Costume Challenge: Rehearsal Blacks, Elevated

In our last post, we challenged students to create elevated costume looks using only black clothing and accessories. This time, we’ll have one costume item and challenge students to style it differently to create various looks. In short, how can students use one item in many different ways? This exercise is useful to show students how they can create different, interesting looks using very little. Going forward, students can use this experience to help them costume a show on a budget, because when you use multi-purpose items, you don’t have to spend as much money. This exercise works best with groups of three. Each student will get the chance to be the costume head, the assistant, and the model. The exercise is done in three rounds. You’ll need enough costume items so each group has an item to work with. The colour and pattern of the items doesn’t matter. For the first round, each group will need a large piece of rectangular or square fabric, such as an oversized scarf, a sari, a bedsheet, or a towel. For the second round, each group will need a large piece of clothing, such as an oversized hoodie, a long dress (preferably made of an easy-moving fabric such as cotton or jersey), or a similar oversized, billowy clothing item. For the third round, each group will need a pair of shoes with laces. It’s up to you whether you keep the costume items a surprise or reveal them to the groups in advance. Instructions1. Have each group determine who is Partner A, Partner B, and Partner C. 2. For the first round, Partner A is the costume head, Partner B is the assistant, and Partner C is the model. 3. Partner A will receive the first round costume item — a large piece of fabric. Over the top of Partner C’s clothes, Partner A needs to manipulate and style the fabric to create three different costume looks. They can fold, scrunch, wrap, twist, and otherwise manipulate the fabric to make different styles or items — just don’t rip or cut the fabric. For example, the fabric might be tied around the model’s waist to create a wrap skirt or beach coverup, tied around the model’s neck to use as a cape, or wrapped around their arm or leg to use as a sling. As the assistant, Partner B is there to provide help and take a digital photograph of each look to submit to the teacher. 4. Once they have styled the fabric in three unique ways and taken the photographs, the group can neatly fold the fabric and return it to the teacher, and then move on to the second round. 5. For the second round, Partner B is the costume head, Partner C is the assistant, and Partner A is the model. 6. Repeat Step 3 with the second round costume item — an oversized hoodie, long dress, or similar large, billowy item. Again, no cutting or ripping the item. This round will be a bit different because, in contrast to the plain piece of fabric, the hoodie or dress will have a definite shape and different features, such as sleeves and pockets. For example, the hoodie could be worn as it usually is (as a shirt), tied around the waist for a casual look, and then tied around the neck for a preppy look. Students might fold the hoodie into a hat, using the sleeves to tie it to the model’s head or create interesting details. The long dress might be shortened by tying knots around the edge of the fabric, or worn as a skirt or an off-shoulder dress with the bodice tucked down at various points on the body. 7. Once Partner B creates three different looks and Partner C photographs, the items are to be neatly folded or hung up, and returned to the teacher for the third and final round. 8. For the third round, Partner C is the costume head, Partner A is the assistant, and Partner B is the model. 9. Repeat Step 3 with the third round costume item — a pair of shoes with laces. This item poses a challenge because it’s unexpected and doesn’t provide much coverage. If your students have played the theatre game Props, have them think about the shoes in the same way. Where on the body could the shoes be worn, other than on the feet? The shoes could be tied to the model’s head like a hat or fascinator, worn on their hands like puppets, or worn as a scarf or necklace by tying the laces together and draping them over their shoulders. If students are stumped, how could they style the shoelaces in three different ways? 10. Once Partner C creates three different looks and Partner A photographs, they can return the items to the teacher. All group members will complete and submit an individual reflection (found below) as well as submit their three photos.

