Woven Threads: Conversations with Costume Designers

My sixth episode is with John Bright. John runs Cosprop, a costume hire and making house in London, alongside being a Costume Designer. His ability to adapt and yet hold fast to what really matters comes across very clearly here, and I feel very glad to have recorded this conversation.His film credits include:The White Countess (2005)The Golden Bowl (2000)Onegin (1999) - with Chloe OblenskySense and Sensibility (1995) - with Jenny BeavanThe Remains of the Day (1993) - with Jenny BeavanHoward's End (1992) - with Jenny BeavanMaurice (1987) - with Jenny BeavanA Room with a View (1985) - with Jenny BeavanThe Bostonians (1984) - with Jenny Beavan

*Make sure your volume is up high - I recorded our voices too quietly!*My sixth episode is with Lucille Acevedo-Jones. Lucille talks about her appreciation for other departments and topping up your creative, and personal, cup.Greatest hits:Men Up (2023) - as DesignerThe Pact (2022) - as DesignerThe Flash (2023) - as Assistant Costume DesignerEveryone's Talking About Jamie (2021) - as Assistant Costume DesignerDevs (2020) - as Assistant Costume DesignerFantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) - as Costume AssistantPhantom Thread (2017) - as Costume AssistantBlack Sails (2015) - as Assistant Costume DesignerHugo (2011) - as Costume Assistant

My fifth interview is with Howard Burden. Howard talks about how things have changed - and not necessarily in a good way - and the relationship with suppliers. Greatest hits:Red Dwarf (1989 - ongoing)The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999)Dead Gorgeous (2002)Colditz (2005)Whitechapel (2009)Robin Hood (2009)Dr Who (2012 - 2014)Jekyll and Hyde (2015)Home Fires (2016)Poldark (2017 - 2019)Worzel Gummidge (2019 - 2021)Young Wallander (2020 - 2022)The Last Kingdom (2022)

My fourth interview is with Natalie Ward. Natalie talks about things feeling "real", being adaptable and the upsides to having small teams.Greatest hits:24 Hour Party People (2002)The Mother (2003)Enduring Love (2004)Derailed (2005)Venus (2006)Breaking and Entering (2006)1408 (2007)The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)Last Chance Harvey (2008)Red Riding: 1974 (2009)The Debt (2010)Welcome to the Punch (2013)Black Sea (2014)The Lady in the Van (2015)The Wedding Guest (2018)Together (2021)Typist Artist Pirate King (2022)

Janty Yates is the subject of my third interview. We talk about her long, and very fulfilling, working relationship with Ridley Scott.Greatest hits:Cracker (1993)The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995)Jude (1996)Welcome to Sarajevo (1997)The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997) Plunkett and Macleane (1999)Gladiator (2000)Hannibal (2001)Enemy at the Gates (2001)Charlotte Grey (2001)Kingdom of Heaven (2005)Miami Vice (2006)American Gangster (2007)Robin Hood (2010)Prometheus (2012)Exodos (2014)The Martian (2015)Alien: Covenant (2017)All the Money in the World (2017)House of Gucci (2021)Napoleon (2023)

Jane Petrie is the subject of my second interview. She talks about instinct and "doing your research", and we give a little history lesson about what the Costume world used to be like...Jane's Greatest Hits:28 Weeks Later (2007)Is Anybody There? (2008)Moon (2009)Fish Tank (2009)Harry Brown (2009)How I Live Now (2013)'71 (2014)Suffragette (2015)The Program (2015)War Machine (2017)The Crown (2017)Outlaw / King (2018)The King (2019)The Essex Serpent (2022)

Odile Dicks Mireaux is the subject of my first interview. Collaboration is what it's all about for her, and our discussion puts particular focus on the work she did on Chernobyl.Greatest Hits:Gormenghast (2000)Dirty Pretty Things (2002)The Lost Prince (2003)The Constant Gardener (2005)An Education (2009)One Day (2011)Bel Ami (2012)Brooklyn (2015)High Rise (2015)The Sense of an Ending (2017)Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)Chernobyl (2019)Last Night in Soho (2022)The Wonder (2022)See How The Run (2022)

What does it mean to "work in Costume"?Here I explain why that's a question I want to answer...