Isabel Cope's Portfolio and CV
Final Year Exhibition
This is all the work I have completed in my final year at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. This includes my show make for Troilus and Cressida and final project on 1890’s Women in Sport. My final project consists of a hand printed Tennis dress, a Cycling suit and a Golf suit. I researched into each of my pieces for my final project to ensure each of my pieces represented the range of practicality of sportswear in the 1890’s. My research can be found in a link below each piece of work.
Tennis
This is my Tennis dress, I blocked and trimmed the hat, I hand printed to tennis rackets on cotton lawn and hand embroidered the collar, yoke and sleeve frills. I wanted to show the little ways they made a seemingly impractical dress practical. Like how the hem is at least four inches off the ground. This dress was also made to show how women were ornaments in sport and never really taken seriously.
Cycling
This is the cycling suit I created based off the rational dress of the time. The rational dress was considered “extreme” and very political at the time. I wanted to show the most practical clothing women could wear, even though they would have been ridiculed at the time because of it. Many women went on cycling tours of Europe and would wear garments like this and blend in but when they got back to Britain, they would get verbal and physical abuse for it.
Golf
This Golf suit was to show the middle ground of practical and impractical garments that were around at the time, also how men’s tailoring was being integrated into women’s costumes at the time. I took heavy inspiration from hunting and hiking suits from the time. Many would go to Scotland for these activities, so I wanted to create a spring and winter set. That is why I chose the classic shirtwaist which was very popular at the time and skirt with inbuilt petticoat.
Helen- Troilus and Cressida
Troilus and Cressida
Photos by Craig Fuller
The Redgrave Theatre 4th- 5th June 2021