With 25 years industry experience of theatrical costume and garment tailoring for film, theatre, television and fashion, mostly within the UK and New Zealand. I have become a highly skilled pattern drafter, cutter, master tailor and workroom supervisor. Whom is very accustomed to working within the strictest deadlines, to the highest of standards, with a professional confident approach.
Throughout my career I have been responsible for producing costumes and garments that are bespoke pieces, made to measure, for principle world class lead performers. Often of extremely unique design, with specialist movement requirements.
Extensive research has been both instrumental and integral throughout my career, with creating male and female tailoring, from period cuts through to the modern day. This includes all underpinnings of corsets and frames etc. essential elements to create the appropriate historical silhouettes. With this brings a great ability to deal with ‘fantasy’ and ‘out of the usual’ designs, drawing from my technical skills of 2D to 3D understanding. Experience also includes classical to modern dance wear, tutu construction and stretch wear, due to my time employed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Since working within the film industry in New Zealand, especially on the fantasy and sci-fi productions, my classical training has been complimented greatly by expanding my skill set with an array of costume props construction techniques. Productions have also been incredibly textile creation heavy, requiring a very strong relationship with the fabrication team and myself as pattern drafter, in order to plan, create, execute and successfully combine textile design layouts, in conjunction with the garment pattern piece requirements.
Alongside my professional career I have also spent considerable time teaching students and mentoring other industry peers. From this direct contact I have witnessed the complexities and difficulties others have when translating basic pattern making principles. This has made me question how improvements can be made, which in turn has driven my own personal development of exploring the diversity of pattern drafting. In particular pattern drafting techniques and considerations required to produce made to measure bespoke clothing. Currently I am in the process of collating research and writing up the system which I have developed for direct pattern drafting utilising individualised personal measurements.
This drive for self development, since achieving a First Class Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Theatre Design / Costume Interpretation at Wimbledon School of Art back in 1999, also pushed me to further my skills with a Diploma in Digital Photography in 2015. Having been a keen photographer since childhood, it was a wonderful to re-ignite an alternate creative interest, as well as being an essential skill development, complimentary to my everyday work. The course also was heavily reliant on both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator proficiency.
Anna Deacon Couture 