Georgie Hartland is a third-year BA (Hons) Design for Costume and Performance student who’s currently designing costumes for AUB Productions’ upcoming performance, Still Here. In this story, she discusses her personal style, life as a student at AUB and some unique projects she’s had the chance to take part in.
Since I was very little, being creative was a big part of who I was, and as I grew up, I started to have a fascination with drawing people and portraiture. I also had a love for drama and theatre so when I combined the two, I found that costume design could be the right path for me. When I began university, it was the first time experiencing the world of costume design. I realised how important costume was for bringing characters to life and I found such joy in that.
I’m a huge visual person, so anything that catches my eye immediately becomes inspiration. But I also love researching and history – when designing period costumes, I love being as accurate as possible, especially with silhouettes. When it comes to fabrics and colours, I tend to get creative and play around more.
Since drawing is one of my favourite things, when it comes to designing, a big part of that is creating visuals and illustrations. I love to incorporate the actors into my designs to bring them to life and create excitement.
My journey at AUB has been quite experimental. I’ve ended up doing projects that I never thought I’d be able to pull off, including a recent Jane Austen project for a real-life client, Dorset Museum. I’ve been lucky that my course tutors have worked so closely with us, so that we get our highest standards of work. I hear about my friends at other unis and know that they don’t get the same one-on-one treatment that we do. I think my favourite work has to be my costume illustrations that I’ve been working on recently – it's been so great to see my personal style develop to a professional level.
I always try to keep up with creativity and drawing, but outside that, I love sports. I often go to the gym or swim, which helps me keep the uni work/life balance that I need. I’ve learned to have a routine that works for me, so having the gym as a release or break can be so useful to escape workloads. I’m also the social secretary for Bournemouth Snowriders. Having that social life outside uni is so important to me and it’s actually really helped with my people skills, which are so important in our industry.
After I graduate, my first aim is to travel and experience life before I settle into work. When it comes to work, I’d love to become a costume illustrator, which is where a designer will give you their designs and you draw it out digitally and make it into concept art. I’ve been working on this a lot, and I think the job would suit me well. I’d also like to get some experience on film, theatre or even in museums – just to try it out!
Want to see more of Georgie’s work?
Follow her on Instagram @georgiehartlanddesign
