For this project, I endeavoured to create a historically accurate production of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. This project was part of the final year of my BA, completed during the covid lockdown in Spring 2020.
For this theoretical production, I designed and constructed one costume for the character of Rachel, a servant to the heroine Helen. In the novel Rachel helps Helen escape her abusive husband, remaining her loyal companion throughout the story, yet in productions she is often overlooked. I sought to create a vibrant costume for Rachel to bring her to the forefront. Through research, I discovered that favoured servants of rich families would receive clothing from their employers, so I opted for a very 1830s silhouette. I investigated the textile production and pattern cutting of the time, using surviving pieces as inspiration, visiting the Fashion Museum in Bath and the Glasgow Resource Centre.
