{"id":5251,"date":"2017-10-30T13:50:53","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T20:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/?p=5251"},"modified":"2017-10-31T11:57:46","modified_gmt":"2017-10-31T18:57:46","slug":"troupe-costuming-design-brief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2017\/10\/troupe-costuming-design-brief\/","title":{"rendered":"Troupe Costuming: The Design Brief"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"In my last post<\/a>, I talked about an assemblage hamsa pendant I made for a recent performance by my dance ensemble Swirl.\u00a0 <\/span>I received an interesting question regarding our costuming.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHow did you decide on these costumes and how much did they cost?\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>So I thought I would take a moment to share how I use a design brief as a tool when planning costumes for a troupe.\u00a0 At left: Swirl post-performance at HaflAdira. Zemira is in purple, Vakasha is in black, redvelvet is in rust, and I’m in blue.<\/p>\n

What is a Design Brief?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A design brief is a tool used by designers of all ilk to communicate the process and scope of a design project with a client.\u00a0 <\/span>As a dance ensemble leader, my role is to guide the decision process.\u00a0 <\/span>I really like to get input from all of the members, but ultimately, as the leader, I\u2019m the \u201cbuck stops here\u201d person who makes the final decision.\u00a0 <\/span>So when I\u2019m working with Swirl, I\u2019m both the designer and the client.<\/p>\n

Design Brief Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I like a design brief that\u2019s simply a loosely structured set of essential questions.\u00a0 <\/span>These answers form the framework for completing the design project.\u00a0 <\/span>When working with a troupe, you need to be exceptionally clear with each of the members of the group. To keep everyone on the same page, I like to document discussions via email, so that we have all the same details about budget, sources, and deadlines.<\/p>\n

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  1. What is the \u201cStyle\u201d of the costume?<\/li>\n
  2. What is the Budget?<\/li>\n
  3. What is the timeline?<\/li>\n
  4. Are we starting from scratch, or do we have items in our wardrobes?<\/li>\n
  5. How many pieces do we need for the basic costume?<\/li>\n
  6. What accessories do we need?<\/li>\n
  7. What is on the \u201cDo Not\u201d list of exceptions?<\/li>\n
  8. Who are our sources?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Swirl Design Brief Answered<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    To give you an idea of how a design brief works, I’m going to share the answers that our ensemble Swirl discussed and decided upon for our October show. When you start discussing costuming options, it is a good idea to have some photograph examples or samples of the garments and accessories you’re considering.<\/p>\n

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    1. Our style is Ethnographic fusion, based around the fabric Assiut<\/li>\n
    2. Our budget is flexible, but pulling most pieces from our existing wardrobes.<\/li>\n
    3. Timeline – We had two weeks to dress rehearsal, four weeks to performance.<\/li>\n
    4. We pulled most of our pieces from our existing wardrobes, sharing pieces within our group when someone was short of an item.\u00a0<\/span>I lent Vakasha an assiut panel to use in her headdress and I lent Zemira a purple silk veil.\u00a0<\/span>Sharing keeps costs down!<\/li>\n
    5. Our costume was composed of black pants and bra as our base layer.\u00a0 <\/span>An assiut robe in a unique color within the group.<\/li>\n
    6. In addition, we each were tasked with putting together multiple necklaces with the word \u201cRich and Lush\u201d as our guide, and a headdress that included assiut, jewelry, and a silk veil.\u00a0 <\/span>The note for makeup was \u201cGo Extreme.\u201d<\/li>\n
    7. Our \u201cdo not\u201d was simply – Do not match.\u00a0 <\/span>We each choose a unique color.\u00a0 <\/span>We also wanted to spend as little as possible.\u00a0 <\/span>Each of us already collects assiut costuming pieces and owns both a black robe and a colorful robe.\u00a0 <\/span>Pulling from our wardrobes meant keeping our costs minimal.<\/li>\n
    8. Because we pulled from our own costume collections, we didn\u2019t put together a source list.\u00a0 <\/span>One of the group bought a scarf to use as a headdress base, and I put together a new necklace.\u00a0 <\/span>Each troupe member was left up to their own devices to source the items they needed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Design Brief in Action<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      When we had our initial conversation, everyone was keen on the coordinated look but unique color approach wearing assiut robes we already owned.\u00a0 <\/span>However, the complicated headdress required time together to master the art of putting it on, and then practice to get used to dancing with heavy turbans and jewelry on our heads.\u00a0 <\/span>We all brought our jewelry and to the group to admire and help choose the pieces for performance day.\u00a0 <\/span>At each rehearsal on the run-up to the show, we fine-tuned our costuming plans until we all had our complete head-to-toe together. At right – assiut and jewelry headdress first experiment.<\/p>\n

      \"\"Learn More: Troupe Costuming Class with Sara Shrapnell<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      My co-author Sara Shrapnell<\/a> who lead the team who put together the book Becoming Belly Dancer: from Student to Stage<\/a>\u00a0has created a super-affordable class about picking costumes for a troupe.\u00a0 <\/span>If you are a member or a leader of a dance troupe, you will want to check the course out at the Belly Dance Business Academy<\/a>.\u00a0 Sara includes a wide variety of styles and themes in these troupe costumes and discusses how to strategically choose the right costume for your group.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      At left: Troupe KPS featuring Sara Shrapnell, Poppy Maya, and Ekatarina. I styled this troupe ensemble with the same overall look, but using a monochrome palette of colors.\u00a0 Photo by Alisha Westerfeld<\/a> for our book\u00a0The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut.<\/a><\/p>\n

      Swirl – Costumes in Motion<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      Below is a little snippet of video shot of Swirl at our last performance. You can see how these costumes move and relate to each other.<\/p>\n