http://rosaliegilbert.com/kirtles.html
The kirtle was worn over the chemise or smock and usually under the gown, surcote, sideless surcote or houppelande. Servants often had clothing handed down to them, particularly gowns which might be of value or in good repair.
Types of kirtle
It does appear that the kirtle falls into three distinct categories- the first two include those which button and those which lace. It is probably no great coincidence that there were two primary purposes- those intended to be worn over a smock with no other outer garment or a sideless surcote and those intended to be worn underneath a form-fitting outer gown. The third type falls into the laced gown category but has the distinguishing feature of short sleeves. Some had sleeves which extended over the knuckles, like the one shown in the datil at right. Most of these were cut with a wide, low neckline.
In 1375 a decree aimed at improving modesty declared:
...that a womans neckline: above all, her decollete should not be so low that her breasts can be seen. The neckline should not be lower than the armpits.
although compliance was not altogether successful and it can be deduced that it was a common enough phenomenon for lower-cut gowns to be prelavent amongst women in the towns and cities; so much enough to warrant sermonizing. In the Roman de la Rose, the 13th century's most famous French poem, a character discusses the cut of the dress:
If her neck and throat are fair and white, let her see to it that her dressmaker cuts the neck so low that half a foot of fine white flesh is visible front and back.
The short-sleeved kirtle
This is one of two types of gown. The first has short sleeves to above the elbow and is always an overgown. It is usually worn with tippets or has lappets where the sleeve has been cut away.
The second type is most usually seen with pin on sleeves- regular sleeves for the working week and perhaps more decorative or more expensive fabric for Sunday best. The sleeves were interchangeable and pinned on at the shoulder. The well-known song Greensleeves dates from the Middle Ages and is a song about the green pin-on sleeves of the author's beloved's dress. For daily chores which were messy, like laundry, the sleeves could be removed altogether and the chemise sleeves could be rolled up out of the way.
The good example of this kind of gown can be seen above in the detail of the right panel of the 1450 Van Der Weyden's Braque Family Triptych which clearly shows the lacing pulling apart at the front and the chemise showing through at the sleeve and at the top of the gown. At the back of the pin-on sleeves, the chemise can be seen between the kirtle and the sleeve.
Pins with decorative ends or glass beads were often used as a dress accessoryShown at left are pins which are fairly typical of the medieval period. The group of three pins are from 15th century Hungary.
Osbern Bokenham's Life of St Elizabeth talks of how devout Elizabeth was when she was young saying
the Solemn Holy days this girl observed with such devotion that would not permit anyone to lace up her sleeves until after mass.
The Mi-parti or Parti-colour kirtle
This is the kirtle or gown which is one colour on one side and another on the opposing side. The concept of multi-coloured clothing was always popular with musicians and entertainers who liked bright clothing and at the height of the 14th century this style also became popular with noble ladies.
The essential difference between the clothing of a noble lady and that of an entertainer is the positioning and quartering of the colours. An entertainer might have opposing colours on the sides of the gown, both front and back, side to side, sleeve to sleeve, whereas a noble lady has one colour on one side and the other colour on the other side in it's entirety. Even if one half of the gown is patterned, this still holds true. Shown at right is a detail from the 1370 tapestry, the Lovers, from Bavaria
For example, the detail above at left comes from an illumination from the 1350s The Bride Abandoned by Nicolo da Bologna. We can see that the red side of the gown has a red sleeve and the green side of the gown has a green sleeve. Another Italian gown shown in the detail at left also shows mi-parti clothing where the sleeve matches the fabric on the same side of the gown. The colours of her kirtle underneath and her overgown also match side for side.
Chloe Roche; First year Design & Making Costume Student at Nottingham Trent Univerity
Friday 26 April 2013
Thursday 25 April 2013
Tudor Footwear
Footwear
Tudor streets were not covered with tarmac, nor were the pavements paved both were just compacted earth. When it rained, and especially in winter, the streets would turn to thick mud. Towns and cities were very unhealthy places. There were no proper sewers (except in Bristol) and all kitchen and toilet waste was thrown into the streets where it lay in heaps at street corners. The usual household toilet was a large pail which was inevitably emptied out of an upstairs window into the street below, regardless of passers-by. Things were just as bad outside towns as in the country the ditches running between properties were used as open sewers.
It was very hard to keep your feet clean and dry under these conditions. Shoes were very rarely waterproof so rain, snow and mud, let alone the sewage lying around would have made getting about on foot very unpleasant. Several types of overshoe were devised to raise the foot further above the ground; these were known as “Pattens”, wooden shoes with blocks underneath which gave extra height to the wearer. They were designed to be slipped on over an ordinary shoe. Pattens first appeared in the 14th century and by Tudor times were worn by everybody. These were very plain, which suggests that they belonged to the poorer classes. Those belonging to a wealthy person would probably have had some decoration on the leather.
http://www.localhistories.org/shoes.html
In the Middle Ages peasants wore wooden clogs for working in muddy conditions. In the towns people wore wooden platforms called pattens under their shoes. (They had straps to hold them on). Some pattens were several inches thick.
