Backstage Costume Design
A costume designer always has to find ways to make the best of a limited budget. On a production such as The Virgin Queen it's not possible to make costumes for every single one of the cast, so many pieces will be rented from costume-hire shops. However, the key characters should have their outfits made to give the drama a distinctive look. At the outset Amy worked closely with the director and set designers in order to co-ordinate the style for the series. Then she started gathering interesting textiles from anywhere she could find them, such as boot-fairs, markets and so on. Sometimes these fabrics were actually used to make the costumes or simply as a form of inspiration.
"I like being in corsets. It's easier to suspend disbelief when you walk into an extraordinary place and everyone's dressed up in 16th-century costume." - Tara Fitzgerald
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The costume department will help the lead actors in and out of their costumes on set, so the clothes they wear can be complicated and carefully structured. However the supporting artists and extras have to dress themselves, so their clothes have to be made more like stage costumes. For example dresses will have boning built into the dress, eliminating the need for corsets, making them easy to get in and out of quickly.
Although these costumes and associated accessories such as ruffs and collars are hired in, they are usually tweaked and improved before going before the cameras. This way the costumes aren't recognisable from previous productions they may have appeared in. However, a costume designer may well recognise costumes they've designed appearing in other programmes at a later date! Once the filming has finished most of the costumes will be handed over to a costume hire company, they will be held back until the programme has aired and then added to the stocks available for hire for other productions.
"Period costumes are great because you put all that on and immediately you feel transported." - Joanne Whalley
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The costume designer doesn't actually make the costumes herself. Once the designs are completed they will be sent to professional costume makers. This might be at the costume hire company or some of the many skilled freelancers working across the country. Some of these will be specialists in particular aspects of costume making, such as hats or gloves.
Once all the items are made they are sent to the production's costume department to gather together and prepare for filming. Each item will be carefully labelled and stored so it can easily be found later. Once filming starts the costume team are kept busy from 7am to 7pm, organising the costumes, dressing the actors, making any adjustments required and repairing the day to day damage that is bound to happen on a busy set.
View the costume gallery »
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