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The Dressmaker Costume Exhibition Launch


Yes your girl did contemplate on skipping class to come this event, but don't worry, she didn't. Man it took me this long to upload all the pics from the preview and VIP gala opening of The Dressmaker Costume Exhibition on April.

As per usual that day Melbourne dared itself to be moody again with its weather. And though it got me all sleepy and gloomy throughout the day, my whole experience during the launch slapped my happy bone back in its place. Art & Culture: 1 - Weather: 0. Brief recap, the exhibition showcases 50 beautiful costumes that was featured in the movie The Dressmaker, an Australian movie set in the 1950s starring Kate Winslet, Judy Davis and Liam Hemsworth.

The word 'Details Details Details' kept repeating in my head the whole time. Every piece from the collection was breathtaking, not to mention it was all inspired by Parisian couture which I really dig. I literally had my mouth opened the whole time I was taking pictures, I might have swallowed a bug and felt nothing. It was like walking through a piece of theatre and they couldn't have chosen a more perfect spot to exhibit their works of art.

The way the dresses were set made it easy to see all of its details in action. From the way the mannequins pose, the way the light casts shadows as it bounces of the fabrics, the soft wisps from the fans for dresses to twirl, every intricate detail made the house alive. Level of Curatorship: Insane.

I'm one of the lucky chums as I was able to meet the people behind such divine works, kudos to novelist Rosalie Hamm and costume designer Marion Boyce for making it happen. During our tour around the mansion I picked up several notes that stuck in my head for some time and that is: undergarments are super important. Boyce emphasized that having the right pair of underwear could easily translate one to the right body posture.

I was introduced to the world of costume design when doing theatre in high school and trust me, designing 10 outfits for a school play is tedious enough so it's easy to imagine how tough Marion Boyce had it. Most of the things I studied match her experience as a costume designer. First you need to know the setting of the film and the style of cinematography they're going for, you need to have good research on the practitioners of the film as a reference when exploring the tone of your grand design. During the process of designing the outfits, plenty of it usually looks at studying the script to breakdown the character and this involves activities such as Gestus. Gestus carries the combination of physical gesture and attitude, it is the means of which is “expressible in words or action”. Gestus, as the expression of an attitude carries two meanings. The first is the uncovering of motivations and settlements that forms the basis for a dramatic exchange between characters. The second is the epic narration of the character by the actor. Boyce definitely got her way around the this. Just by looking at the outfits, the viewers are be able to identify the character's personality and history.









Exhibition opens everyday at Rippon Lea House and Gardens until 31st of July 2016.

Zzz.

Trivita


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