Design Developments- Costume

After researching the eras more and comments from tutorials I could develop my ideas further.

Marlene's design has taken a slight turn focusing on creating a Margaret Thatcher inspired look, keeping the sleek lines and powerful silhouette but encompassing the elegant early 80s look.

The characters Isabella, Joyce and Mrs Kidd are all played by the same actress and have similarities in experience and links through family experience. Because of this I wanted to link each character that is played by the same actress and through their similarities.

Isabella's costume has remained the same through research into the Victorian costume, I feel she is very like the character Ada from 'The Piano'.

Joyce's costume has kept the rough worn look but I feel yet more research is needed to refine this design, the character holds down 4 cleaning jobs so maybe looking into 80s cleaners and work-wear I'll find an appropriate design.

Mrs Kidd is the dutiful housewife at the end of her tether, I like the smart look she aims for, the dark colours however put her in her place in terms of status through my colour scheme.   

Lady Nijo and Win are both powerful but gracious women, I decided their linking coulour would be red.

Lady Nijo has taken on the 8/ 12 layered gown look, in keeping with my research into the correct look for her.

Win has a very 80s look taken from my 1979 vogue magazine research, I feel this design is smart and powerful yet gentle enough to communicate that side of her character.

Dull Gret and Angie need to show clearly how they dont fit in in the restaurant/ office scene; to do this I have recreated Dull Grets look from the painting, and put Angie in the dungarees I first wanted her in. The dungarees are again too modern, so require more research to perfect them. Making them longer would be better for the time.

Both Pope Joan and Louise consider themselves men.

Pope Joan's costume follows the design from my research but is lighter and easier to act in for the physical scene.

Louise is seen in a powerful suit, and flat shoes, I felt heels would be inappropriate for the woman who considers herself a man at work, heels would not achieve this effect.

Griselda, Nell and Jeanine are al under someone else's power, whether it be a boss or husband.

I felt the colours and design created for Griselda fit perfectly and taken from the painting of her, makes her more recognisable. 

Nell is the 'next Marlene' I feel her costume should maybe look more like Marlene's.

Jeanine appears the weak character as she wants to get married, I decided to put her in a suit in her attempt to look powerful but the dull clothes reflect my theme in status.

The Waitress, Kit and Shona are all the characters that are bullied. 

The Waitress is in a traditional uniform yet in keeping with the dark colour scheme of the lower class.

Kit is bullied by Angie, but looks up at her so her costume should be slightly similar, yet has to be a dress, as in the script.

Shona is the young interviewee, I feel a dress would be her attempt at looking older, and in a dark colour again fits my theme.

Looking at theses developed ideas next to their similar characters makes me rethink some of them and it is clear for others I need to look at more authentic inspiration. For Angie in particular I need to look into influences she would have followed..........

Top Girls Auditions

Today I met with Kirstie, the director for Top Girls. It was the auditions for the play which was really interesting to watch. The seven girls had already been selected and were auditioning to be cast. 


Kirstie wanted them to improvise keeping it along the lines of the play but not faffing around with scripts as the play, particularly the first act, is very physical. I watched them act out interviews; one high powered business woman interviewing a stereotype from the list; married woman, older woman and young woman with no experience as in the play. And the restaurant scene. It was interesting to see this and I was visualising designs for both set and costume as they presented.
  
We all discussed the play together. From this I got others opinions on the play and its characters adding to each character analysis I'd already done, which was very useful. 


We discussed how Marlene is the powerful central character, who in Act one sits back to hear others stories, whereas in the other scenes she is very me me me. 
Isabella Bird is the Scottish traveller who seems to relate to Marlene, as does Lady Nijo who is obsessed with her clothes and silks. Dull Gret is the character who looks most out of place in a restaurant and surrounded by princess' and a Pope. Pope Joan its clear is not used to being referred to as a woman, only a man. Griselda is the source of the characters annoyance, not only because of her late arrival but the fact she appears to them as weak for obeying her husband when the rest fought back. The waitress is the silent character the 'non Top Girl'. Angie is the struggling child, suffering from autism, she isn't expected to 'make it' as there is no support for struggling children in the 80's. Nell is the next Marlene the more powerful one out of her and Win. 


We then discussed how Isabella, Joyce and Mrs Kidd are played by the same actress and why. The link being Isabella had a sister and Joyce is Marlene's sister, and that they have all been through hard times; through family or husbands.
Lady Nijo and Win are powerful and gracious women, fighting back over men.
Dull Gret and Angie are the outcasts, they don't fit in to their surroundings whether it is the office or the restaurant.
Pope Joan and Louise both class themselves as men.
Griselda, Nell and Jeanine all work or live under someone else's power whether it is a husband or a boss.
Finally the Waitress, Kit and Shona are the young inexperienced characters who are over looked and bullied; Kit is bullied by Angie, Shona by Nell and the Waitress by all in act 1.


