Nina Cooley

This project seeks to examine and unfold the intricacies, hierarchies and repercussions of illusion in clothing for performance through the consideration of Bertoldt Brecht’s theorisation of Dialectical Theatre. Centralising around the context and thematic progression of Brecht’s narrative and conceptual work from 1919 to 1929, the garments emerged from reflection on the act of dressing within performance spaces. Intending to illuminate and question the illusory nature of costume and its implications on the formation and reflection of socio-cultural history. Historic methods of construction, simplification and an emphasis on closures were used as a means for breaching the metaphoric‘ fourth wall ’that is held within all garments.