I spent these two weeks in the hotel as I was still under quarantine.
I have a tutorial with Daniel. He gave me some advice on fabrics. I asked him that I needed to draping and then make pattern or I should make pattern first and fitting, and then revise the pattern. He said either would be fine. At present, all my energy is focused on the two courses of corsets and creative research, and now I have caught up with the progress. I wanted to wait until I left the hotel, when the Easter break had begun. During the holiday, I can concentrate all my energy on the Gentleman’s interpretaion and catch up on the progress I’ve fallen behind recently.
When I have bought a male mannequin and draping on the mannequin first. I’ll ask a thin friend to be my model, get his measurements and adjust the pattern. Then make it with calico and let my friend try it on to see if it needs to be adjusted again.
Quarantine ended on March 19th, a month in which much of the time had been wasted on packing up. Packing and unpacking all the time is a waste of the life for me. Only in the later days to make up for these time.
Since I have bought the air ticket in advance to back home on Feb. 24th and 25th , I am making preparations on Monday and Tuesday, packing up my luggage and doing nucleic acid testing. Quarantines began on Friday at a hotel in China. In order not to delay the progress of the course, I brought back any tools I might need and also have already bought part of the materials when I was still in the UK, and put the others in the shopping cart first, so that I can place the order immediately after I arrive in China. The first week of unit 8 was spent in such a hurry, and I couldn’t lift my spirits to work in the weekend because of jet lag. In the second week, I started my life again like previous two months. I woke up at 8 am and started to work，keep working until class start at 6pm and fall asleep at 0 am.
Both Eileen’s and Daniel’s classes are catched up. This unit requires two more corsets of different periods. Because of the previous Victorian bodice as the basis, this time I’m making them a little more skillfully. I bought a thimble to keep my hands from hurting and swelling because coutil is too hard. Since Eileen and Daniel have their own habit of making clothes, I combined the methods they taught us and simplified them to improve the work efficiency in the future. There was one problem, though, that I hadn’t thought of. Although the paper pattern was placed correctly according to the grainline and the way to save the cloth, it was not until I assembled them that I found the fabric of the Side panel was completely opposite to that of the center back and center front. Fortunately, the side panel is not very big, but I really need to pay special attention to it in the future to avoid the same problem just to save the cloth.
Besides, I have read all the articles and extended reading required by Creative Research, which makes me understand why the college gives this course a score ratio of 20%. It says that different races, genders, sexual orientations, nationalities, personal experiences, history, and so on all have profound and different perspectives on how people view things. Various versions of the same script have relevances to all of the above mentioned aspects. I was so intrigued by these articles that I searched for them on a Chinese website and, to my surprise, they were available in Chinese, so I took the order. I will read it carefully when I have time, and I believe it will be of great help to me in the analysis of the script and how to carry out the relevant design and interpretation in the future. Moreover, with a critical perspective, people will have a more comprehensive and anatomical ability when looking at all things, and will not be confused by the superficial phenomena. I think the reason of this book is available in different languages is because the ideas are so unique and classic that people don’t want to miss it.
This project is not what I expected at first. The reason why I was initially attracted by the project introduction was how the ghost effect was presented on the stage. I wanted to learn something more interesting outside my major through this project. Originally, I didn’t plan to make costume because the members of our group were scattered in different countries. Instead, I want to bought some costume online or instructed other member to simply transform some fabric into clothes that fit the character characteristics. I want to focus more on some interesting shooting effects, because I’ve seen a lot of creative photography videos in the past, and people are scattered in different countries. This is the most convenient way to shoot, and the final result is also very interesting. But other member felt that they wanted some Japanese elements in the costume, so in the end I chose to make a traditional kimono instead of following the script（mirror maiden was from ancient Korea）. In the end, all my time and energy went into making kimono, and I had another course to finish with a bodice, so I didn’t have any extra time to search about creative photography. This is completely different from what I expected from this collaborative project, but fortunately our tutors arrange a lot of talented people to give us lectures. So I learned some interesting new knowledge outside of the costume course. I also bought some projection devices like children’s toys recommended by tutors, but I didn’t have time to open them and I will play with them once I finished the project.
