Monique Langford ispassionateaboutcostume design.She’s deep into creating piecesacross five centuriesfor the upcoming October Student Production Season ofOrlando,based on the novelby Virginia Woolf, written by Sarah Ruhlanddirected by Kate Gaul. We caught up with her in the Design Studio at NIDA.
How did you discover designasa career pathway?
The arts and theatreissomething Ihave beeninvolved ineven since I was young.My nana is a balletteacher, my mum is a music teacher and my family members are also artists.
When I was young, my mum refused to sew my dance costumes soI was stuck with a bag of material and some instructions and had to makesomethingup!That really gave me a sense of creativity was about, ofdoing the best with what I had.I would be unpicking my mum’sold clothesand taking out the zipand making it into something else, things like that.
After school, I completed a Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University majoring in International Politics and Creative Writing for stage and screen. While I wasthere, Iconnected into community and studenttheatreandloveddesigning costumes for their productions. I felt a real sense of achievement on opening night,whenthecurtains opened. There is something in your heart that wells up when you know you helped to create this beautiful image on stage.
I realised that what Iwas doingin my spare time was saying more about me thanthe actual degreeI was studying. When you are doing something and you forget that time exists, that is where your passion starts.
Why did you choose to study design at NIDA?
My first exposure to NIDA was through a friend studyingaBFAinActingwho wasappearingin the student production ofWaiting forGodot in 2018.I flew up from Melbourne to seehim. When I saw the production design I immediately thought wow!
This was the first time that I realised I could actually studydesign! I never thought about takingthatnext step.
The vibe when the show was finished was also great �NIDAseemed like astrongcommunityto be a part of. You become part ofanetworking circle ofpeople who are interested in the same things as youare � andtheyalso becomeyour colleagues if you do the course.When you study costume design, you developstrong collaborative partnerships with costume supervisors and other designers.
What are you creating for the upcoming production of Orlando?
Orlando is the perfect show for me. I am a big Virginia Woolf fan. She is an incredible feminist literary writer and I feel veryhonouredto work on the show � it feels like a massive responsibility actually!
ForOrlando, thecharacter travels through time, so I have had to research and design for five different centuries – which is a costume designer’s dream and also a nightmare!
We are drawing on historicalperiodsbut we are not recreatingexact pieces. We began withthe silhouettes of each era, so I spent a lot of timeresearchingwhat is iconic for eachtime period.Forexamplewe start in the Elizabethan era,which isdefined bybigdrum skirts and neck collars,thenfor the eighteenth century it’s the frilly sleeves,the widepaneerdress and the big hair. I took those shapes and exaggeratedthem.
Ialsoresearched what palette of colourswere popular during those times and then amped that up.The results are at timesquirky and playful � there is a man with a vase on his head!
Overallthe entire experience has been challengingbut also so incredibly rewarding. I can’t wait to see it on the stage.
Feeling inspired?Find out more orapply now tostudy Design for Performance at NIDA. Applications close 30 October.
