Friday 5 November 2010

Project on the side

A couple of weeks ago I joined a Backstage society at the uni to try and get some experience in costume design because I've thought about going into that field of work in the future.  After joining I signed up to be the assistant to the costume designer for the production Spring Awakening, thinking i'd get some experience and work my way up to designer, but seeing as though no-one else seemed to want to be it, amazingly I got landed with the Costume designer role.  I've been thrown straight into it, but sometimes thats the best way for it to happen and it's definitely a challenge I've been looking forward to!

At first it was daunting being in charge of getting all these clothes together in two weeks.  I was told I had two assistants, but after trying several times to get hold of them and getting no reply I set about planning what I needed to get sorted and contacting the cast.  Thankfully I've now been told I have another assistant, who's ready to help me!! Thank Goodness!

I have spent this week trawling around charity shops, as many as I could find, and with the help of my mum we really got into our stride today where I picked up 2 old dresses, a white nightgown and a waistcoat.  The massive task of all these clothes to find is becoming more managable, and the old dears in the charity shops were happy to help.  One such lady found me a white shirt but when I umm'd and ahhh'rd about it she went on to shout through to her friend 'we'll put it on the rack, it'll go really fast'.  This only ended in my mum and I in stitches and having to leave the shop with the lady still yelling it behind us.  I think she wanted us to buy it.

Onto the style, Spring Awakening is a story set in the 1890's in Germany, it's about girls and boys maturing and growing up.  If you want to read more about it this is the site to read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Awakening .  Oh yea and did I mention its a rock musical!  So with a live band on stage and amazing music it's going to be pretty good!
The dresses are dark and drab, quite heavy and with a dropped waist, the lads are in schoolboy uniforms, shorts and long socks, blazers and waistcoats.

Below are some previous Spring Awakening productions, so you can see the style.


I need to have them all collected by the 16th of November, so fingers crossed.  I'll keep you updated and get some photos of the production.

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