This costume challenge builds on the costume design skills that students practiced in two recent blog posts: Rehearsal Blacks, Elevated and One Item, Three Ways. Students will work in pairs to create a costume design using only found materials, such as construction paper, newspaper, toilet paper or toilet paper rolls, fabric scraps, duct tape, and so on — anything you might find in a craft supply box or recycling bin. They’ll create a detailed, labelled costume sketch, and use the found materials to add colour, texture, and interesting features. Then, if you have an abundance of materials and would like to take this challenge to the next level, pairs will use the found materials to make a human-sized costume. Some of the problems they’ll need to solve include figuring out how much of a material they’ll need to complete the costume, how to use the found items in a way that covers the body appropriately while still looking stylish, and how to make their costume actually stay together on a body. Materials Needed:• Plain paper • Pencils • Scissors • Glue • A box of various found materials, such as construction paper, tissue paper, wrapping paper, newspaper, toilet paper and/or toilet paper rolls, fabric scraps, straws, yarn, tin foil, bottle caps, cotton balls, duct tape, leaves, and so on. If students will only be designing, you’ll need a smaller container of materials. If students will also create real costumes from their designs, you will need as many materials as you can get your hands on! You might want to reach out to other school departments, local crafting communities, and/or students and their families to help acquire supplies. • If students are constructing real costumes, they may need to access a basic neutral base garment to attach their materials to. (They also might come up with their own interesting way of constructing the garment and not need the base item.) Instructions1. Divide students into pairs. 2. Each pair will select a person or character to design a costume for. The subject can be a character from a play or musical, or a character from popular culture (a book, movie, television show, comic book, etc.). 3. Each pair will create one original sketch of their character’s costume. Students who aren’t the most confident artists can do a search for “design figure template” or “blank costume template.” 4. Students will cut and glue the items from the found materials box to the sketch they made to show colour, texture, material choice, details, and/or accessories. Perhaps they’ll design a fluffy robe using cotton balls, a dress made of leaves and tree bark, or a suit made of wrapping paper, with a matching top hat and lapel flower decorated with gift bows. 5. Students will label all the parts of the design, indicating the different aspects of the costume and what the materials are. Be sure to note all details that are included, such as acorn buttons on the leaf dress, or glasses made out of pipe cleaners to go along with the cotton-ball robe. As well, students must title their sketch with the character’s name and what they’re from (e.g., “Annabeth Chase from The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical”) and include a brief description of the outfit and its purpose (e.g., Cinderella’s ball gown for Act 2 Scene 1, Harry Potter’s Quidditch uniform from The Chamber of Secrets, Lumiere’s human transformation outfit from the final scene of Beauty and the Beast). 6. Each pair will submit their completed costume design. Each student in the pair will complete and submit an individual exit slip response (found in the download below). 7. Optional Next-Level Challenge: Students will build a life-sized version of their costume design, using the same found materials indicated and used in their design. Both students in the pair will work on the design and construction of the costume. Students may want to use a neutral base garment (such as a plain t-shirt and pants) and attach the items to it, or they might come up with their own creative method of constructing the costume. Once they have constructed their costume, they’ll present it to the class, either live or by recording a video. One student will model the costume while the other student verbally presents and describes the design, the inspiration, and a breakdown of the materials used. (What kind and why? How much/many used?)

The following exercise challenges students to take on the role of costume designer and come up with a modern look for a character from a different era. Students will learn about the character and the time period in which they lived to create a modern ensemble inspired by the traditional looks of the era. This exercise can be done individually or in pairs, and adapted for distance learning. Materials Needed: • Sketch paper and pencil • Colouring tools – pencil crayons, markers, or paints • Fashion magazines/catalogues • Scissors • Glue or tape • Box of various fabric scraps, buttons, trims, etc. • Computer with Internet access and colour printer • Poster board or binder with plastic page protectors Instructions: 1. Select a character and get to know them.Select a character from a play to design a costume for. The play must be set in a different era. Shakespearean plays and classic Greek theatre plays immediately jump to mind, but there are plenty of shows that would be applicable. Read the script and get to know the chosen character. Are there any descriptions in the text about what the character wears? What does the character do in the show that might give an idea of what they need or choose to wear? How old are they? What is their job or social status? What time of year is the play set in? Write a short biography (5-8 points) about the character that would help a costume designer think of what they would wear. 2. Research Part 1.Identify the time period that the play is set in. Learn about the traditional fashions of the era. For example, in Greek theatre, actors wear draped fabrics and masks. The style of the Renaissance era was short puffed pants with high socks, neck ruffs, and various hats, often with a feather as decoration. Create a brief written description of the clothing worn, and choose 3-5 images (such as printouts from the internet, photocopies from books, tear outs from magazines) to illustrate the clothing. Note interesting and important details that are characteristic of the era, such as fabric (types, colours, fit – tight or loose), trim (buttons, ribbons, lace, jewels – or lack thereof), or accessories (hats, belts, shoes, gloves, jewelry, masks). 3. Research Part 2.Look up images of past productions of the selected play, and focus on the chosen character. Look for “traditional” costume interpretations of the selected character that reflect the fashions of the era that students learned about in the previous step. Choose 3-5 images to represent the traditional costume interpretation of the selected character, and create a brief written description noting those particular aspects of the costumes. 4. Research Part 3.Now it’s time to get modern! Search through fashion magazines and catalogues (both print and online) and look for details in modern fashion looks that are reminiscent of historical fashions. Maybe a Prada jacket with a fancy collar is reminiscent of an Elizabethan neck ruff, or a Gucci gown has a similar shape to an Edwardian dress. It doesn’t have to be only high fashion – perhaps a celebrity photo shoot from Teen Vogue or an image of an athlete in a suit in Sports Illustrated might inspire students. Choose 3-5 inspirational images to be the basis for the costume design. Be sure to indicate in a written description the specific details of the modern fashions that are reminiscent of the outfits of the past era. 5. Design.Students will create an original sketch of their character’s modern costume. Students who aren’t the most confident artists can do a search for “design figure template.” Students will draw and colour the costume. Have students indicate and label on the sketch important details such as types of fabric, trims, notions, accessories, and shoes. Include physical pieces such as fabric swatches, or a sample button, ribbon, or trim. Note how the modern costume elements relate to the fashion of the original time, as well as how the modern costume serves the character and their needs/wants/job/social status. 6. Present.Students will collect their written pieces, images, sketch, and extra pieces, and either attach them to a poster board or assemble them into a binder with plastic page protectors. Students will present their costume design to the class. Distance learning alternatives: • Gather students on zoom and have them present their costumes. • Students can create a digital poster board and submit them. • Students can video their sketches and narrate their choices. No need for a camera; they can use their phones. 7. Reflect.Students will complete and submit a reflection, found below.