In the Middle Ages shoe makers were called cordwainers. The word is derived from cordovan the name for leather from Cordova in Spain.
In the 16th century some people had deliberate cuts in their shoes called slashes. Sometimes they were slip on shoes but sometimes they were tied with latches. Early Tudor shoes did not have heel. However in the late 16th century women in England began to wear shoes with high heels.
Tudor streets were not covered with tarmac, nor were the pavements paved both were just compacted earth. When it rained, and especially in winter, the streets would turn to thick mud. Towns and cities were very unhealthy places. There were no proper sewers (except in Bristol) and all kitchen and toilet waste was thrown into the streets where it lay in heaps at street corners. The usual household toilet was a large pail which was inevitably emptied out of an upstairs window into the street below, regardless of passers-by. Things were just as bad outside towns as in the country the ditches running between properties were used as open sewers.
It was very hard to keep your feet clean and dry under these conditions. Shoes were very rarely waterproof so rain, snow and mud, let alone the sewage lying around would have made getting about on foot very unpleasant. Several types of overshoe were devised to raise the foot further above the ground; these were known as “Pattens”, wooden shoes with blocks underneath which gave extra height to the wearer. They were designed to be slipped on over an ordinary shoe. Pattens first appeared in the 14th century and by Tudor times were worn by everybody. These were very plain, which suggests that they belonged to the poorer classes. Those belonging to a wealthy person would probably have had some decoration on the leather.
Tudor Shoes
http://www.localhistories.org/shoes.html
In the Middle Ages peasants wore wooden clogs for working in muddy conditions. In the towns people wore wooden platforms called pattens under their shoes. (They had straps to hold them on). Some pattens were several inches thick.
In the Middle Ages shoe makers were called cordwainers. The word is derived from cordovan the name for leather from Cordova in Spain.
In the 16th century some people had deliberate cuts in their shoes called slashes. Sometimes they were slip on shoes but sometimes they were tied with latches. Early Tudor shoes did not have heel. However in the late 16th century women in England began to wear shoes with high heels.
Tudor film & TV
The Other Boleyn Girl
Shows a recap of the TV program 'The Tudors' around the time of Anne Boleyn
Wednesday 24 April 2013
Sandy Powell; The Other Boleyn Girl
The picture on the left shows an extra lady in waiting in 'The other Boleyn Girl' and the picture on the right shows the same dress worn by the character of Anne Boleyn in 'The Tudors'. Shows that even costumes from big productions can be re used if they fit in another production.
Tudor Clothing
Just a few links to films website with Tudor clothing information on them:
General Information
General Information
- http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/galleries/TMG8416768/The-Tudors-costumes-in-pictures.html
- http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/resources/tudor-life/tudor-clothes/
- http://www.localhistories.org/tudorclothes.html
- http://www.kimiko1.com/files/TudorMenPresentation.pdf
- http://www.tudorlinks.com/textiles.html
- http://www.sixwives.info/tudor-clothes.htm
- http://www.aboutbritain.com/articles/tudor-clothes.asp
- http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/tudor_costume.htm
Initial character outlines; Snow White
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| Huntsman |
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| Snow White |
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| Evil Stepmother |
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| Prince |
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| Witch |
Monday 22 April 2013
15th Century Clothing
The only bit of information I have found to place Snow White in a Kid of era said it was based in the mid 1400' to the mid 1500's. I think that this is the period that I am going to base it in, I don't know much about the clothing in this era, Its going to be interesting to see how it differs from others and to see what the key features of it are.
http://www.sallygreen.co.uk/sg-15.php
this shows the breakdown of the clothing that would have been worn in the 15th century
http://www.sallygreen.co.uk/sg-15.php
this shows the breakdown of the clothing that would have been worn in the 15th century
Snow White; Film Trailers
Snow White and the Huntsman- 2012
Snow White and the seven dwarfs- 1937
Mirror Mirror- 2012
Snow White; A tale of terror- 1997
Enchanted- 2007
Sunday 21 April 2013
Yinka Shonibare 'FABRIC- ATION'
I managed to get a few pictures, shame photography was not allowed would have loved to get some close up photos of the print and the silhouette of the garments.
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| Prefer the bodies to have nothing in the head area, think they work better like that |
Thursday 18 April 2013
FABRIC-ATION
http://www.ysp.co.uk/exhibitions/yinka-shonibare-mbe-fabric-ation
02.03.13 - 01.09.13
Underground Gallery, YSP Centre, Chapel & open air
Taking place in three of YSP’s indoor galleries and the open air, FABRIC–ATION features over 30 vibrant works from the period 2002 – 2013 including sculpture, film, photography, painting and collage, with many works never before seen in the UK.
