Alexandra Block

For my final project, I decided to explore the subconscious and how it is reflected in the costume of a character. My chosen text was Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, set in both 1880’s Tuscany and Edo Japan, drawing influences between the creative practices of both countries to tell the story of Pinocchio and his desire to become a real boy. The costume is composed of a 3 layered garment that can be removed at various stages of the performance, indicating how the puppet Pinocchio would be feeling, projecting his emotions onto the puppet master in the style of Japanese Bunraku puppetry. Combining elements of both Japanese and Italian culture helps identify the differences between the method of storytelling and how the audience can be made aware of a characters emotions through things like shape, colour and texture. Alongside this degree I have created costumes for the Royal Opera House and the Royal Ballet for productions like Otello and Liam Scarlett’s Swan Lake, designed by Kasper Glarner and John Macfarlane respectively. I also designed and created a tutu for the Covent Gardener Magazine competition which was featured in the Winter 2021 edition with worldwide circulation.