Kirstie then discussed aspects of the design she would like to include, such as a round table for the restaurant scene, all the characters on stage as many times as possible whether they can be worked into the background? quick scene changes, and décor to set the scene, whether this include flying things in or not?she also didn't want any of the extreme 80's fashions such as the shoulder pads because that was more late 80's. She also mentioned how it was vital that the play be set in the late 70's early 80's because everything the women achieve has to feel new as it would have been at the time. Her approach towards the costume was that the characters in Act 1 should all appear as they were in their prime; including full regalia. All the costumes however have to be easy to move in, whether this means Isabella is not actually wearing a corset depends.  


I left the meeting with lots to think about and research. 
ideas ideas ideas.............

Initial Set Design

The production of 'Top Girls' is taking place in the Arts University College Bournemouth's Studio Theatre. This space allows me to create a contemporary set design placing the staging area anywhere round the room. Key features to take note of are the sound and lighting accessibility and view; making sure they can still see the action to know when to do what.

These drawings demonstrate the endless possibilities for the room. However it would be easier to stick to the conventional space (the first design) for both sound and lighting and for accessibility, ease of access for fly-in objects etc.

For my initial idea into the set design I looked into a 'table', this would be the focus of the play, used to create the setting for each scene; the table at the restaurant, turns into the desks in the office, then into the den and back door of the garden scene, back into the office scene and finally into the kitchen scene.

These designs explain the process.....

From this I need to research the furniture of the 80s, possible background designs and details of the overall set..............

Initial Costume Designs

From reading the script and carrying out my initial research I decided to draw designs to communicate my first impressions of the costumes, how I pictured them first.

My initial designs for Marlene consist of sleek lines and powerful silhouettes.

My designs for Joyce were worn down and not concious of fashion just function.

My designs for Angie were inspired from my modern take on 80s fashion, but need to be focused in more on authentic 80s fashion.

My initial designs for Kit have chopped and changed, I need to adapt these to include a dress as it says in the script and to best fit the character, I feel the dungarees look is more suited to Angie, but again need to be more authentic, rather then the modern take I have designed.

My designs for the historical characters, I aimed to keep them as realistic and true to the time as possible. This design for Isabella Bird keeps the historical silhouette.

For my Lady Nijo design I need to look more at the 8 and 12 layered gowns which took on a slightly different shape to the geisha look I have designed here. (more like the red design in the middle.)

For Dull Gret there is no real need for design, just to interpret the painting of this character which is leaning more towards the one on the left.

The design for Pope Joan was taken from the film as I feel this is the most authentic design for this character, I am just aiming to make it more wearable for the physical scene it is used in.

My design for Griselda was predominately taken from the painting of her in The Canterbury Tales (left). I also looked at medieval research taking inspiration for shape and colour.

My designs for Win and Nell follow the concept that Marlene's designs do; keeping sleek smart lines and powerful silhouettes. I made Nell look more like Marlene as she is the 'next Marlene', and Win's costume slightly more gentle to reflect her gentler side.

The interviewees follow in the powerful smart wear, but Louise is dressed more powerfully as she ran a business, (was once a 'Top Girl'), Jeanine and Shona however are the weaker characters; too young and wants to get married so wear the gentler lines and have a less powerful image.

The weakest of the cast are the waitress and Mrs Kidd; Mrs Kidd is struggling with her husband and the waitress is ignored by the 'Top Girls', they both wear dull tones to reflect their low status and oppression.

All my designs need to be developed through more research but I have a lot of ideas from looking at my initial ideas and research together so as to improve upon them.

Character Research

Isabella Bird

  Isabella Bird is the Victorian explorer of the 19th century. She travelled the world while her husband took care of her ill sister Hennie. She loved the sea and travelling finding herself quite dull when stationary. Even when becoming ill herself she travelled the world tiring herself out with committee work and good causes at the age of 70. 
To research Isabella Bird I have watched the film, 'The Piano' showcasing a Victorian woman in her travelling clothes. The formal form of dress worn by the Victorians shows their sense of occasion, seeming quite impractical for their travelling needs. I found watching a film for research purposes quite useful as it allowed me to see how the costume was worn, including the practicalities. In this film I was also able to see the layers of the costume and the cut and fit of each part.


