Lockerbie Costumes

We started with our production meetings, where all the designers - The scenic designers, and the lighting, and costumers ... (And, I don't want to leave anybody out, but I probably will) We all get together and we talk about what we see happening in this play - Just the feeling. We do a lot of research on the history: What people wore at that time. And so, we start this process. We get on the internet, and go the the library and we find books and see what people wore at that time period. And, we just do a lot of research And then I start thinking about characters, and how old they are. And I think about the people that have been cast, and what shapes they are, and what would look good on them. Then, we think about the color palette; where, you want the clothes to look well on the stage, depending on what the scenic designers are doing and what kind of needs the clothes have for the props. Because, in this show, the women are on stage and they have fllashlights and candles. And, so we're thinking they have to have pockets they can put these things in. We have to think about: It's winter time, so I'm designing for Winter. It's December 21st in Lockerbie, Scotland. So, it's cold, and you're close to the water, and so it's damp - - And misty, and green. And it's rural. So then I start there, and then I start with designs. I start thinking about working with the director and what she's got in her mind - What she thinks they should look like. So then, we have several meetings where we talk about colors and shape. And, what kind of clothing. Once we kind-of decide on that, we take all the actors' measurements, and I ask the people that work in the costume shop - some are students, some are adults - and I give them: "Okay, your project to make this woman's skirt, blouse, dress, or whatever." And, so then they start from the ground up, where they take that person's measurements - They make a muslin garment. Muslin is a fabric that's really cheap, but you can mark on and everything. And, then we take the musin and try that on the actor. We see if it looks right; we see if it fits. And, then we take that and we use the muslin as the pattern for the fashion fabric. Then, we make it out of the fabric, and we have the actors in for more fittings - So that everything looks like we want. We look for all the accessories. We put them in a costume from the inside-out: From their under-garments - Their pantihouse. We look for shoes; we look for pins; we look for gloves. We look for hats, scarves - Everything that you put on to go out and be this person in Lockerbie, Scotland. That's what we do, as part of our costuming.