Designer: Oriel Hiser
Costumier: Oriel Hiser
Model: Oriel Hiser
Pictures by: Andrew Hiser
This project was for an application as a way to show off my current skill level and creative ability using a commercial pattern. The original pattern was made for a more “male” body type, so it required some significant alteration to make it fit my body. There are still the same number of pieces, but several darts needed to be made and moved about. The interfacing also didn’t play well with the brocade that I chose, so I was combating that. I’m pleased with the final product despite some minor issues. It’s very fun to wear. The concept changed slightly over the course of the creation. My initial concept was for some sort of Fae noble with silver and purple. When I went to buy the fabric, I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I changed the concept to a ringleader/beast tamer sort of idea. I decided to make it more gaudy, using fur to line the cuffs and the lapel. The black and gold colour scheme makes this a very striking look. I wish I’d had a whip to complete the look.
Baby Shower was cast entirely of trans individuals, and the show was about reclaiming childhood as a transgender person. I had each cast member give me a set of images that they felt would represent who they are. Some had clothes, while others had colours, objects, or images that invoked a certain mood. I used these to devise an outfit for each person. Some were outfits that they’d never thought of wearing, or wouldn’t have bought for themselves, but the costumes represented who they were in a way that they hadn’t thought of before. I had a lot of fun with this show.
This is a project that I began as a personal challenge. I conducted a lot of research into the clothing of the Roaring Twenties and began to construct a concept. The character that this is for is sweet, kind, and very into the natural world. I tried to marry the more Art Nouveau printed fabric, with a more Art Deco construction style. This is an ongoing project in order to build a wardrobe for this character.
This jacket was for the first show of Fall 2018. I was the Costume Design Assistant and the Designer allowed me to come up with the design for this jacket. The first design pictured was the initial one I drew and presented to the Director. She wanted less words and more images, so the second design was created and became the final painting.