Fashion

Titanic task for AC Arts costume students

TAFE SA Adelaide College of the Arts (AC Arts) Costume for Performance students will showcase their Titanic inspired period costumes in Adelaide Arcade as part of the 2011 SALA Festival from 5 to 28 August.

In their final year, the eight students studying the Diploma of Costume for Performance were given the Titanic task of creating their costumes on a budget of $70.

Over five months the students have designed and constructed costumes of real and fictitious passengers of the RMS Titanic, right down to the undergarments and corsets. The pieces on display range from day dress and suits, to gowns and tuxedos, maid and butler uniforms and even the Captain.

Costume for Performance lecturer Jenny Ramos is proud of the pieces her students have constructed and said: “The Titanic inspired period costumes have given the third year students an opportunity to make garments to their own design, within a given brief, which is what performance costuming is all about.”

“Through this project they (the students) have consolidated the skills they have learnt over the previous three years of their course, such as patternmaking and construction and learnt new techniques in period corsetry and tailoring,” Ms Ramos said.

Third year student, Abigael Casey’s costumes were inspired by real passengers on the Titanic – lead violinist Wallace Hartley and actress/singer Dorothy Gibson. The most challenging part of the project for Abigael was time management and working to small budget, but seeing the finished costumes is the highlight.

“I can look at the finished pieces and know how challenging the whole process was and feel accomplished knowing that I overcame them to create something amazing,” she said.

On what she loves about studying at AC Arts, Abigael said: “It such a connected place where we get to work with students from other departments in productions; you really feel like you're a part of something bigger.

“I feel like I've learnt so much in the Costume for Performance course, from my teachers and from my classmates. I just love being in place full of such creativity, it's really very inspiring!” she said.

This is the sixth year that AC Arts Diploma of Costume for Performance has been part of the SALA Festival.

The period costumes on display will also be worn during the launch of the Adelaide Arcade Titanic Maiden Voyage commemoration in 2012.

What: Costumes of the RMS ‘Titanic’ SALA festival exhibition.
When: Exhibition runs from 5 until 28 August.
Where: Adelaide Arcade, Rundle Mall, Adelaide.
Find out more about the Costume for Performance course at www.tafesa.edu.au/acarts or call 8463 5000.
SALA Festival www.salafestival.com

More News

To Top