Underground Gallery, YSP Centre, Chapel & open air
Taking place in three of YSP’s indoor galleries and the open air, FABRIC–ATION features over 30 vibrant works from the period 2002 – 2013 including sculpture, film, photography, painting and collage, with many works never before seen in the UK.
Tuesday 16 April 2013
Film review websites
List of websites that have film reviews;
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/film+tone/reviews
- http://www.timeout.com/london/film-reviews
- http://www.empireonline.com/
- http://variety.com/
- http://www.imdb.com/
- http://www.rollingstone.com/movies
- http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/FilmSearch
I can use these to look at the reviews for the snow white films as an extra branch for my research
Monday 15 April 2013
Eiko Ishioka
Eiko Ishioka was a Japanese art director, costume and graphic designer known for her work in stage, screen,advertising and print media. She was the costume designer for the film 'Mirror Mirror'.
Marge Champion
Walt Disney will always be remembered for his countless innovations in filmmaking and entertainment. Yet, when he set out to create his first feature film, he was like an explorer heading into uncharted wilderness. Back in 1934, no one knew if an audience would sit through a full-length "cartoon" Critics and cynics said it couldn't be done. Walt of course believed it could and did everything in his power to insure that his animators would.
One thing was to bring movement models into the studio to give the animators a reference in order to achieve realistic human motion (i.e., walking, dancing). Marjorie Belcher, around 14 at the time, was hired for $10/day to "play" Snow White. See the October 2009 MovieWeb interview with Marge as she talks about how Walt chose her for the part from 200-300 other girls. She came into the studio two or three times a month for a period of about two years. The animators "showed me storyboards and then they let me go free."
One thing was to bring movement models into the studio to give the animators a reference in order to achieve realistic human motion (i.e., walking, dancing). Marjorie Belcher, around 14 at the time, was hired for $10/day to "play" Snow White. See the October 2009 MovieWeb interview with Marge as she talks about how Walt chose her for the part from 200-300 other girls. She came into the studio two or three times a month for a period of about two years. The animators "showed me storyboards and then they let me go free."
Snow White profile
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/disney-princess/articles/24900/title/princess-profiles-snow-white
Name; Snow White
Meaning; Name given to her by her parents because of her pale white skin
Disney film; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1st Disney classic, 1937
Voice; Adriana Caselotti
Singing Voice; Adriana Caselotti
Model; Marjorie Belcher and Margaret Champion
Based on: Many adaptions created but Brother Grimm's adaption was the one Disney’s version is most based on, ending of being kissed by the prince is borrowed from a different fairy tale - Sleeping Beauty
Based in: A fairy tale orientated land. Brother Grimm's adaption is Scottish, unsure if the Disney version is based in Scotland, it is believed to be set in Germany.
Personality: gentle, trusting, pure, loveable nature which wins her friendship and protection. She is sweet, graceful and brings out the best in people; she has lots of friends due to her lovable, caring nature. She is Sweet, Graceful and Naive.
Prince; Only ever referred to as 'The Prince
Friends: The Forest Animals, The Seven Dwarfs: Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Bashful, Dopey and Happy.Villain: The Evil Queen, Snow Whites stepmother, who grows jealous of Snow White for being fairest of the land and plots to kill her.
Links to Royalty: Born Princess, then if married to the Prince would make her princess of two lands, also considered one of the Princesses of Hearts from the Kingdom Hearts video game. Daughter of deceased rulers of the kingdom, step daughter of the ruling queen (the evil queen), first in line to the throne
Name; Snow White
Meaning; Name given to her by her parents because of her pale white skin
Disney film; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1st Disney classic, 1937
Voice; Adriana Caselotti
Singing Voice; Adriana Caselotti
Model; Marjorie Belcher and Margaret Champion
Based on: Many adaptions created but Brother Grimm's adaption was the one Disney’s version is most based on, ending of being kissed by the prince is borrowed from a different fairy tale - Sleeping Beauty
Based in: A fairy tale orientated land. Brother Grimm's adaption is Scottish, unsure if the Disney version is based in Scotland, it is believed to be set in Germany.
Personality: gentle, trusting, pure, loveable nature which wins her friendship and protection. She is sweet, graceful and brings out the best in people; she has lots of friends due to her lovable, caring nature. She is Sweet, Graceful and Naive.
Prince; Only ever referred to as 'The Prince
Friends: The Forest Animals, The Seven Dwarfs: Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Bashful, Dopey and Happy.Villain: The Evil Queen, Snow Whites stepmother, who grows jealous of Snow White for being fairest of the land and plots to kill her.
Links to Royalty: Born Princess, then if married to the Prince would make her princess of two lands, also considered one of the Princesses of Hearts from the Kingdom Hearts video game. Daughter of deceased rulers of the kingdom, step daughter of the ruling queen (the evil queen), first in line to the throne
Homes: Snow White originally lived in a Castle with her stepmother (possibly previously with one or both of her parent), she then lives with 7 dwarfs until she meets The Prince, of whom takes her away to his golden palace in the distance.
