Nosferatu Character Realisation

Last week I finished my final term of my second year at London College of Fashion where I had the opportunity to collaborate with other BA Costume students and BA Makeup and Prosthetics students which has been such a privilege. It’s always such a great experience working with other talented designers where we can share ideas and come up with a strong concept.

This unit of my course was based around film where we had to base our research around a chosen director. In a group of six students we had to come up with a concept, overall setting for the 1922 vampire film ‘Nosferatu’ as if it would be remade by Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, Blade 2 etc.).

Portfolio pages

Our piece was set in a post-apocalyptic world underground where each character is developing their own animalistic qualities – in keeping with Del Toro’s love for creatures.

Jess Goddard and I collaborated with each other to design for the vampire ‘Nosferatu’ taking inspiration from the stereotypical animal that’s associated with vampires: the bat, along with something a little different, the angler fish from the deep sea. Like the 1922 film, we wanted shadow to play a reasonably big part in our design. We experimented with shadow and silhouette to create an abnormal body shape that would hint at his animalistic qualities.

Costume Design: Bryony Hamer
Makeup and Prosthetics Design: Jess Goddard

Knock, Ellen, Count Orlok

'Knock'

Model: Grace Fisher

Costume: Anastaysia Honchar

Make up: Rosie Duffeild

A special thank you for Elizabeth Hedley for assisting us with hair and make up on the day

'Ellen'

Model: Ellis Yates

Costume: Danna Cazmal

Wig, Make up and Prosthetics: Molly Peters

'Count Orlok'

Model: Stefanie Kemp

Costume: Bryony Hamer

Make up and Prosthetics: Jess Goddard

Thanks to Claudiu Berechet for the great photos and a biiiig thank you to our models for being so wonderful and surviving in the heat!

Oscar Predictions from LCF Costume Experts

My tutors at London College of Fashion were recently interviewed for the Times to get their opinions on the Oscars this year. They outline a really good breakdown of the nominated films for costume design and what makes good costume for film.

'What role do costumes have in blockbuster movies?
Costume Design should be more than just clothes on an actor, and definitely more than just the fashion of a particular time. A costume has to enhance the actor’s performance and helps to move the narrative along. The costume should give the audience clues to the character within the narrative without the costume becoming ‘seen’. For me, a good costume is one that goes unnoticed, one that subtly fits with the character and adds to the story and the performance.'

Read the full article here.

Find out the Oscar award winners tomorrow (02/03/2014) on their website.
See the full Oscar nominations here.

The Grandmaster -
Costume Designer: William Chang Suk Ping

American Hustle
Costume Designer: Michael Wilkinson

The Invisible Woman
Costume Designer: Michael O'Connor

12 Years a Slave
Costume Designer: Patricia Norris

The Great Gatsby
Costumer Designer: Catherine Martin

Drawing is seeing

Today at uni we had a drawing master-class with theatrical costume designer Anne Curry which was really great. She was such a character and really keen to help us improve and develop our drawing skills using a variety of mediums. Have a look at her work here.

Anne Curry - Queen Elizabeth I

Drawing workshop with Anne Curry
Bryony Hamer - Poster paints and oil pastels

This got me thinking back to when I started to learn to draw on my art foundation and how my tutors at the time would really drill into me how important it is to draw. I couldn't agree more. The thing I love most about drawing is that it's one of the rare occasions where there is really no wrong way to do it. I just think it's a beautiful way to express yourself. I mean, yes you can technically be a talented drawer in terms of proportion and accuracy but the beauty of drawing is that you are able to create a piece of art that is seen through your eyes. Drawing has no limitations and it is a way of expressing yourself that all languages can understand and/or can interpret in their own way.

In my opinion, drawing is more about seeing that actually putting pencil to paper. By really looking you are able to understand what you are drawing. It is that level of concentration that will allow you to create an image that is seen and interpreted through your eyes and I just think it is a beautiful form of communication.

I saw the video 'Ruth Drawing Picasso' by Rineke Dijkstra and Fiona Tan at the Accedemia in Florence a few years ago and it has stuck in my mind ever since. It really demonstrates what I mean when I say drawing is seeing.

I think you can see it at the Tate Liverpool but take a look at a short clip of it here.

Invisible Design

When I tell people what I do (and I'm sure many girls on my course would agree with me) I generally get the response: "Oh, you can do a degree in Costume?" or "So you're doing a Fancy Dress degree?" or "Do you make big fancy ball gowns?".
In response to the last question, in a way, yes. But costume is so much more than that. To study costume design is essentially studying several degrees at once: Literature, Psychology, History as well as have a creative eye for design and be a damn good dressmaker! It's hard work!

