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Charlie Tolley

Charlie Tolley

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Charlie Tolley
Winner – Jean Hunnisett Award for Costume
BA (Hons) Costume

Charlie Tolley

Having worked in various fields, my time on BA (Hons) Costume ignited a passion for tailoring and menswear, particularly the manipulation of fabrics to contour the body.

In my final year at AUB, I focused on tailoring and bridging gaps in my CV. I created a fantastical costume for Grimshaw in Wolves of Willoughby Chase, tailoring unconventional fabrics for a unique three-piece suit. This project challenged my pattern drafting and problem solving, which has proved invaluable since. Furthermore, I tailored an 18th century suit for Fabrizio in La Casa Nova, enhancing my skills and solidifying my role as a tailor. I also created a tailored dressing gown for SISATA’s Peter Pan.

My additional work as a milliner for La Casa Nova involved independently crafting three professional-quality tricornes, drawing on my experience as a millinery assistant.

During my final year, I dressed three productions: Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Day of Dance: Icons, and La Casa Nova.

Plans after degree

I aim to continue working in stage and screen, building on past work like ITV’s The Masked Singer and Andrew Logan’s Alternative Miss World at the Globe. My goal is to open my own studio, offering bespoke costuming and design services.

Collaborator

Role

Maya Mansfield-Catterall-King, Kieran Wilkinson, Isobel Kantaris

Costume designers

Larissa Gray, Seren Rees, Nicole McCafferty, Rachel Lacey

Costume supervisors

Izzy Cresswell, Cassie Winterborne

Set designers

Robert Elson, Adam Ellen-Martin, Fin Whitfield, Solo Candy, Jack DeLacey

Models, actors

Lucy Amber Havard, Jayne Jackson, Scarlett Weg

Photographers

Alex Walker, Molly Finklaire

Make-up artists