Disney era: Original Walt Disney Creation
Disney era: Original Walt Disney Creation
Hair: Tied back with a pretty ribbon
Style: Classic
Ideal pet: Squirrel
Favourite hobby: Looking after animals
Prefer to live: In a cottage
Talents: Singing, Dancing, House Keeping, Cooking, Socialising, Authority.
Nationality: It is believed that she is German
Style: Classic
Ideal pet: Squirrel
Favourite hobby: Looking after animals
Prefer to live: In a cottage
Talents: Singing, Dancing, House Keeping, Cooking, Socialising, Authority.
Nationality: It is believed that she is German
Disney Story Book Description: "..the child grew up to be a lovely young women. Her beauty and her gentle nature won the hearts of all who knew her."
Note: The first feature length animated title character EVER, Snow White never actually talks directly to the Prince throughout the whole film, generally the least favourite Disney Princess but very significant anyway. In England, the film was deemed too scary for children, and those under 16 had to be accompanied by a parent. For its 1993 reissue the film was completely restored being the first ever to be completely digitized by computer, cleaned up, and then printed back to film.
Note: The first feature length animated title character EVER, Snow White never actually talks directly to the Prince throughout the whole film, generally the least favourite Disney Princess but very significant anyway. In England, the film was deemed too scary for children, and those under 16 had to be accompanied by a parent. For its 1993 reissue the film was completely restored being the first ever to be completely digitized by computer, cleaned up, and then printed back to film.
Specific songs from original film:
"I'm Wishing"/"One Song" (Snow White/The Prince)
"With a Smile and a Song" (Snow White)
"Whistle While You Work" (Snow White)
"Some Day My Prince Will Come" (Snow White)
"I'm Wishing"/"One Song" (Snow White/The Prince)
"With a Smile and a Song" (Snow White)
"Whistle While You Work" (Snow White)
"Some Day My Prince Will Come" (Snow White)
Difference between Disney & Grimm
http://disneyvsgrimms.blogspot.co.uk/
Snow White
In the original - the Queen requests the lungs and liver (as well as the heart) of Snow White to eat for dinner that night.
In the original - Snow White is not awakened by a kiss from the prince (like the Disney version) - she is awakened when she is jostled by the horse on which her coffin is being carried by the prince
Snow White
In the original - the Queen requests the lungs and liver (as well as the heart) of Snow White to eat for dinner that night.
In the original - Snow White is not awakened by a kiss from the prince (like the Disney version) - she is awakened when she is jostled by the horse on which her coffin is being carried by the prince
http://voices.yahoo.com/differences-between-disneys-snow-white-grimms-605736.html
In Grimm's fairy tale, the Wicked Queen does not want Snow White's heart. She wants Snow White's lungs and liver. When the boar's insides are brought to her, she boils them and eats them, thinking that they are Snow White's.
In Grimm's fairy tale, it takes three attempts to kill Snow White. Each time, the Wicked Queen uses the same disguise, so Snow White must not be too smart.
In Grimm's fairy tale, there are dwarfs and they do put Snow White into a glass coffin. However, a prince does not come and kiss her. A prince comes and he thinks that the body is beautiful, so he wants it. It is only when servants drop the coffin that the piece of poison apple dislodges from Snow White's throat and she is brought back to life.
Also, in Grimm's fairy tale, the Wicked Queen does not get chased off of a cliff. Instead, she makes it back to her castle. She is then invited to Snow White's wedding. When she gets there, she is forced to wear a pair of red-hot iron shoes. She is forced to dance in these shoes until she drops dead.
In Grimm's fairy tale, the Wicked Queen does not want Snow White's heart. She wants Snow White's lungs and liver. When the boar's insides are brought to her, she boils them and eats them, thinking that they are Snow White's.
In Grimm's fairy tale, it takes three attempts to kill Snow White. Each time, the Wicked Queen uses the same disguise, so Snow White must not be too smart.
In Grimm's fairy tale, there are dwarfs and they do put Snow White into a glass coffin. However, a prince does not come and kiss her. A prince comes and he thinks that the body is beautiful, so he wants it. It is only when servants drop the coffin that the piece of poison apple dislodges from Snow White's throat and she is brought back to life.
Also, in Grimm's fairy tale, the Wicked Queen does not get chased off of a cliff. Instead, she makes it back to her castle. She is then invited to Snow White's wedding. When she gets there, she is forced to wear a pair of red-hot iron shoes. She is forced to dance in these shoes until she drops dead.