Lady Nijo


Lady Nijo is the 13th century Japanese concubine and Buddhist Nun. She was called at 14 years old to the court by the Emperor to serve him. Her numerous children not all the Emperor's died or were taken away until both her father and the Emperor died all she was left with was her fourth child who she felt nothing for. She was very concerned wholly with reputation and always avoided scandal. She believed that the Emperor really loved her when he actually no longer cared for her and had sent her to another lover. 
To research this character I have used books, internet and films such as, Memoirs of a Geisha, which unfortunately is not of the correct era but alot of the Japanese costume seems to be taken from tradition so has helped hugely with my designing for Lady Nijo. 
  
Dull Gret



Dull Gret is the subject of a 16th Century painting entitled 'Dulle Griet'. The painting tells the story of a strong woman defending her village. She holds a powerful physical presence and uses few words throughout the scene. The painting by Brueghel depicts the story where Gret leads women through a mouth to hell to fight the devils.
The painting hold all the research I need into the costume but I have also researched the 16th century costume so as to contextualise the setting and period it was painted.


Pope Joan



Pope Joan is the earliest character in the play, she is the mysterious character from the 9th century, it is undecided whether she is a legend or historical. She disguised herself as  boy so as to be educated and was recognised for her wisdom. She soon found herself as cardinal and took over as Pope when Pope Leo died. She was soon discovered when she became pregnant and gave birth on a procession through Rome. 
To research this character I watched the film, 'Pope Joan'. This film is the most useful of references as I have a greater understanding of her life and the costume including their ceremonial dress and off hours clothing. I also researched Pope Joan through internet and books, as with Lady Nijo the clothes worn are taken from traditions years before and after, making the costume almost timeless and therefore quite easy to research and therefore design for. 


Patient Griselda



Patient Griselda is a fictional character from the 12th Century 'Canterbury Tales' by Chaucer. She is the Daughter of a peasant who was chosen for her beauty to marry the Marquis. She had two children with him who were sadly taken away from her as the crowds weren't happy that the heir would be the son of a peasant. 12 years after she was sent away from him, and later sent to prepare for his next wedding. At the ceremony she was reunited with her two children.
To research Griselda I looked at books and internet research, looking also at 'The Clerk's Tale' from the 'Canterbury Tales'. 




The characters in the play tell their life stories through a chorus of voices interrupting each other. By piecing it together I could find out each characters life story from their point of view, understanding better how they felt about each circumstance whether they were happy or sad and how they felt about the men in their lives. In the majority of cases the characters respected their men obeying their demands and defending their character.


I found the script itself to be the most helpful in visualising the characters, by reading their stories   it is clear as to what period they come from by how they communicate. By using different forms of research I have learnt all aspects of the character's lives; through their own experience and historical reference.

Reflection of Research

I have researched my characters and the periods in detail, using various sources. I have looked at magazines from the late 70s, internet pages and blogs, library books, DVDs and fictional books. These sources of information not only expanded my knowledge of each era concerned but influenced my designs.
The use of the Vogue magazine from the time allowed me to see through the eyes of women in the late 70s, what they aspired to look like and wear. I got  few design inspirations from there, namely the suit designs and dresses for the Top Girls and aspiring Top Girls.
Internet pages and Blogs can make it hard to find reliable information. I looked into modern research; designs inspired by the 80s, although this was interesting it also informed me badly on the 80s style, taking some of the designs literally and translating them onto my character designs.
Library books, DVDs and fictional books however opened my eyes to the people. The DVDs such as 'Pope Joan' and 'The Piano' helped me better understand the costumes for both Isabella and the Pope. The fictional book, 'The Curious Incident' helped me understand why the character Angie says what she says and how best to design for her through this knowledge.
On reflection I find my research should be accessed through the factual sources, taking inspiration from modern designs can just confuse the overall outcome.  

Contextual Research

Pope Joan by Bernd Eichinger, this film allowed me to understand the character more and aided me in the designing of the costume.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPjzAgrMsfY












Another film that aided me in the costume design was The Piano by Jane Campion. This film gave a clear view of the Victorian dress for the character Isabella Bird.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLpzo_nwZpE










A book that helped me understand the autistic character Angie was the Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon. The book was written by a young autistic boy so allowed me to understand her character a little more and why she is friends with someone younger than her and has dark thoughts about killing Joyce.

Tutorial with Will

Today I had a Tutorial with Will, we discussed where I was with the project and where to go from there.


We talked about the characters and what part of their life they would be viewed at in the play. For the mythical characters such as Gret and Griselda they could appear as they do in the story or panting as it is a fixed moment in the play, but the other characters mention their deaths, so it is a question as whether to display them in their prime or the state they would appear as they were last known.
Another question raised was what they would be wearing, would Pope Joan for instance be wearing her full regalia and with Lady Nijo?


We discussed the idea that the restaurant scene is almost like the painting of the last supper, if we were to display it in the way past productions have.


