AFS Studios

     COSTUME WORK -  Design and manufacture of made to order costumes for         Renaissance fair actors, costume shops, general public, industrial and commercial films, print ads, music videos, children’s videos, cable programs and special events 

              Theatrical Films

                   “Creep Tales”, 20 horror and fantasy creature costumes and makeups

                   “Murker’s Promise”, 30 men’s and women’s Victorian & Edwardian costumes

                             and makeups

                   “Final Exit”, Fantasy costumes, creature costumes and makeup

 

              Over 250 full costumes and historical reproductions from 30,000 BC to present:

              famous film charcters, science fiction aliens, apes, fantasy creatures, mascots,

              and cartoon characters

 

              Costumes for Theatrical Plays and dialogues:  "The Crucible", "Hamlet",

                     "Othello", "Romeo and Juliet" 

                  

           NOTES ON SOME OF THE COSTUMES SEEN ON THESE PAGES:

 

               1367 Pourpoint – from a variety of sources including Blanche Payne’s “History of Costume” (Pattern Draft No. 1) and

               Francois Boucher's "20,000 Years of Fashion" figures 358-9. Based on the extant existing pourpoint of Charles of
               Blois that has survived for over 600 years (Musee de Tissus, Lyons). It is thought to perhaps be a fencing doublet
               since it is heavily padded. The original is made of white silk embroidered with lions and eagles in rondels.

               Reproduction of silk upholstery, padded, quilted with taffeta lining, plastic gilt buttons, gilt resin belt mounted on 

               taffeta; velveteen cloak lined with taffeta. 2007

               1490 Venetian Gown – taken from a variety of pictorial sources (Durer, Vecellio, Carpaccio, Ghirlandaio). High-waisted

               Italian/Germanic gown with slashed sleeves of a material different from the body of the gown and slashed bodice front

               showing the lining. This was for a Renaissance masked ball and also used for the role of Lady Macbeth. Reproduction of

               of upholstery brocade, silk damask, taffeta, metallic gold braid and silk cording, brass aiglets (conical metal tags),

               linen chemise. 2006

               1562 Italian Woman’s gown based on the grave clothes of Eleanora of Toledo, wife of Cosimo I de’Medici, who died

               in 1562 at the age of 40 from malaria (Palazzo Pitti, Florence). The pattern was taken by Janet Arnold (“Patterns of

               Fashion, 1550-1620” pages 102-104) and includes conjectural sleeves based on contemporary paintings by Bronzino

               of Eleanora (none remained with the original gown when it was studied by Arnold) and from the drawing in Arnold’s

               book. I found that once I made this gown, its shape was more suitably supported by a cone–shaped Spanish

               farthingale viz Alcega’s of 1589 (pattern from “Libro de Geometrica, pratica y traca” reproduced in Janet Arnold’s

               book, figures 27 and 28); although I have seen representations where this style is worn without undersupport.

               Reproduction of upholstery damask, velvet panels with multicolored glitter designs, taffeta lining, silk interlining,

               Osnaburg linen lining with pasteboard bodice support between the two interlining layers of linen, antique metallic gold

               braid, gold cord lacing in the back. 2007

               1550 Venetian “Othello” – from Cesare Vecellio’s work “Habiti antichi, et moderni di tutto il Mondo“ (“Antique and

               Modern Costumes of the World”, Venice, 1590), engraving numbers 122, 434. This was for a friend’s role as “Othello”.

               Often I will buy a piece of fabric and it will sit on my costume room shelf for years before finding a suitable use.

               The dark gray brown and black heavy wool/cotton mix brocade was perfect for this outfit but actors will always

               complain about the heaviness and body heat generated in the outfits, especially for outdoor performances here in

               Texas. Wool upholstery brocade gown, moleskin tunic, taffeta lining, resin gilt clasps, linen shirt. 2006              

      1572 Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603). Gown based on the so-called “Pelican” portrait (in the National Portrait Gallery in London) because  of the enameled pin she wears. Portrait attributed to Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619), who did many similar miniatures and paintings of the Queen and members of her court throughout her reign (1558-1603); his portraits are the best documents of clothing of the nobility during the Elizabethan era. The pelican jewel, from a variety of sources, was a symbol of the queen’s charity. According to the medieval bestiaries, the pelican would beat its breast bloody, sacrificing its own life in order to revive its young when they were starving, which was seen as a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice. Underneath all is a Spanish farthingale of linen (after Alcega, 1589, Arnold) with wire and tubing supports to hold out the overskirt into the characteristic bell shape. This outfit also includes a full corset or "pair of bodies" of linen stiffened with matte board and metal strips under the bodice, the pattern also from Arnold (German, c 1598, pattern p.112). Gown of Taffeta, lined same, chenille upholstry velvet sleeves, partlet and underskirt. Gilt resin mounts for acrylic gems and pearls, bobbin lace, "Pelican" jewel of acrylic. 2008-09 

     1562 Italian Gentleman’s doublet, paned trunk hose, cloak and hat. All patterns from Janet Arnold’s “Patterns of Fashion: 1550-1620” (Drama Books, New York, 1985). The doublet and paned trunk hose are based on Don Garza de Medici’s grave clothes from when he died in 1562 at age 15 (Palazzo Pitti, Florence, the pattern modified and expanded to my own measurements, Arnold pages 53-54). Semi-circular Cloak from Arnold p. 96 (pattern 33), figure 252 based on a Spanish model c.1560-90 (not shown here). Italian bonnet of Don Garza’s made of velvet c.1562 from Arnold page 56 (also not seen here). A similar costume can be seen being worn by Spanish Prince Don Carlos in 1560 with the rows of horizontal gold ribbon covering the entire surface of the doublet and trunk hose. Reproduction of moleskin, (doublet, trunk hose, cloak), taffeta lining for trunk hose and cloak, upholstery panels on cloak front and collar, silk tassels, metallic gold ribbon, metal gilt buttons, Osnaburg linen interlining on trunk hose panes and doublet, light padding in the belly. Brass aiglets (metal tags on the ends of taffeta ribbons for tying breeches to the doublet), linen shirt, spandex hose, leather shoes. 2007