Costume is technically more about character than the elaborative clothing which is why I want to focus this Blog post on contemporary costume to demonstrate what I mean.

Yesterday Jane Petrie (costume designer for Fish Tank, 28 weeks later, How I live now and more) came to my university to talk about her career in contemporary costume. She talked about how in some ways, contemporary costume is harder than period costume in the sense that the audience are more knowledgeable and can therefore be more critical of the costumes.
Jane discussed the costumes she designed for the television series 'Top Boy' on channel 4 (shown below). As you can see, they all look extremely natural. Like they are wearing their own clothes. This is what is called good costume design.

Top Boy
Costumes designed by Jane Petrie

I know it's easy to assume that there is no design behind contemporary costume but there is just as much research involved as there would be for period costume, if not more. To make something that is seen in everyday life believable is what's called invisible designing. Analysis of the character's past, present and future is extremely important in order to get into their mindset and think about what they would chose to wear and why.

To make the costume seem lived in it is taking through a process called 'breaking down'. This involves dying, staining and general wear and tear on the costume. This, again, involves a lot of thinking and the designer must consider what the character has done in their clothes. For example, things to consider would be: would the character eat some food and wipe their hands on their trousers causing greasy finger marks? Would the character lean on a table causing wear and tear on the elbow? Does the character have a pet that would leave hair over their clothes? It is this sort of analysis that makes costume design a lot more complex than one might assume and what helps make the character believable and bring them to life.

This video demonstrates basic breaking down at the National Theatre.


I often also get asked the question, "So what is you favourite costume?" 

The purpose of costume is not necessarily to make a beautiful ball gown that's taken weeks to make. In film and TV the best costumes are the ones that you don't notice. The costumes that are true to character and making you believe what you are seeing is when the designer has 'invisibly designed' the costume. When you can just sit and watch a film and not notice any of the design behind it, ironically this is the sort of design that should be noticed and applauded. Just something to think about when you next watch a film or TV show.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses - Design project (Year 2: Term 1)

So I am now back at uni and I have to say I really love it! Next week we will be starting our five week placement where I will be working in Bridal wear for the first two weeks then in Opera at the Royal College of Music for the final three. I am extremely excited and really looking forward to using all the skills I have been learning over the past year. I will be posting a bit more about this in a week or so.

I still haven't managed to post a bit about my design project from last term as I left my portfolio in London when I went home for Christmas. This has been my favourite design project to date. We were asked to design 3 characters for either the play or script 'Les Liasons Dangereuses' and realise one of the designs. This involves script breakdown, character analysis, accurate period research, coming up with a concept for the overall performance, thinking about set, lighting, hair and make up, then experimentation and designing for the characters. From this work we had to summarise all of our ideas to 10 A2 pages to present along with our realised costume on our actor.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a story of seduction, revenge and love set in the 18th Century. The main character, the Marquise de Merteuil, makes it her mission to control her previous lover, Vicomte de Valmont, persuading him to seduce other women to get revenge on another previous lover. I decided to set the play in 1760-70s and use the idea that Merteuil is controlling Valmont as a concept, focussing on the quote "It's beyond my control" (Valmont, page 91).

My concept was that Valmont is schizophrenic and Merteuil is a figment of his imagination. This idea would be mainly presented through spotlighting towards the end of the play when Valmont's condition is slowly being revealed. (eg. Merteuil would be spotlit when Valmont talks to her etc.). Additionally the audience would experience Valmont's condition and feel like they are part of the play. The theatre seating would have speakers in the headrests connected to Merteuil's microphone so it will make it seem like she is in their imagination and controlling them as well.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses concept ideas

I designed Merteuil's character (Act 2: Scene 16) in a way that would suggest she was a figment of Valmont's imagination. I would use the same fabrics for both costumes for which they both appear in the same scene. In order to give her an unreal characteristic I decided to cover her face with sheer net (lit with LEDs underneath, controlled by the lighting designer) to give a ghost like effect.

Marquise de Merteuil general research

Marquise de Merteuil - Scene 16

I also designed for Valmont in scene 10 where he reveals that he has gotten one of his lovers pregnant. Because Valmont's role in the story is predominately to seduce other women, I decided to look at feminine shapes such as the ovaries. I then developed a print design inspired by the ovaries and popular fabrics of the time such as brocade. I was also inspired by painters of the 18th Century such as William Hogarth and Francois Boucher in terms of colour palette and their seductive qualities.

