Fashion Design Commons^™

Costumed Culture: Influences And Preservation On Broadway, Amanda L. Padilla

Publications and Research

This research talks about into the preservation and evolution of costuming in Broadway productions, and exploring how historical and contemporary designs intersect in certain productions. Through articles and an interview with an IATSE worker, it examines the socio-cultural influences shaping costume choices and the technical advancements driving innovation. By tracing the trajectory of Broadway costuming, from its roots to modern adaptations, this study talks about theatrical storytelling and its broader impact on fashion and cultural trends. It shows the significance of costuming as an art form reflective of constantly changing societal norms and artistic expressions on the Broadway stage.

Kofifi/Covfefe: How The Costumes Of "Sophiatown" Bring 1950s South Africa To Western Massachusetts In 2020, Emma Hollows

Masters Theses

This thesis paper reflects upon the costume design process taken by Emma Hollows to produce a realist production of the Junction Avenue Theatre Company’s musical Sophiatown at the Augusta Savage Gallery at the University of Massachusetts in May 2020. Sophiatown follows a household forcibly removed from their homes by the Native Resettlement Act of 1954 amid apartheid in South Africa. The paper discusses her attempts as a costume designer to strike a balance between replicating history and making artistic changes for theatre, while always striving to create believable characters.

A Critical Exploration Of Costume Design Possibilities In Tolkien’S Legendarium, M. Grace Costello

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tolkien’s Legendarium has in many ways codified modern fantasy. Illustrations and film adaptations of it have had far-reaching consequences on popular culture, building an 80-year tradition of visual depictions of Tolkienesque fantasy. Particularly, Elven characters are usually depicted wearing costume inspired by Victorian notions of Western medieval costume. In this paper I seek to approach the design of original costume for the Ñoldor from a different perspective, free from the established traditions of other designers’ and illustrators’ work.

The preliminary research focuses on searching the source materials of the Silmarillion and select texts from the Histories of Middle Earth. I …

Character Building

SIGNED: The Magazine of The Hong Kong Design Institute

In a stage production, something as simple as the silhouette of a character's costume can communicate to the audience in a way that words simply cannot. HKDI's Higher Diploma in Costume Design for Performance programme leader Mr. CY Cheung and Ms. Mandy Tam explain the secrets of the trade to SIGNED

Keeping In Fashion

SIGNED: The Magazine of The Hong Kong Design Institute

The Fashion Archive at Hong Kong Design Institute is a treasure trove of historical and significant pieces. We explore the huge collection and discover how it's helping to launch new careers.

Digital Illustration: The Costume Designer’S Process For East Tennessee State University’S Spring Dance Concert 2012, Christine Michele Waxstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper's objective is to document the research and developmental processes of creating East Tennessee State University's Spring Dance Concert 2012 costume designs and renderings. This thesis describes design creation from research stage to idea formulation to the conception of costumes using inspirational images, illustrations, and performance photos and videos. The show was a challenging undertaking because it involved the collaboration of many in a compressed timeframe: 1 artistic director, 9 choreographers, 20 dances, 46 performers, 10 lighting designers, 1 costume designer, and 3 weeks to put it all together. Incorporating digital technology into the rendering process saved time, expenses, …