This week was devoted to making kimono belt and finishing Victorian bodice.
Before making the belt, I learned a lot of kimono belt tying methods. I chose a style that I like but the tying method is not too complicated. I had expected the belt to be made quickly, but I was completely surprised. In order to make the final folded pattern look more three-dimensional，I press the fabric with fusible interlining, but the household iron temperature is not hot enough to make interlining and cloth adhesive very strong, so I need to stay in the same place for 10 seconds, just a simple step it took me several hours, feel a little waste of life… When I finished making the belt, I left one end unsewn, just in case it wasn’t long enough. Later, when I was halfway tied, I found that the length of 3 meters was really not enough, so I added another 1.5 meters, but it turned out to be too long, so I added the extra part into the bow, so the final bow was more beautiful than the one in the video teaching, and I was very pleased with it.
I accidentally cut off the sharp corners at the bottom, which made it more difficult for later production. What impressed me most about this dress was the pain in my hands! Coutil is too hard.
In the past two weeks, I haven’t even had a rest at the weekend and feel a little exhausted. Because in addition to completing technical skill course（Victorian Bodice）, I also need to complete the costume for the cooperation project. Since the background setting of the story is in ancient Japan, I decided to make a kimono. Searching relevant information spent a lot of time, and then is pattern-making. Many online references are doll kimono, there are many versions of the data is not particularly accurate. In addition to the need to scale up the data according to the adult data, some of the data that feel unreasonable need to be adjusted. Since the origin of the female ghost in the script is a mirror passed down from the aristocracy, I specially chose the fabric with patterns to distinguish it from the ordinary ghost who simply wears white fabric. Because I am also a perfectionist after I sewed the lining and the outer fabric together with a sewing machine, I sewed all the parts together by hand, mainly to make it look neatly. But it is really a time-consuming process. Then I will add the collar, and then the sleeves will need to be trimmed and adjusted. The kimono is not perfect, but it’s the best I can do now.
The first formal group meeting was held today. Everyone read the script according to the tasks assigned by the tutor two days ago, and then shared our opinions with each other. Then the tasks were assigned. I was mainly responsible for making costume. However, since it is a special period now, even if I have finished making the clothes, it is impossible for me to send them to the actor in another country, so I may not make the clothes. It is very likely to get inspiration of clothes through research information, and then give suggestions to actors, so that they can find similar clothes for performance. However, this is only a tentative idea at the moment, and more related work may be done in the future.
Up to now, I have finished the intensive reading of the script, and then summarized several important scenes in it to share with the team members, so as to facilitate our follow-up work. And then I did some historical research on the two main characters. I feel that the process of communicating with everyone is a process of learning from each other, and help me understand the working process of other professionals in this industry.
RUNDOWN
Two characters:
The Shinto Priest, Matsumura Hyogo
The soul of the mirror, a young woman, Yayoi
The Ghost appears three times in the show, so there are three acts that can be shown to the audience.
In the first scene, she seduces the priest and nearly kills him. It was daylight。
When the priest went to check the well, he was initially scared when he found something unusual. Then he sees is the makeup profile of the woman, which I think is just the top half of her body. Then she turns to him and smiles, capturing his mind in a moment. He began to feel dizzy. All around gradually became dark. The woman’s face clearly appeared in the depths of darkness, and it became more and more beautiful. And dragged him into the darkness.
So I think when the ghost turns around and starts to smile at the priest, it should be beautiful, not scary.
If it is on a stage, the man and the well can be on the left of the stage, and the man looks down at the well, and Then the large curtain in the center of the stage somehow projected the scene from the well. It shows unusual waves of water, and then the profile of a woman’s makeup gradually emerges. This Angle is designed to give the audience a clear view of what is going on in the well. When priest starts to get dizzy, we can play different music and Vertigo images or effects.
The second act is the day the dragon leaves, she has a chance to escape and seek the priest’s help, to save her from the well.
A week after the fence was finished, heavy rains began to fall and the drought ended. Then there were three days of breathtaking downpours, accompanied by lightning and thunder, which brought down a number of Bridges. On the third night, at about two o ‘clock, there was a knock at the priest’s door. Then the second act begins.