Snow White Films
List of films about the story of Snow white or have elements of the story in them:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1955
- Snow White, 1987
- Snow White; A tale of terror, 1997
- Snow White; The fairest of the all, 2001 (TV movie)
- Snow White and the Huntsman, 2012
- Mirror Mirror, 2012
- Grimm's Snow White, 2012
- Snow White; A Deadly Summer, 2012
Look at most/ all of these for research and inspiration for my designs
Snow White; A tale of terror (1997)
Friday 12 April 2013
Hansel and Gretel
http://shortstoriesshort.com/story/hansel-and-gretel/
Poor woodcutter and his wife had two children named Hansel and Gretel. Their mother died when they were young. Hansel and Gretel were very sad. Soon their father remarried but their stepmother was very cruel. One day, she took the children deep into the forest and left them there. Clever Hansel had some breadcrumbs in his pocket and had dropped them on the way so that they could find their way back home. Alas! The birds ate all the crumbs and they couldn't find the path that led back home.
Hansel and Gretel went deeper and deeper into the forest. They were hungry and tired. Finally, after walking for a long time, they saw a cottage made of chocolate, candies, and cake. “Look, Hansel! A chocolate brick!” shouted
Gretel in delight and both ate it hungrily.
Now, a wicked witch lived there. When she saw Hansel and Gretel, she wanted to eat them. She grabbed the children and locked them in a cage. The witch decided to make a soup out of Hansel and eat him first. She began boiling a huge pot of water for the soup. Just then, Gretel crept out of her cage. She gave the wicked witch a mighty push from behind and the witch fell into the boiling water. She howled in pain and died instantly. Hansel and Gretel found treasure lying around the cottage. They carried it home with them. Their stepmother had died and their father welcomed them back with tears of joy. They never went hungry again!
Never given a particularly high profile adaptation, Hansel and Gretel is nevertheless one of the best known of the fairy tales. Every child knows the story of the two young leads, abandoned in the woods by their wicked stepmother and forced to outwit an evil witch, bent on eating them in her gingerbread house. So why haven’t Hollywood had a go? It would be easy to pull in the punters with this, right? Well, shooting for that lucrative U certificate might prove tricky when dealing with such themes as cannibalism, murder by asphyxiation and child abuse.
Poor woodcutter and his wife had two children named Hansel and Gretel. Their mother died when they were young. Hansel and Gretel were very sad. Soon their father remarried but their stepmother was very cruel. One day, she took the children deep into the forest and left them there. Clever Hansel had some breadcrumbs in his pocket and had dropped them on the way so that they could find their way back home. Alas! The birds ate all the crumbs and they couldn't find the path that led back home.
Hansel and Gretel went deeper and deeper into the forest. They were hungry and tired. Finally, after walking for a long time, they saw a cottage made of chocolate, candies, and cake. “Look, Hansel! A chocolate brick!” shouted
Gretel in delight and both ate it hungrily.
Now, a wicked witch lived there. When she saw Hansel and Gretel, she wanted to eat them. She grabbed the children and locked them in a cage. The witch decided to make a soup out of Hansel and eat him first. She began boiling a huge pot of water for the soup. Just then, Gretel crept out of her cage. She gave the wicked witch a mighty push from behind and the witch fell into the boiling water. She howled in pain and died instantly. Hansel and Gretel found treasure lying around the cottage. They carried it home with them. Their stepmother had died and their father welcomed them back with tears of joy. They never went hungry again!
Character List
- Hansel
- Gretel
- Stepmother
-Father
-Old/ Evil Woman
Origins
In the widely known version of Hansel and Gretel, we hear of two little children who become lost in the forest, eventually finding their way to a gingerbread house which belongs to a wicked witch. The children end up enslaved for a time as the witch prepares them for eating. They figure their way out and throw the witch in a fire and escape. In an earlier French version of this tale (called The Lost Children), instead of a witch we have a devil. Now the wicked old devil is tricked by the children (in much the same way as Hansel and Gretel) but he works it out and puts together a sawhorse to put one of the children on to bleed (that isn’t an error – he really does). The children pretend not to know how to get on the sawhorse so the devil’s wife demonstrates. While she is lying down the kids slash her throat and escape.Cinderella
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042332/synopsis
Link to the synopsis, its a bit to long to put on here.
Character List
- Cinderella
- Lady Tremaine
- Drizella Tremaine
- Anastasia Tremaine
- Fairy Godmother
- Jaq & Gus; Mice sidekicks
- Lucifer
Minor characters
-The King
-The Grand Duke
-Bruno; Bloodhound
-Major
-Prudence
-Beatrice and Daphne
-The Birds
-Suzy and Perla
-Pom-Pom
-The Baker
Origins
http://www.cracked.com/article_15962_the-gruesome-origins-5-popular-fairy-tales_p5.html
This one goes way, way back, having been told across cultures for thousands of years before being made into numerous Hollywood movies. The identity of the Fairy Godmother changes often, and in fact she only showed up in Perrault's version, along with the pumpkin coach and the mice attendants which were all used in the Disney version. There's even a Chinese version of the story from around 850 AD, where "Yeh-Hsien" is given gold, pearls, dresses and food by a giant talking fish.
