realise just how much work (and paperwork!) goes into film design, which will help me plan better. I will not go it alone in the future (see next point!) and I will not be as solely responsible in industry either. I did run myself down and it made the whole shoot much less enjoyable. I worked through it anyway, and felt terrible but proud once I reached ‘the other side’. I am not the best at time management but I got everything done in time, in the end.

• You need to ask for help early on, before there is too much to do. Otherwise nothing will change. I only had assistance on the last two days of the shoot and I felt so supported, calmer and better (health-wise). It was because the other girls understood what I was worried about and what needed doing; they’d been through it themselves. It would’ve helped if I could’ve left someone on set and continued to work on the costumes at home, but this shouldn’t happen again. I also learnt that it is expected that you require an extra pair of hands when working on a film. I am looking for assistance for the last two BU films I am working on in April and May.

There is so much more to write!