Vicomte de Valmont colour palette and print design

Vicomte de Valmont - Scene 10

I then designed for Valmont in scene 16 using the same fabric choices as I had for Merteuil to reflect that she was a part of him and in his imagination. The washed out colour palette reflects that he is loosing his mind and there is no life left in him. I developed the idea of using ovaries on brocade and came up with an embellishment design for the frock coat which I realised as my final make. (see here)

Vicomte de Valmont embellishment experimentation

Vicomte de Valmont - Scene 16

Victomte de Valmont realised costume - Scene 16
Designed and made by Bryony Hamer
Modelled by Harry Allen
See more on my final costume here

Fashion and Science!

At London College of Fashion we are lucky enough to have an exhibition space which holds regular, free exhibitions based around global fashion, photography, and installation.
Currently the Fashion Space Gallery is holding an exhibition on glass in contemporary art: Glasstress: White Light | White Heat. It focusses on contemporary artists working in glass for the first time including Boudicca, Lucy and Jorge Orta, Hussein Chalayan, and Helen Storey.

Helen Storey- 'The Dress of Glass and Flame

 "The visible, gaseous part of a fire is caused by a highly exothermic reaction, taking place in a thin zone. Heat is so intense it excites the molecules enough to produce light."

Tim Noble and Sue Webster - Glass Narcissus

Koen Vanmechelen

This sort of work is the kind of work I love: exploring the boundaries with different materials. This work crosses somewhere in between fashion, art and science which makes art more like an experiment as opposed to something that is stereotypically appealing to the eye.

The exhibition is open until 23rd February 2014 located at London College of Fashion, John Prince's Street - just off of Oxford Street. Something you can just pop in to have a quick browse after doing a bit of shopping! As a student I feel very lucky to be able to pop into the exhibit in between lectures. Do go and have a look for yourselves!

Dangerous Liaisons - 18th Century Menswear

So I have had a particularly hectic term at LCF! The work load has increased and I learnt lots of new skills which I had to take in in such a short space of time. I enjoyed learning how to do men's tailoring where I learnt how to make an 18th century shirt, breeches and frock coat. I know my costume is not perfect but I am pretty pleased with it as a first attempt.

I designed for one of the main character's, Valmont, in Christopher Hampton's adaptation of the novel Dangerous Liaisons. My interpretation of the play involved making Valmont a schizophrenic who is being controlled by Merteuil to seduce women. In scene 10 Valmont reveals that he has gotten one of his lovers pregnant so I decided to use feminine shapes such as the ovaries to inspire my fabric design. I have appliquéd and embroidered them subtly into the brocade coat. Throughout Act 2 Valmont's costume looses colour as he is beginning to realise that he is loosing his mind. I have designed and realised the costume for scene 16.
I will post more about the design side of this project soon!

A massive thank you to lovely Harry for taking the time to come out to see me for fittings and making such a fab model. I really hope 18th Century comes back in fashion soon as he looks pretty fantastic!

Bringing Gabrielle to life!

Salador Dali

In term 3 we were asked to work in a group of 5-6 and as a group design a set, costumes, make up, hair and prosthetics for our chosen concept (ours being surrealism - read about our design process here) for the play 'The Madwoman of Chaillot'.

My costume design for Gabrielle

We were then asked to realise 3 of our character designs. I was working with Liz Hedley to design for the character Gabrielle - The Madwoman of Chaillot. She's a sweet, light and fluffy woman dressed in 1880s fashion who keeps canaries and hears voices from her hot water bottle. We decided to play on the idea that she's living in a bit of a dreamland with her head in the clouds.



Everyone on my course is so talented and has a unique style. Here are some links to some of the girls on my course who are on Blogspot for this current project. It's so interesting to see what other people have come up with for the same play! Do take a look.
Charlotte Wainwright
Lucy Calder
Megan Doyle
Sanya Torkmorad-Jozavi

Here are some photos below of the process of constructing and realising my design for Gabrielle with hair and makeup artist Elizabeth Hedley.

The progression of making my final costume.
Fittings with my model, Jessica Foy

Gabrielle's final costume details

Elizabeth Hedley and Aurora Beadle applying the make-up and wigs on our presentation day

A special thank to Stefanie Kemp for being our make up
assistant on our presentation day

Gabrielle
Wig and Make up: Elizabeth Hedley
Costume: Bryony Hamer
The RagpickerWig, Makeup and Prosthetics: Aurora Beadle and Elizabeth Hedley (Stefanie Kemp - assistant)
Costume: Poppy Moorcroft

Gabrielle
Wig and Make up: Elizabeth Hedley
Costume: Bryony Hamer

I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone in my group. They are all so talented and it has been a real privilege working with them all. I have learnt so much and learnt to appreciate how important it is to create the whole look for a character. Working in a group has been difficult at times but so fascinating to learn about the different sides of the design process and I hope to collaborate further with other students in the future!