A famous difference in many versions of the story is the "glass slipper." Authorities on fairy tales (who you tend not to see at parties) disagree about whether Perrault's slipper was made of glass or fur, as the words in French (verre and vair respectively) are pronounced almost the same. It's kind of important, because if the Prince was wandering the land looking for a lady with the perfect "fur slipper" ... well, it doesn't take Freud to figure that one out, and suddenly the Prince doesn't look so noble.
One thing Perrault left out that the Grimm's delighted in putting back in was the violence. The sisters, desperate to fit into the slipper, mutilate their own feet, cutting off the toes and heels all described in exquisite Germanic detail. When the Prince eventually realizes Cinderella is the one for him, birds peck out the sisters' and mother's eyes for their wickedness.
In the modern Cinderella fairy tale we have the beautiful Cinderella swept off her feet by the prince and her wicked step sisters marrying two lords – with everyone living happily ever after. The fairy tale has its origins way back in the 1st century BC where Strabo’s heroine was actually called Rhodopis, not Cinderella. The story was very similar to the modern one with the exception of the glass slippers and pumpkin coach. But, lurking behind the pretty tale is a more sinister variation by the Grimm brothers: in this version, the nasty step-sisters cut off parts of their own feet in order to fit them into the glass slipper – hoping to fool the prince. The prince is alerted to the trickery by two pigeons who peck out the step sister’s eyes. They end up spending the rest of their lives as blind beggars while Cinderella gets to lounge about in luxury at the prince’s castle.
Link to the synopsis, its a bit to long to put on here.
Character List
- Cinderella
- Lady Tremaine
- Drizella Tremaine
- Anastasia Tremaine
- Fairy Godmother
- Jaq & Gus; Mice sidekicks
- Lucifer
Minor characters
-The King
-The Grand Duke
-Bruno; Bloodhound
-Major
-Prudence
-Beatrice and Daphne
-The Birds
-Suzy and Perla
-Pom-Pom
-The Baker
Origins
http://www.cracked.com/article_15962_the-gruesome-origins-5-popular-fairy-tales_p5.html
This one goes way, way back, having been told across cultures for thousands of years before being made into numerous Hollywood movies. The identity of the Fairy Godmother changes often, and in fact she only showed up in Perrault's version, along with the pumpkin coach and the mice attendants which were all used in the Disney version. There's even a Chinese version of the story from around 850 AD, where "Yeh-Hsien" is given gold, pearls, dresses and food by a giant talking fish.
A famous difference in many versions of the story is the "glass slipper." Authorities on fairy tales (who you tend not to see at parties) disagree about whether Perrault's slipper was made of glass or fur, as the words in French (verre and vair respectively) are pronounced almost the same. It's kind of important, because if the Prince was wandering the land looking for a lady with the perfect "fur slipper" ... well, it doesn't take Freud to figure that one out, and suddenly the Prince doesn't look so noble.
One thing Perrault left out that the Grimm's delighted in putting back in was the violence. The sisters, desperate to fit into the slipper, mutilate their own feet, cutting off the toes and heels all described in exquisite Germanic detail. When the Prince eventually realizes Cinderella is the one for him, birds peck out the sisters' and mother's eyes for their wickedness.
Snow White
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029583/synopsis
A beautiful girl, Snow White, takes refuge in the forest in the house of seven dwarfs to hide from her stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is jealous because she wants to be known as "the fairest in the land," and Snow White's beauty surpasses her own. The dwarfs grow to love their unexpected visitor, who cleans their house and cooks their meals. But one day while the dwarfs are at their diamond mine, the Queen arrives at the cottage disguised as an old peddler woman and persuades Snow White to bite into a poisoned apple. The dwarfs, warned by the forest animals, rush home to chase the witch away, but they are too late to save Snow White from the poisoned apple. They place her in a glass coffin in the woods and mourn for her. The Prince, who has fallen in love with Snow White, happens by and awakens her from the wicked Queen's deathlike spell with "love's first kiss."
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| Picture of Snow White and the Dwarfs from the Disney adaptation of the Grimm Story |
Character List
- Snow White
- Prince Charming
- Stepmother; Evil Witch
- Doc
- Sleepy
- Dopey
- Grumpy
- Bashful
- Sneezy
- Happy
- Magic Mirror
- The Huntsman
Origin
http://listverse.com/2009/01/06/9-gruesome-fairy-tale-origins/
In the tale of snow white that we are all familiar with, the Queen asks a huntsman to kill her and
bring her heart back as proof. Instead, the huntsman can’t bring himself to do it and returns with the heart of a boar. Now, fortunately Disney hasn't done too much damage to this tale, but they did leave out one important original element: in the original tale, the Queen actually asks for Snow White’s liver and lungs – which are to be served for dinner that night! Also in the original, Snow White wakes up when she is jostled by the prince’s horse as he carries her back to his castle – not from a magical kiss. What the prince wanted to do with a dead girl’s body I will leave to your imagination. Oh – in the Grimm version, the tale ends with the Queen being forced to dance to death in red hot iron shoes!
