Fabric as a narrative

While most of us can appreciate a pattern or the colour palette of an outfit, what we don’t often think about is why that particular colour or pattern might have been chosen? What is the meaning behind it? How are colour, pattern and texture used to weave a story? Costume designers use the very same narratives as writers, they become the storytellers, and the costumes come to life. 

Deitra Kalyn, the costume designer for our new adaptation of A Christmas Carol, tells this classic Christmas tale not through the written word, but through her creative and thoughtful process of choosing colours, patterns and textures. Working closely with the creative and design teams for nearly a year, she took inspiration from the set and script to create the new looks for the play. Deitra compartmentalized the costumes using colour and texture to define the lines of Scrooge’s journey through the past, present and yet to come. 

Christmas Past

Deitra saw Scrooge’s past through amber-coloured glasses. She describes the colour palette as warm and candle-lit, using sepia tones in her designs. The costumes reflect the memories Scrooge revisits, reminding him of the wonderful people in his life who have always loved him, and who he may have forgot in the present world. 

“When I think of a warm memory, I see sepia tones. Kind of washed out, like an old photograph. I wanted Scrooge’s past to be this amber and candle-lit warm time.”

Christmas Present

To differentiate against the past, Deitra created costumes for the present that were vibrant with bold patterns. The set is very neutral and dark, so Deitra contrasted against the set with jewel tones to reflect the hustle and bustle of the streets of London during that time. There are also patterns you will only see in the present, such as plaid, solid jewel tones, furs and more textured wools, again defining the line between the past and present. 

“This play is much darker than versions in the past. It truly shows the dark underbelly of London during that time, the coal city. That gave the inspiration for my designs – the dark set allowed me to really explore and research textures, colours and fabrics to contrast against it.” 

Christmas Yet to Come

Just how the past is portrayed in a warm light, the future is cold, dark and ominous. 

Deitra and her team researched sheer fabrics to create shells of the costumes, almost like black clouds over top of the characters. The costumes create a spooky and menacing look, contributing to the mood of this time period in the play. 

“You can see the seams and patterns underneath this dark, sheer fabric. For example, the Cratchit’s are vibrant in the present, but in the future you’ll see their original looks darkened by these fabrics,” says Deitra. “We played upon what Geoffrey wrote, creating the potential of the future, the darker, shrouded version of what might yet come.”