Costume design can make or break a production. Designers who are able to immerse the audience in a story and build a world which is authentic through each characters’ wardrobe, don’t just allow actors to embody a persona, they bring a whole production to life. Vast amounts of research and planning goes into each garment, including the careful selection of fabrics and how they can help to define each character.
Costumes tell us a great deal about the time and place in which a production is set. The Costume Designer must consider the style of the time down to the last detail, exploring silhouettes, hemlines, colours, necklines, even the underwear worn and how it gave a garment structure.
In period pieces, historical accuracy is essential. Authentic costumes put an actor in a specific time, place, and mindset, helping them to get into character and deliver a more credible performance. A dress with a corset and full skirt straightens the back, and makes the wearer carefully consider how she holds herself and moves around the set. A military uniform tailored in genuine fabric of the period allows the character to embody a soldier of that era.
When it comes to authentic costume fabrics for stage and screen, Hainsworth has been the industry’s first choice for over 50 years. Our woollen mill is responsible for the look of iconic England all the way back to the scarlet uniforms of the Battle of Waterloo. Our costume fabric range enables designers to make a true connection to a production’s historic roots through access to genuine historical cloth.