Splintered

For my final major project, during my Foundation, I chose to look at a book called 'Splintered' written by author A. G. Howard. It is a take on Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' but is set in the present day, with Alice Liddell's great-great-great-granddaughter Alyssa, who has to right the wrongs Alice made.

I loved the book so I decided to use it as the base for my project, using 'Alyssa' as my character, and because it was a fairly new book there were no designs there for the costumes, which meant I could go in any direction I wanted to.

However the book was very descriptive about the character clothes, so instead of taking the easy route and using the descriptions (which probably would have been plagiarism) I merged all the different styles that made 'Alyssa' who she was.

With this I designed and made an interchangeable dress which my lovely friend Caitlin modelled for me.

 

Designs of the costume(s)

 

Two of the different ways the costume can be worn taken with a plain background

 



 

 

 

Close-ups of the costume

 

 

 

 

I also experimented with adding digital backgrounds to the photographs, which I actually used in the exhibition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Center Stage

http://www.centerstage.org/

About:

Centre Stage is an artistically driven institution committed to engaging, educating, and expanding the horizons of diverse audiences through challenging, bold, thought-provoking classical and contemporary theatre.

Last year Centre Stage gave a performance of Richard Sheridan's play 'The Rivals'. However they changed things up in the costume department - taking inspiration from fashion designers Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood - keeping the silhouette s of the dresses traditional, but using a more modern print.

 

 

Close ups of Lydia's dress

 

 

For the characters of Lydia and Mrs Malaprop, the designers have matched their costumes to the wallpaper in their rooms, using the same print or design, such as the butterflies on the wallpaper border also decorate Mrs Malaprop's dress and the floral pattern that has been used for Lydia's walls is also the same pattern that is on her dress.

 

 

 



 

Beatrix Aruna Pasztor and The Secret Of Moonacre

 

 

Beatrix Aruna Pasztor was the costume designer for the film 'The Secret Of Moonacre'. Through the film, there is two different styles of costumes, one for each family - soft and feminine for the Merryweather's and hard and edgy for the De'Noir;s, and most of the costumes are quite non-traditional.

The costumes for Merryweather's are quite traditional to the time, tailored suits and big dresses, however the costumes for the character of 'Maria' are quite unusual as the bustle that should be worn underneath the dress has been built into the back of the skirt so it can be seen.

One of Maria's Dresses

 

 

The De'Noir costumes are non-traditional been made completely out of leather and worn with things such as feathers collars and scarfs.

 

Characters - Robin De'Noir and his father Coeur De'Noir

 

Other costumes from the film...

 

 

 

From Kitchen to Catwalk: 60 Years of Laura Ashley

A special exhibition of some of Laura Ashley's dresses to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Laura Ashley clothing brand. For the video click on the ink Below:
From Kitchen to Catwalk: 60 Years of Laura Ashley

Laura Ashley

Dresses by Laura Ashley

Book: Laura Ashley

Author: Martin Wood

All of the images below and the information are from the book Laura Ashley by Martin Wood.

Edwardian-style white dress with lace inserts

and sash belt, from the early 1980's

 

A very early photograph used in an advert in

Vogue on 1st April 1970.

Wide sleeves with gathered elbows, lace trim

and gathered bodice were typical of the detailing

used at the time.

 

Pin-tuck blouse with lace trim. It was blouses

in this style, basically Victorian and Edwardian designs,

for which the company became famous.

This photograph was taken in 1973

 

 

The B40 blouse as produced - 1973.

 

 

1. The B49 Mexican-style blouse from The Sunday Times advert, styled by the newspaper in a more overtly raunchy way than was usually the case with Laura Ashley Products.

2. The B49 blouse in a rather more Demure publicity photograph. This was styled by the company.

Photograph taken in 1968.

Viv Albertine (of The Slits) she is wearing a late 1960's

smock dress with a yoke collar. One of Jane Ashley's (Laura Ashley's daughter)

distinctive publicity photographs.

A long dress made in plain fabric with plain detailing.

 

A multi-coloured tiered skirt from the 1970's.