FASHION: Introduction to costume design with Jane Clive - creative media skill N.I

Introduction to costume design with Jane Clive

The course was being held in the BBC building in Belfast, my course was being run with an introduction to stunt double course led by “Rocky” both of which were being run by the creative media skill N.I (northern Ireland) we’d paid a small fee, yet all our materials and food and drinks were covered (delicious sandwiches crisps and scones, and all the tea and coffee we could desire!)

Our first day was basic, none of us had received the email requesting us to bring inspirational images from magazines, the internet or books. Instead we had 2 very interesting presentations from Jane (assistant costumer to movies such as the recent Maleficent and Captain America) her first presentation showed us how she began, from a small art student, to working in musical theatre and “Cats” painting onto fabric, to moving into the film industry, aging textiles and creating several different costumes along with renting and making outfits from a mix of new made and rented clothing (she mainly rents from Angels costumers in London) developing fabrics and outfits such as the iced and ragged stages of the cloak in Frankenstein, Decapiro’s coat in “man in the iron mask” (puff printing onto velvet and gilding onto velvet that they aged for various stages of the movie) covering in words and staining the coat of the Marquis De Sade, to blockbusters such as Maleficent creating different looks and using poles for acts in the movies such as her assent to the christening of Aurora for the trail of her dress creating a moving liquid ink like effect. (she also told us about how Jolie wanted a catsuit to show off her figure in the fight scene, and how, on the day filming was due to begin, Jolie kept them all back due to costume..thats what you get for being so famous..and also part producer...explains why she was the only attractive person in the movie too!)

Jane explained her trail and errors in costume, some of the techniques, green screen, her personal experiences on set and in making, it was very interesting and had us all excited to get stuck in, especially when she showed us some of the costume sketches, images and some of the sample materials she used. Our room had several mannequins with costumes rented from Angels in it along with images, costume and fashion books and lots of materials and “mood books”.
We’d been given hard back sketch books and sharpies, we flicked through books for some inspiration, started drawing and making notes and told to bring our own inspiration for the next day as the photocopier was not yet with us.
The next day was all go, photocopying images from books, I was drawn to Alexander McQueen’s butterfly hat, using shape as an inspiration. Our brief was to create a silhouette for the end of the week, perhaps with an idea of what sort of film it would be for. I was drawn to 50’s and 80s, looking at in particular large shoulders, shaping them like butterfly wings. I looked at hats and accessories but kept being drawn back to the shoulder shape as the waist and skirt shapes made the figure seemed too imaginative, I wanted my silhouette to be for a more realistic perhaps historical character. I had the idea of a modern “my Fair Lady” approach, the butterfly representing new life and change, just like the final introduction of Eliza, the caterpillar, the cocoon and learning before being revealed as a beautiful butterfly.

I began looking more at historical design, Jane suggested the use of tracing paper to manipulate current designs and adapt them subtly and seeing how that would affect our design and the silhouette. Again I mainly looked at manipulating the shoulders, but doing so from designs from the 16-1800s in particular and briefly looking at the early 1900’s “la Belle Époque” I layered butterfly wings having looked at different silhouette shapes and experimenting with wing movement 2 dimensional with Indian ink (the course asked us if we needed anything and took our suggestions literally getting Indian ink, different papers, wallpaper, glue, paint brushes etc.) and then 3 dimensionally, folding and manipulating wall paper as its more flexible and stronger than plain paper. With my interest in full force I unfortunately missed the stunt man getting set on fire outside! Apparently his eyebrows were slightly singed. I only got to see the after effects, however, the photograph I saw was fantastic. The things these people do for movies!

 Our 3d day we began using the mannequins, experimenting with shapes to create silhouette using the wallpaper, creating strong features such as collars and ruffles. We also took this as an opportunity to dress up, I got laced up (quite roughly thanks to Debbie a fellow student who previously worked in bridal and knew how to proper lace them) in a corset, putting my small 25” waist to 24” with an inch of it being corset material and boning, sitting down and breathing become a much more difficult and uncomfortable action. Complete vertical, any form of bending was impossible. I was tightened up again before being stuck in panniers (think 1600s) for this style of clothing the silhouette is directly changed and the dress is made 3 dimensionally rather than on the flat as the design needs to be made around this new shape, skirts were often gathers and layers on top of the panniers. We draped some material over it to see the effect of the shape and the silhouette more clearly.
I looked at different materials, even photocopying some and gathering scraps, seeing the use of layers and effect. With all this in mind my design and silhouette became more realistic. I started looking at a more historical my fair lady silhouette, a Victorian layered design, drawing on the butterfly effect more subtly, along with the use of different materials and layers rather than one solid colour and shape like before. I experimented with several designs before favouring one by the end of the day.

Our final day was for finishing our work, making an A3 + silhouette and discussing our work. I finished my design using the idea of layers and different materials, ombre played a final part in my design. I was quite pleased with my completed silhouette.

 We tidied (slightly) and began packing away the costume, not before another dress up, this time Julie (who studies costume design one night a week) and Grant( the only boy in the class) became a classy Victorian lady complete with bustle and hat, and a large breasted ruffled coachman with top hat, al just in time for the group photo. After our last delicious lunch (the scones and sandwiches were a delight, and tea and coffee and tap is just too good, especially when it’s all free) the sun was out and after a quick Q&A with the organizers and designers/stunt men all the ones in my course relaxed outside, chatting and sharing past experiences and information along with ideas. Jane joined us and we picked her brain some more. Back up in our room we each briefly went through our books and presented our final silhouette, from rock stars, to boogiemen and runaway Victorians everything was different, and all very interesting to see. It was a great course, very informative and fun, our names have been placed on a creative skills list, , available for media members perhaps looking for designers and stunts men for upcoming movies, I even got some contact details from the other girls some of which have been involved in Games of Thrones. A few of us got Jane to sign our books (a claim to fame) and then in the sunshine (with all our books and our silhouette) we hit Filthy McNatsy’s in town for a few drinks and to reflect on the week. A Facebook page has been created and we all keep in contact, handy out tips or suggestions, showing each other work etc. you become more creative and inspired when you are with other creative inspired people. I plan to continue being creative inspired, I want to continuing learning and experiencing with the skills I enjoy, and hopefully making lots of friends and contacts along the way, which I certainly did this week.