'The Picture of Dorian Gray' Designs (Personal Interpretation-Dream World)

These designs are from my collection for my personal interpretation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. These costumes are for the scenes in the production that are seen through the eyes of Dorian's imagination.

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' Designs (Personal Interpretation-Dream World)

These designs are for my interpretation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. I created a split between reality and Dorian's imaginary dreamworld. These designs are for Dorian's subconscious view on the world. Due to a sinful lifestyle and opium abuse, he sees the world, including the people through his imagination. I decided that for each character in the imaginary world I would really emphasise their key characteristic. These designs are for the character Lord Henry Wotton. He is the reason for Dorian's downfall, as he influenced and manipulated Dorian, because of this I decided to portray Lord Henry as a sinister puppet master, with Dorian as a puppet on a string.

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' Designs (Personal Interpretation-Reality)

These are more designs for my personal interpretation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. These designs are for Reality (1950s London).

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' Designs (Personal Interpretation-Reality)

These designs are for my personal interpretation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. I wanted to create a completely new twist on the portrayal of the story of Dorian Gray. My idea for the production was to create contrasting, conflicting worlds. There is reality (set in 1950s London) and Dorian's subconscious dream world. Due to Dorian's sinful lifestyle, including selling his soul for immortality and the murder of Basil Hallward, combined with his addiction to opium, Dorian creates an alternative world, in which he sees everything completely differently.
These designs are for Reality, which is 1950s London. I wanted to use classic 50s fashion for the costume, and use fabrics and prints that show the class and social difference between characters. Each character has a characterisation for both reality and for the imaginary world created by Dorian's subconscious. (For example: In reality Sibyl Vane is a waitress/barmaid, acting in the evening at her local run-down theater. In the Dream Wold Sibyl is a porcelain wind up doll, due to her beautiful, manipulated, vulnerable characteristics.)

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' Designs (1830s) Part 2

These are the designs I created for my film production of The Picture of Dorian Gray, set in 1830 for the character of the Portrait. I decided to use the painting, which ages instead of Dorian as an actual acted character. These designs show the deterioration of the portrait as it ages, due to Dorian's sinful lifestyle. There would be three sets of costume for this character, and it would be broken down at different stages, to show the breakdown of Dorian's soul (the painting) and the continuation of the plot. The costume is traditional to higher class 1830 gentlemen attire.

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' Designs (1830s) Part 1

These designs are from my film adaption of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. I set the film in 1830, which is why the fashions and stances of the illustrations are reminiscent of that time period. These designs are for Sibyl Vane, Mrs Vane and Basil Hallward.

Don John (Much Ado About Nothing) Final Costume

This is my made-to-measure costume for my interpretation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, for the character Don John. I really wanted the costume to have large, sinister silhouette, seen my design (see Developed Don John Designs post) due to Don John's evil, calculating character. The for the jacket base I decided to look into 'breast-plate' designs, as I didn't want to interrupt the front of the garment. (The jacket fastens at the back with hooks and bars. The central spike is sewn to one side of the jacket and is attached using press stud on the other side, covering part of the fastening line.)
I wanted to use leather as it fits really well into my characterisation of Don John, as leather gives a feel of rebellion and anti-establishment to the costume. I engraved my leather with the geometric pattern seen throughout my design work for Don John, using a laser cutter set to 'engrave'. The engraved geometric lines give a really interesting sculptural effect, particularly on the sleeves, as the leather creases down the lines of the engraved pattern.
The spikes were constructed using a frame work of ridgeoline and wire encased between layers of embroidery. After a lot of experimentation, these spikes were attached in pocket like pieces created in the jacket, hidden underneath the leather.
I used a combination of embroidery techniques, a different one for each spike. The embroidery includes square smocking, couching-both hand and machine, zip-foot-pleating, hand stitch embellishment, quilting, beading and reverse applique. In many of the spikes I incorporated the geometric pattern seen on the leather.

Embroidery (Much ado About Nothing) Part 2

These sketchbook pages show the connection I made between illustration and embroidery. I took an area of the illustration and enlarged it, I then found an appropriate embroidery technique to mirror the qualities in the illustration. These pages are for the Much Ado About Nothing characters Hero, Beatrice and Don John.

Embroidery (Much ado About Nothing) Part 1

Here are some examples from my embroidery sketchbook. The image on the left is a zoomed in area from an illustration, on which I have noted the illustration technique and why this image was representative of that character. On the right is an embroidery sample, that mirrors aspects of the sketchbook illustration. I have used embroidery techniques such as quilting, couching-both machine and hand- and hand stitch embellishment.

Beatrice- Much Ado About Nothing Interpretation

These designs were for the character Beatrice in my interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing. Beatrice is highly opinionated, argumentative, independent and witty. I wanted this characterisation to be really evident in her design work. I decided to use different papers, both plain and with text, fabrics and threads to create a fierce, structured costume. I chose to work in papers and paper-like fabric, as Beatrice is harsh, stern but also vulnerable and weak. (which is shown in her relationship with Benedick throughout the play). I chose to extend the paper and stitch into the actual illustration to show that Beatrice is true to her character and even though Benedick breaks down her 'harsh and cold' character by the end of the play, she still remains true to her opinionated and outspoken character.

Hero- Much Ado About Nothing Interpretation

These designs were for the character Hero, in my Much Ado About Nothing Interpretation. I started by looking into her characterisation as innocent, young, vulnerable. I wasn't very inspired by this and my designs were limited. I decided to look back into the play, to the act where Hero is humiliated by Claudio (owing to Don John's lies) and fakes her death and goes into hiding until her innocence is proven. I looked into imagery of widows, death and grief. I wanted to portray Hero as mourning the loss of Claudio and her 'life'. I used netting over the illustration to give the idea that Hero is literally consumed by her grief. I used black lace and velvet to give the impression of mourning and depict Hero as a 'widow'.

Further Don John Sketchbook Experiments

These sketchbook pages experiment with the geometric pattern that have become a constant throughout my design work and embroidery for Don John. It was inspired by Gareth Pugh's Autumn/Winter 09 collection. I am greatly influenced by Gareth Pugh. He work is so unique, experimental and sculptural. He uses fabric and shapes that appear to defy gravity, which is why his designs and catwalk shows are so original. I decided to use this geometric pattern on the leather that I used for my costume, using the laser cutter, set to 'engrave'.

Don John Sketchbook Experiments (Much Ado About Nothing)

These sketchbook pages were the starting point for my Don John character embroidery and final costume. I experimented with linear and geometric patterns along with a black, white and silver colour scheme. These sketchbook experiments informed and strengthened my embroidery and costume.