Materials, Tools & Processes used:

Design, Mannufacturing & Finishing Processes

 

Colleen Atwood's costume designs require intense detailing and specific manufacturing processes that are time consuming, need heavy planning and extensive skill to achieve results.

 

1. DESIGN BRIEF:Identifies a problem that needs to be solved. Who is affected? What is the cause? And how do we fix it? Background, Problem, Limitations.

Colleen Atwood's first step of her design process would be to consider the situation/design brief she has been given. She begins with the script and a meeting with the director to receive specific information about the needs and wants of the film, the characters, themes, direction etc. This begins the process of researching.

 

2. IDEATION & 3. RESEARCH:Come up with initial ideas through brainstorming, sketching, discussion etc. this process should lead to a number of solutions, some of which will be better than others.

She undertakes extensive research to begin generating ideas. This usually involves studying the period the film is set in, the country of origin, style of fashion trends, what characters need to be emphasised and how. For example when researching costuming or Memoirs of a Geisha Colleen Atwood travelled to an ancient city in Japan where she visited museums, found books and worked with Japanese fashion consultants.

"My creative process is pretty random. I absorb material, go into a zone and as I look around, and think, ideas come. I then hit research, concepts and sketches along with swatching materials, as they can inspire the process."- Colleen Atwood

 

4. FINAL IDEA: Ideas are developed and refined. Sketches of final idea become clearer with detailing and labelling.

Colleen Atwood takes into consideration more than just the aesthetics of a costume, she needs to understand how it is going to fit on the characters body, what fabric it needs to be and will it need to cater for excessive movement. At this point she can figure out these details and finalise her ideas previously acquired. For Colleen Atwood the final idea may also be selected by the producer or director of the film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. MANUFACTURE: Once a design solution is established manufacture is the step where it is created and produced. It usually entails measuring & cutting, joining, finishing and presenting.

Colleen Atwood's designs are very labour intensive requiring large amounts of time during manufacturing, usually requiring teams of workers to create the numerous costumes. For example the feather cape worn by the evil queen in Snow White & the Huntsman, the feathers were all hand-trimmed and individually placed on silk. It took two workers two weeks to manufacture. The kimonos from the film Memoirs of a Geisha took thirty workers to construct more than 250 kimonos in four to five months, using expensive hand painted silks. These examples show the complex step of manufacture.

 

6. EVALUATION: Does the design do what it said it would? Does it match the requirements in the brief? Use a PMI analysis. List the PLUS, MINUS, and IMPROVEMENTS of the design.

Colleen Atwood undertakes personal assessment of her design along with the directors and producers of the film as well as the numerous feedback given by movie critics, the media and the general public who become the audience of the film.