Costumes
Costumes are a vital part of the visual impact in a stage performance. They not only enhance but also personify the themes we aim to convey. Let us, the costume team, take you through the process of creating and styling costumes for all the participants in our Five Elements production.
Our Creative Process
We began by brainstorming each element—Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether—and discussing how the costumes could represent them through color, texture, shape, and size. Our goal was to embody the strength of Earth, the fluidity of Water, the lightness of Air, and the power and brightness of Fire in our designs.
Earth: We wanted to reflect the grounding force of Earth, so we cut up and wove earth-toned t-shirts. This texture and muted color palette captured the strength and rawness of the element.
Water: For Water, we envisioned flow and elegance. We repurposed blue wrap-around skirts from a previous performance in December 2018 and used them as tops, creating a fluid and graceful movement that represented the essence of water.
Fire: The intensity and warmth of Fire were expressed using draped orange and red dupattas, each paired with a gold dupatta to signify its radiant brightness. The layering of these fiery colors created a striking visual effect.
Air: Air required minimalism but with a sense of movement. We draped white dupattas to create a light, flowing effect, evoking the gentle movement of wind. The simplicity in design captured the airy and weightless nature of this element.
Ether: Ether, being the most abstract element, was represented through a black base. Black wrap-around skirts were used as tops, with white t-shirts for the balloon performers, allowing the element to maintain a sense of mystery and balance.
Our Wardrobe Experience
Working with the wardrobe team for Project Week was a unique and fantastic experience. We loved exploring various fabrics and textures, and while some of us had done similar work before, for many it was a first-time experience. The team dynamics taught us to be more open-minded and to listen to each other's ideas. Since we were pressed for time, we had to come up with efficient designs that still looked visually appealing.
It was quite challenging at times—especially when we had to leave out some great ideas due to time constraints—but seeing the finished product made us all proud. The process of ideation was sometimes long and tiring, but experimenting with different fabrics and techniques was also a lot of fun. We appreciated that Priyanka di gave us time to explore our ideas before finalizing the costumes, as it allowed us to gain clarity on what worked best. Many new ideas emerged during these experimental phases.
One day, we sought help from Uttama di, who taught us an important lesson: what might look shabby or underwhelming up close often enhances the stage performance and creates a magical effect under the spotlight. This realization that theater requires exaggeration opened our eyes to the nuances of costume design for the stage.
Key Takeaways
This experience taught us invaluable lessons—not just about fashion design, but also about teamwork, creativity, and translating ideas into concrete, visual representations. For anyone interested in fashion design, or even those who simply enjoy working with fabrics, this experience is highly recommended. It enhances your ability to conceptualize, execute, and refine your ideas in a way that brings your vision to life.
These are the combined takeaways of our team from this wonderful journey with the wardrobe department.
