During my time studying BA (Hons0 Costume at AUB, I have sewn menswear and womenswear from a wide range of time periods, including dressmaking and tailoring from 1630–1950.

For my Final Major Project, I made two costumes from the mid-17th century inspired by Tracy Chevalier’s novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring, the 2003 film of the same name and paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, specifically those of Johannes Vermeer. The costumes were made for film and the whole ensemble, including under and outer garments, were made by myself.

My womenswear was for the character Griet, Vermeer’s maid. For this costume, I used historically-accurate dressmaking methods and construction to make the costume look as authentic as possible. It was largely inspired by The Lace Maker by Caspar Netscher (1662).

My menswear was for the character Vermeer, a middle-class painter. For this costume I also used historically-accurate tailoring techniques to achieve the correct structure and silhouette. This costume was largely inspired by Portrait of a painter in front of his easel by Pieter Codde (1630).

Other highlights of my degree include my 1850s dress made for theatre. This costume included a red silk bodice and ruffled skirt, also a frilled petticoat and crinoline. I enjoyed utilising the dye room to screen print decoration onto my costumes. Learning to tailor a Victorian morning coat was another highlight of mine and I have enjoyed doing in-depth research into dress history when writing my essays and research documents.

During my final year, I was lucky enough to do a work placement on an upcoming Disney feature film. During this time, I worked in the workroom and spent time at Angels hire house where I learned so many new skills.

I aim to begin a career as a costume maker in film and TV. I will continue to develop my social media presence and expand my knowledge of historical costume and dress history.