Actually, I feel like the heavy rain is just the dragon leaving with its water.
We can simply show the rain and the damage to the city with stage effects, and then let the characters come on stage.
The third act is the priest’s servant to find the mirror. Then the priest’s observation of the mirror can be highlighted, such as the details of the mirror. The priest was reminded of the woman’s identity. She is the soul of the ancient mirror. After knowing these things, the priest polished the mirror where the ghost lived, blessed the mirror with a sacred ceremony and placed it properly.
In the fourth act, she comes to express her gratitude to the priest and tells her story of how she came to Japan from the Korean Peninsula. As a delicate mirror had been circulated among the nobles, but because of the war, it was thrown into the well, and has been under the control of the dragon ever since. Finally the Ghost wants him to help her return the mirror to the descendants of the original owner. And warned of the danger of the house as a reward, so the priest’s family survived.
RESEARCH
Shinto priest
The priest is living in the period of the Ashikaga Shogunate. 1435-1490
Soul of mirror
It was in the time of the Emperor Saimei that the mirror was first brought here from Kudara.Kudara is a country that existed on the Korean peninsula between the fourth and seventh centuries.
I took a lot of photos in this museum and picked out some of my favorite ones and posted them here. The composition of the last picture is very special in my opinion. The artist shows a three-dimensional space through a 2-dimensional way.
This picture is all about Anthony Green remembering the accidental breakage of his mother’s best china. Do you think the unusual shape of the picture helps communicate how he felt about the event? Embassy lodge, 1990 Anthony Green Oil on board Bought by Glasgow Museum, 1996
Costume design is not just inspired by historical and modern clothing. Many of the ornaments in this palace, such as paintings, roof patterns, tapestries, jewelry, can become the silhouette and details of garments.
Harris Tweed suit, by Vivienne Westwood For her Time Machine collection, inspired by the novel by HG Wells, Vivienne Westwood used Harris Tweed to make this armour-like suit, complete with articulated limbs.
Harris Tweed, satin lining, British, Time Machine collection, Autumn/Winter 1998/99
When I returned to London, I searched for more information about Time Machine collection.
Dame Vivienne Westwood created this suit for her unique ‘Time Machine’ fashion collection, which was part of a larger collection entitled ‘Britain Must Go Pagan’. This eccentric and unusual album of fashion aimed to reconcile the traditional with classical and pagan themes to celebrate Britain during a period of economic trouble. Vivienne Westwood is known for challenging the fashion world with unusual and flamboyant fashion designs that incorporate tradition and heritage. Here, she combined medieval armour with the traditional gentleman’s suit to create the ultimate British suit.
Other clothes from Time Machine Collection. It can be seen from the silhouette of these clothes that Vivienne borrowed many elements from Vintage garments. Most of the innovation is based on a thorough study of the industry’s history. It is an innovation to combine historical elements with modern sense. From a design point of view, historical references are only one aspect. Don’t limit yourself.
The development of menswear was also influenced by the social situation at that time. During World War I and World War II, men’s suits borrowed many elements from military uniforms. This is Vivienne Westwood Military Tweed Suit.
Until the invention of the sewing machine, all clothes were stitched by hand. Wealthier customers brought their own fabrics, taking it to their tailor or dressmaker to be transformed into the latest styles, inspired by fashion plates and aristocratic dress. British tailors were particularly renowned for their cutting skill, bringing symmetry and proportion to both the male and female figure. London’s Savile Row is still synonymous with an impeccable standard of male attire.
Knitted jacket This jacket was probably worn by a woman as informal dress in the home. Hand-knitted on fine needles, the pattern imitates 17th-century woven silks.
Silk, gilt metal, probably Venice, Italy, 17th century
When I saw that WOVEN was used in this jacket, it reminded me of my fabric manipulation skills that I had been working on for some time. In the past few years I have taught myself some traditional skills like macrame, hand-knitting, knitting machine, weave, embroidery. Staying in Chelsea College for half a year improved these skills. With the exception of making a few fabric samples with the knitting machine last summer, all have been put on hold for a year and I hope I can practice more when I have enough time.