The issue of Snow's actual age is a point of contention as well. The Grimm's explicitly refer to her as being seven years old when the story starts, and while there's no firm indication of how much time has passed, it's no more than a couple of years. So unless that's an eight-year-old Prince Charming who comes along and rescues Snow, we're backing away from this one before we become the subject of an NBC reality show.
The biggest change, and the bloodiest, is step-mom's ... unusual eating habits. Namely, when she asks her man to bring back the heart of Snow White, she isn't just after proof the girl is dead. She wants to eat it. Depending on the version of the story, the Queen asks for Snow's liver, lungs, intestines and pretty much every other major internal organ, up to and including one gruesome version where she asks for a bottle of Snow's blood stoppered with her toe.
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Coloured Designs Miss Victoria; Digital
I am trying different ways of colouring up my designs to see which of the work the best. This is my attempt at using Photoshop.
I do quite like the results of using the digital process to colour up my designs. I found that it was quicker as well as appose to using the ink. I do quite like the texture that in gives though whereas using the digital colours can leave the design in some areas looking quite flat.
I do quite like the results of using the digital process to colour up my designs. I found that it was quicker as well as appose to using the ink. I do quite like the texture that in gives though whereas using the digital colours can leave the design in some areas looking quite flat.
Tuesday 9 April 2013
The Brother's Grimm, 2005
Will and Jake Grimm are traveling con-artists who encounter a genuine fairy-tale curse which requires true courage instead of their usual bogus exorcisms.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brothers_grimm/
Two men who have made a career out of spinning remarkable stories find themselves bringing them to life in this inventive fantasy inspired by the creators of some of the world's best-loved fairy tales. Will Grimm (Matt Damon) and his brother Jake Grimm (Heath Ledger) earn their living by traveling from village to village and vanquishing strange supernatural beasts that have been menacing the populace. Or at least that's what their clients think has been happening; as it happens, Will and Jake are confidence men who cleverly stage the ghostly attacks and then take payment for making the creatures they fabricated go away. One day, the brothers arrive in a town and offer to help its people drive away evil spirits, unaware that the community is bordered by a genuine enchanted forest, and that young girls in the village have been disappearing at a frightful rate. The Grimm Brothers must now learn how to deal with real magic, with the help of the lovely but fearless Angelika.
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| Evil Queens costume |
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| Will and Jacob Grimm costumes |
Gabriella Pescucci & Carlo Poggioli
Thee were the two people that were the costume designers for 'The Brothers Grimm', 2005 film.
Gabriella Pescucci
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0675951/bio
Gabriella Pescucci was born in Rosignano Solvay in Tuscany in 1941 and began her film career as an assistant to Piero Tosi in the late 1960s. By the 1970s she was working as a costume designer in her own right with several films for Giovanni Patroni Griffi and also for Fellini, making her international debut in 1984 with 'Once Upon a Time in America', for which she took the first of her two British Film Academy Awards, the second being for 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'. In addition to her film work she has designed for the opera, notably 'La Traviata' at the Archimboldi Theatre, Milan and 'A Masked Ball' at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C.
Carlo Poggioli
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0688231/
http://www.mastercostume.it/Carlo_Poggioli_master_costume.html
Costume and fashion designer, after studying (Art Institute and the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples), has worked for national and international productions and personalities. These include: Gabriella Pescucci, Piero Tosi, Maurizio Millenotti, JJ Annaud, Luca Ronconi, Marco Gandini, Terry Gilliam, Vera Belmon, Uli Edel, Federico Fellini, Martin Scorsese, Anthony Minghella, Franco Zeffirelli, Steven Sommers, Andrzej Bartkowiak, John Irvin Giulio Base, Terry Gilliam.
Gabriella Pescucci
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0675951/bio
Gabriella Pescucci was born in Rosignano Solvay in Tuscany in 1941 and began her film career as an assistant to Piero Tosi in the late 1960s. By the 1970s she was working as a costume designer in her own right with several films for Giovanni Patroni Griffi and also for Fellini, making her international debut in 1984 with 'Once Upon a Time in America', for which she took the first of her two British Film Academy Awards, the second being for 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'. In addition to her film work she has designed for the opera, notably 'La Traviata' at the Archimboldi Theatre, Milan and 'A Masked Ball' at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C.
Carlo Poggioli
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0688231/
http://www.mastercostume.it/Carlo_Poggioli_master_costume.html
Costume and fashion designer, after studying (Art Institute and the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples), has worked for national and international productions and personalities. These include: Gabriella Pescucci, Piero Tosi, Maurizio Millenotti, JJ Annaud, Luca Ronconi, Marco Gandini, Terry Gilliam, Vera Belmon, Uli Edel, Federico Fellini, Martin Scorsese, Anthony Minghella, Franco Zeffirelli, Steven Sommers, Andrzej Bartkowiak, John Irvin Giulio Base, Terry Gilliam.
