In this album you'll find a selection of my costumes and characters designs create for the French live stage musical production of 'The Little Match Girl' - 'La Petite Fille Aux Allumettes' based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale.
The album contains unused unused concepts for the outfits of the characters all the way to the final designs actually worn on stage by the actors. The musical premiered in Paris, France early 2015 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, to great critical acclaims.
Below is the official trailer for the show.
All artwork is copyrighted to David Kawena/'The David Kawena Studio'.
ENJOY.
The album contains unused unused concepts for the outfits of the characters all the way to the final designs actually worn on stage by the actors. The musical premiered in Paris, France early 2015 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, to great critical acclaims.
Below is the official trailer for the show.
All artwork is copyrighted to David Kawena/'The David Kawena Studio'.
ENJOY.
- Character and Costume Designs -
Above is the character of 'Madame Olga', a crazy fairy who pretends to be a lousy fortune teller to hide her gifts and powers.
This version was much darker and somewhat too plain then the comical, extravagant role she plays in the story, and eventually it was not used in the show. I based her look on traditional gypsy outfits and early 80's Madonna.
This version was much darker and somewhat too plain then the comical, extravagant role she plays in the story, and eventually it was not used in the show. I based her look on traditional gypsy outfits and early 80's Madonna.
This was the 2d version I designed for the character of 'Madame Olga'. In this one, the colours and overall direction was more festive, somewhat circus-like, to better fit with her on stage persona.
In the show, Madame Olga lives in the 'Imaginary World', a place of wonders and magic. I wanted her to be a mixture of cultures, faiths, and mysticism. She's got Dreadlocks collected in festive beads - mixture of Hindu and Voodoo, she wears a Hamsa and a Cross necklaces, and her dress is now richer in coloured and patterns taken from later gypsy culture and circus.
Even though this version too didn't made it to the final show, it served as a key point for me to create the rest of the 'Imaginary World' outfits in terms of shapes and colours.
In the 'Imaginary World', Little Match Girl Emma encounters a group of Pirates, led by Captain John John!
Designing the Pirates for the show was the most fun for me!
The directors wanted them to be influenced by the SteamPunk movement and asked for John John to be a mixture of Captain Hook and Jack Sparrow. It was important for me keep their vision while still bring something of my own into the mix and make it original. First thing that came to my mind is that his hair will not be black as oppose to Hook and Sparrow.
I don't remember ever seeing a Pirates Captain without a black hair! So, I went for a dark-blond hair to start with.
The directors wanted them to be influenced by the SteamPunk movement and asked for John John to be a mixture of Captain Hook and Jack Sparrow. It was important for me keep their vision while still bring something of my own into the mix and make it original. First thing that came to my mind is that his hair will not be black as oppose to Hook and Sparrow.
I don't remember ever seeing a Pirates Captain without a black hair! So, I went for a dark-blond hair to start with.
John John's outfit was inspired by a few of Jean Paul Gaultier designs kicking in not only SteamPunk but PunkRock as well.
His weapon is a mixture of a sword and a rifle.
His weapon is a mixture of a sword and a rifle.
Working on 'secondary characters' can be as exciting as and challenging as designing the main ones. When I was approached to design the characters and costumes for 'The Little Match Girl' musical production, there were a few characters that had no plot or specifications. This gives you full freedom to explore the character on your own.
Such were some of the Pirates! The directors of the show wanted them to be inspired by the SteamPunk movement and that was my starting point. After designing 'Captain John John', I went on to work on this guy. He was less of a comical characters in my eyes and being a secondary character, I figured he'll have no lines, so I added the mechanical gas mask on his face. It gave him something edgy. In order to brake the mild of his somewhat classic, gentleman look, his shirt is open and is a mixture of refined jacket and pirate shirt.
Such were some of the Pirates! The directors of the show wanted them to be inspired by the SteamPunk movement and that was my starting point. After designing 'Captain John John', I went on to work on this guy. He was less of a comical characters in my eyes and being a secondary character, I figured he'll have no lines, so I added the mechanical gas mask on his face. It gave him something edgy. In order to brake the mild of his somewhat classic, gentleman look, his shirt is open and is a mixture of refined jacket and pirate shirt.
