FLEDGELING costumiers are to mark the centenary of The Great War with an exhibition of military costumes.
Cleveland College of Art & Design costume interpretation students will replicate a selection of full size WW1 uniforms which will go on display at The Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough.
The 16 first year students will also produce 16 child size replica costumes which pupils across Teesside will get to try on to help bring history to life.
CCAD tutor Jane Havakin said: “We were contacted by the senior curator of Middlesbrough museums Phil Philo who asked if our students would be able replicate a series of war time costumes as part of Teesside’s WW1 commemorations.
“Our first year students will replicate small scale costumes so that school children visiting the exhibition will get to try them on level, while our second year group will be making full size costumes.
“Having a live brief like this, which will eventually be seen by hundreds of people across the region, really gives a sense of reality to the work that our students do here and a great opportunity for them to show their talents and skills to a much wider audience.”
Costumes, which will be put on display in The Dorman Museum, will include a nurse’s uniform, suffragettes’ dresses, land army girls clothing, flying corps, a recruiting sergeant, naval officer’s and both German and British soldiers’ uniforms.
The first year students will be using models from Ayrsome Primary School, Middlesbrough, to help make the children’s’ outfits.
Nicole Blank, 21, of Newcastle, who is re-creating a recruiting sergeant outfit, said: “This is my first live brief so I feel a bit nervous but also quite excited.
“We have had to source all our own fabrics by researching traditional materials used during the war era and look at the ways in which clothing was made in the early 1900s.”
The students have each been given 14 weeks to complete the project before the costumes are exhibited in the summer.
Hayley Stewart, 19, of Hartlepool, added: “It’s important that we get the costumes just right for the exhibition.
“We need to make sure that they are historically accurate and well made so that people can get a real experience of what clothing was like during this era.”
For more information on opportunities at CCAD contact (01642) 288888 or log on to www.ccad.ac.uk.
