Characters & Their Costumes

Page from Unit 3 Sketchbook
Algernon, Act Two: Short Suit & Slippers

Page from Unit 3 Sketchbook
Cecily, Act Two: Dress & Ballet Pumps

Which Characters?

I have realised that to design in depth for the costumes in "The Importance of Being Earnest" it is better to choose some characters, or some scenes, for this very short project. The time limitation means that to use my time efficiently I believe it would be better to focus on a couple of characters in depth, their change from scene to scene, and really outline their identity within my costume designs.
Male and female character is definitely the direction I would like to go in, otherwise the effectiveness of my all female cast would be lost in translation and the production is not actually being performed. It will also help me illustrate the current androgyny in womenswear.
Personally the characters of Algernon and Cecily, are my favourite couple in the play and there is the opportunity to design with contrast. Algernon the elaborate and mischievous bachelor and Cecily the young innocent country girl. In terms of colour and shape, designing for these two characters would be most enjoyable I think, and allow me to create something the most visually interesting for the audience to enjoy. Lady Bracknell is another character that I would enjoy to design for, however I think the time limitation is too short and therefore would affect in a bad way the quality of my designs for Algernon and Cecily. Consequently, I will only do this couple (A & C ) in depth. However, I could possibly create an entire cast sketch in the set, perhaps the last scene, which would allow me to create a fuller context in which my costume designs would be seen and the chance to design simplistically the other characters.

Personal Tutorial

After speaking to my tutor today, I have some issues to resolve in my project:

1)  We discussed my overall design approach to the brief and I received positive feedback. My all female cast idea was taken well giving me a little more confidence in the idea and consequently I am choosing to stick with this.

2) The idea for the fabric (fragmented Victorian wallpaper pattern, inspired by analytical cubism), we decided was one layer too many. I've decided to just use the original wallpaper patterns as there is a nice alliance between female cast and this fabric. It emphasises the rigid society in Victorian times, what was expected fo women and where they would spend all their time, in these rooms covered in this wallpaper.

3)My design sketches are too fashion based and therefore I need to research into costume illustrators and make drawings which are more expressive and tellng of the characters. *NB, Pamela Howard.

4) Emphasis on need for a set design to give the costumes a fuller context (world they would be seen in).

5) The costume sketches should not be on a plain white background, use a pattern, collage, somethign to give greater context and information about the costume.

Approach to Design Brief

As "The Importance of Being Earnest" is set in 'the present' I think it would take the design in an interesting direction if I take this literally and base my designs on today's society.
To keep it relevant to the themes and storyline of the play I plan to create costumes with modern silhouettes but pattern the fabrics using a contemporary twist on Victorian style. Contrasting these two elements will, I believe, create a visually engaging design aesthetic and something new for this classic text.
A further development I made whilst researching for the project was to take inspiration for the modern silhouettes only from British designers, thus keeping with the English setting and style of Wilde's play.
In addition, I will approach the theme of colour by using the associations with colours to decipher the appropriate one for each character. Then taking this inspiration and applying it to the fabric patterns.
I'm excited about beginning the design process and feel enthusiastic about where my project is heading.