My interpretation of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, written by Winifred Watson, is set in 1930’s London, and adapted for theatre. I used London architecture such as; the roof of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and The Daily Express Building, as influence for my textile prints. I explored techniques such as silk screen printing with metallic pigments.
Having spent my placement year at Opera North in the costume workroom I elected to take the double construction pathway, as I know this is the field I am passionate to work in. I created costumes for characters Miss LaFosse and Nick, as I wanted to challenge myself with new cutting styles and silhouettes such as cutting on the bias and tailoring. I designed Miss LaFosse’s costume for the nightclub scene, 1930’s gowns were cut on the bias, with open backs. I used white chiffon fabric, diamond beads strung down the back and marabou feathers at the hem. Nick’s three-piece suit was pattern drafted, paired with a bow tie and pocket square. For this I used a blue silk, a light-weight woollen blend in black/brown and a light-weight white cotton, adding large art deco style buttons to each piece.
