Costume with Textiles: The Role and Development of Textiles in the Interpretation of Historical Dress for Contemporary Theatrical Costume (original) (raw)
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The first issue of "Studies in Costume and Performance" draws materials from Critical Costume 2015, a significant international costume-based event that took place at Aalto University, Helsinki, in March 2015. [...] Critical Costume 2015 was a three-day event consisting of an academic conference that included presentations of theoretical approaches and practice-as-research, as well as an exhibition of costume art, costume design and costume research. [...] Critical Costume 2015 was a significant feedback event for the ‘Costume Methodologies’ project, allowing to map the field of costume research by identifying areas of research interests, research approaches and individuals involved in costume research at an international level. [...] The content of this issue evidences the diversity of approaches in conceptualizing costume. This is seen in both the variety of topics presented and the fields of practice they represent (film, theatre, dance, television and popular culture), as well as in the background of the authors. It is also reflected in the formats of writing, namely articles, visual essays, reflections and reviews. In addition to new research, critical reflections and reviews bear testimony to the event itself, along with a number of reviews of other costume-related events from the international field in the year 2015.
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Caretakers of historic costume have long contended with people wearing items held in collections. While early curators photographed garments on live models to accurately present them, by the 1980s, museum professionals recognized that allowing historic costume to be worn contemporarily could cause changes to the condition of the garments that could be at odds with museum conservation ethics. In 1986, professional dress studies organizations issued resolutions stating that historic costume should not be worn in order to prioritize its materiality. However, by 2022, this had become an entrenched position increasingly contrary to movements in the conservation of cultural heritage towards peoples- and values-based approaches balancing concepts of conservation and access across multiple cultures that may advocate for the wearing of costume in some contexts. This paper explores the historical and ethical issues surrounding the wearing of historic costume and focuses on how fashion and textile professionals can work towards a position that advocates for both the material and conceptual integrity of dress.
Studies in Costume and Performance, 2017
Direct engagement with the material culture of historic theatre costume, particularly surviving costumes, has the potential to make a significant contribution to the existing discourse surrounding costume and performance. The comparative absence of the surviving costumes from such discussions stems in part from the fact that the value of this source material has yet to be fully recognized, researched and theorized. Responding directly to that challenge, this article unites approaches from dress history, theatre history and material culture to offer a specific methodology for the investigation and analysis of theatre costume, which is founded upon the examination and assessment of such garments. Nineteenth-century actress Ellen Terry (1847–1928) will be used as a case study through which to present this new methodology. Most famous for the 22 years she spent as the leading lady of the Lyceum Theatre, this discussion will focus on one of Terry’s more celebrated Shakespearean roles, Lady Macbeth. It will explore the design, creation and afterlife of costumes worn by Terry in the 1888 Lyceum production of Macbeth, and consider the crucial part they played, not simply in the original staging, but also in shaping the legacy of both performance and performer. The close analysis of this key example from Terry’s theatrical wardrobe will establish the factors fundamental to the interpretation of such garments and demonstrate the evidence offered from material culture sources, most importantly, surviving costumes. Through this discussion, the article will offer a new methodology for the analysis of historic theatre costume, which can be employed in the study of other figures, theatres and periods, opening up a new and productive direction for future research.