I had to get in contact with my director Kirstie to find out her thoughts on the play as she is very experienced with Top Girls having done it now four times, this would be a great help to me, to be able to receive good feedback and knowledge. I had also to find out when she would like it set, whether it would remain in the 80's or whether she wanted to change it?


I left the tutorial with new ideas and concepts building, I was to think over the set design and how the scene changes would occur which I found most difficult as they re quick scene changes and vast with the limited equipment and facilities in the studio theatre as opposed to a public theatre.


I was advised to look at films such as 'Pope Joan' and The piano' to aid my design and understanding.

Research into the late 70's

To research the 1970's I bought myself the 1979 August addition of the Vogue magazine. From this I could learn of the high fashion of the time, and get a feel for the era through their advertisements and the articles. Simply advertising cigarettes makes the magazine dated.  

This was the time when women were gaining more rights, yet the magazine has elements of the traditional attitude quoting; 
                                     
                            'Behind every beautiful woman there is a man.'


The magazine also includes an article on Margaret Thatcher. The article describes the disappointment at meeting her, describing the event as below par;


' The first meeting between a female head of state and a female short- to- be head of Government ought to have been a giant step for womankind, acclaimed by tumultuous crowds. But only a few mystified camera- girt Japanese were there to record the great moment.'


This article is written by a man as it seems quite alot of the magazine is. Nowadays womens magazines are primarily run by women writing gossip and fashion columns, demonstrating the vast difference between times. 


The magazine overall is concentrating on high fashion and allows me to see what the women in the play aspire to look like, as with magazines today where young girls want to look like the models in magazines, this would have been the case then, so affects my designs and the way the characters dress and act. Vogue magazines are known for their fashion forecasting so some of the clothing reflects the shoulder pad design that became fashionable in the mid to late 80's, although not to the extreme that it develops into.
This magazine supplied inspiration for most of my characters, through design but also helped me understand the news and issues of the time through the writing.   





  

Internet Research....the 80's

The Modern Research

I looked into modern fashion that is influenced by the eighties; dungarees, leather jackets and converse trainers that have reappeared in today's fashion work for my designs. I felt looking at this research helped me understand the fit of the clothes and added a modern twist to my designs.

Taken from; http://www.fashion-style.becomegorgeous.com/new_trends/80s_fashion-1668.html

Photo credit: July/August 2009 issue of Numero Tokyo

These modern images inspired by the 80's have influenced my designs for both Kit and Angie. Taking the playful colours, and young mix of both casual trainers and pretty dresses, I feel it best represents their characters. Incorporating the tomboy aspect I have pictured when reading the script, but also capturing the girlie and experimental side of a teenager.

Taken from: http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/202961-80s-style-comeback-blast-from-the-past

Photographer: Jo Ben. photographer's assistant: Anthony Lycett. stylist: Alice Wilby. hair and make-up: Sarah Jagger. model: Emica @ Storm. All fasion from www.oli.co.uk except American Apparel

Again these Modern images have realised the characters personalities through a laid back girlie fashion. I love the slight teenager pose in the photos communicating the attitude to match the clothes.

1980's Research

These next images are collected from a catalogue from the 1980's, displaying women's fashion of the time. These images are my main inspiration for Marlene, Win and Nell; being the Top Girls career women. The suits are how I see their work wear for the office scenes; remaining fashionable but professional. 

These images are again from the eighties but showing younger models. They again display the younger casual fashion but include a quirky aspect which I would like to include in my designs.

 I feel my internet research was successful in gathering inspiration for my designs, it not only informed me of fashionable cuts but revealed quirky additions to a costume that best represent the characters. Through doing this research I have a greater understanding of the fashions for each age group of the time. I really like the fashion photography with 80's influence, I like the way the models are styled as it is how I imagined Kit and Angie to look as I read the script; the carefree childlike style that incorporates experimental fashions, pairing casual with dresses.

Concept

My concept is the Oppression of women, and the need to escape.

Throughout the 80s women fought to achieve status, even when reaching this their rights never matched that of a man's. My concept shows the optimism of Women in politics through Marlene's excitement for the 80s; when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, women believed things would change, the Irony is that she did nothing for women. Therefore my concept also shows pessimism in the form of Joyce; who believes nothing will change.

My concept mood board is taken from the painting 'Dulle Griet', this painting shows pain and war setting the tone and colour scheme for my Oppression theme.  

My aim is to reflect the colour scheme in costume, set and lighting. The lighter tones symbolise the higher status women, the 'Top Girls'. The darker colours represent the lower status making them stand out.

  

Sections of my mood board reflect escapism the need to have a new life...

I looked also at images communicating Feminism, a huge theme running through the play...

 

My mood board also shows the need to escape the oppression and the dark effect the oppression has on women.