Coloured Evening wear; Miss Victoria
One of the final designs that I have coloured up for my Alternative Miss World contestant, evening wear.
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It is near enough finished just got to go over some of the colours to make them more solid and put shading on certain areas.
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Monday 8 April 2013
Gruesome Grimm
When looking at the Grimm Brothers stories I want to look at the original as well as the adaptations done by company's like Disney. Some of the original versions of the stories are really gruesome and nothing like how they are told now.
Lez Brotherston's Costume Design ‘Bible’ for The Brontës
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/l/lez-brotherstons-costume-design-bible-for-the-brontes/
Looking at this helped with the way that I produce my designs for this project. The link shows that different costume designs for the Brontes. It gave me the idea of making my designs bigger and put them alongside each other so that I can easily compare them.
Looking at this helped with the way that I produce my designs for this project. The link shows that different costume designs for the Brontes. It gave me the idea of making my designs bigger and put them alongside each other so that I can easily compare them.
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| One of the double pages from Lez Brotherston's design book |
Underwear: from corsets to bullet bras and back
http://www.vam.ac.uk/channel/people/fashion/underwear/
As recently as 70 years ago, foundation garments, as corsets were called, were fundamental to the way that women dressed. This film features author Eleri Lynn shot in one of the V&A's most evocative storerooms as she leads us on a tour of a long hidden world. Eleri's brief history of shapewear starts with the hourglass and S-bend forms - and steel and whalebone engineering - of Victorian and Edwardian corsets carries on through the breast-flattening bandeau bras worn by 1920s flappers, the New Look underwear of Christian Dior, the conicle bullet bras of the 1950s and concludes with the arrival of Lycra in the 1960s and the renaissance of corsetry through the new popularity of burlesque.
This gives detailed information about different types of underwear through history. The main bit I was interested in for this project was the information about the Victorian corsets. Corsets had been worn before the Victorian era but they were developed during this time with steel re-enforcement and eyelets down the front which allowed women to be able to remove them themselves and created a form of back lacing which allowed the women tighten the corsets themselves.
As recently as 70 years ago, foundation garments, as corsets were called, were fundamental to the way that women dressed. This film features author Eleri Lynn shot in one of the V&A's most evocative storerooms as she leads us on a tour of a long hidden world. Eleri's brief history of shapewear starts with the hourglass and S-bend forms - and steel and whalebone engineering - of Victorian and Edwardian corsets carries on through the breast-flattening bandeau bras worn by 1920s flappers, the New Look underwear of Christian Dior, the conicle bullet bras of the 1950s and concludes with the arrival of Lycra in the 1960s and the renaissance of corsetry through the new popularity of burlesque.
This gives detailed information about different types of underwear through history. The main bit I was interested in for this project was the information about the Victorian corsets. Corsets had been worn before the Victorian era but they were developed during this time with steel re-enforcement and eyelets down the front which allowed women to be able to remove them themselves and created a form of back lacing which allowed the women tighten the corsets themselves.
Friday 5 April 2013
Final Designs; Miss Victoria
I have completed the three designs for the rounds of Day wear, Evening wear and Swimwear for my Alternative Miss World contestant, Miss Victoria.
These are just the basic pen outlines to the three designs I am now looking at both the colours and patterns for each one to create a coloured up version of each.
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| Swimwear Design |
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| Day wear Design |
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| Evening wear Design |
Tuesday 2 April 2013
Lakeland Motor Museum
http://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/
A diverse and unique road transpost collection of some 30,000 exhibits assembled over a period of almost 50 years is thoughtfully displayed alongside many non-motoring additions.
The museum’s clothing collection is rapidly developing, but already includes Victorian mantles, protruding bustle dress skirts, cloaks, 1920’s flapper fashion, glamorous 1930’s evening wear, utility clothing from the 1940’s, 1950’s petticoats, the 1960’s mini skirt and flower power, disco styles of the 1970’s.
These two displays showed the more period style clothing from the later years of the Victorian era.
This was the other main the display that was there showng some of the colours and styles from the 1970's. There were other bit and pieces there as well showing clothing worn for different jobs, including some uniforms like those worn in WW2.
A diverse and unique road transpost collection of some 30,000 exhibits assembled over a period of almost 50 years is thoughtfully displayed alongside many non-motoring additions.
The museum’s clothing collection is rapidly developing, but already includes Victorian mantles, protruding bustle dress skirts, cloaks, 1920’s flapper fashion, glamorous 1930’s evening wear, utility clothing from the 1940’s, 1950’s petticoats, the 1960’s mini skirt and flower power, disco styles of the 1970’s.
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