London born artist “Melissa Simon-Hartman specializes in custom hand-crafted fashion and costume pieces. She draws heavily from a Trinidadian and Ghanaian heritage, which you see in her designs which are dipped in the vibrancy of West Indian and West African Influences, her own unique signature style is not lost. Her brand, Simon-Hartman London, started life as an initial footwear concept today it proudly specialises in wearable art.
She has expansive experience as an artist and theatrical costume designer. A high-profile project featured the recent Beyoncé visual album BLACK IS KING.”
(Melissa Simon-Hartman, Costume Designer for Much Ado About Nothing)
ALT:
You have your own couture fashion label – Simon-Hartman London – and have previously worked on music videos for the likes of Beyonce. How do these experiences compare to designing costume for a theatrical production?
Melissa:
Creating costumes for music videos is predominantly about the aesthetic. Achieving a desired look to fulfil the requirements of the brief and treatment. My main point of contact will usually be the fashion stylist and the objective is to create a piece that looks like my approved concept.
Theatre is very different. I work with a variety of specialists in their fields to bring a concept to life. During the initial design stage many aspects need to be taken into consideration. Taking the actors comfort into consideration is priority, even if it means eliminating or redesigning elements. You must consider the actors movement, the time they have to change costumes between scenes, visibility of pieces in different lighting and settings. The actors must also feel a connection between the costumes and the character they are portraying. If something does not feel right to them during the fitting stage it is changed or removed without question. Durability is also a key factor as the costumes must be robust enough to last beyond a season of performances. There are more technicalities to designing for theatre.
ALT:
You describe your label as specialising in ‘wearable art’ – I believe you started your career by training in theatre costume design – what made you choose this particular specialism, and how have you used this training throughout your career in fashion?
Melissa:
My creative training was specialising in theatre costume design, however my costume career really started in the carnival arts. I started designing costumes for the Notting Hill Carnival from a young age and went on to study theatrical costume at the LCF due to my love for period costumes.
I use fashion as a visual tool to tell a story and my theatrical training plays a big part in this approach.
ALT:
The RSC recently relaunched their Costume Workshop. Can you tell us about what it’s been like working with the RSC Costume and Wardrobe teams and the different skills involved in creating these costumes?
Melissa:
This is an experience I’ll surely miss. Working with the teams in the costume workshop has been a sheer pleasure. I am in awe of the level of expertise and organisation in the workrooms. A typical day would involve flittering between the men’s, women’s, millinery, dye room and armour in costume and across the road with the wardrobe and W.H.A.M (wigs, hair, and makeup) teams. You can tell everyone loves what they do, and this is highly important for the success of any production.
ALT:
The director, Roy Alexander Weise, is setting this production in a futuristic world, inspired by Afro-futurism. Can you tell us more about Afro-futurism and how it will inspire the aesthetic of this show?
Melissa:
Afro-futurism is a cultural aesthetic that combines fantasy, history & African tradition with science-fiction. Afrofuturism is art, fashion, literature, music, film seen through a black lens, and you will identify the influence of afro-futurism in the aesthetic of the show as it will offer futuristic art whilst paying homage to African and Caribbean traditions.
ALT:
The creative team includes Femi Temowo and Jemima Robinson who are working on the music and set design. Please can you tell us how costume, set and music will work together to create this Afro-futuristic world of the play?
Melissa:
Theatre is collaborative by nature and this production is no different. Seeing the sets as they will be helps to inform some design aspects of my costumes and vice versa. I have even gone as far to incorporate the flowers used on set in one of Beatrice’s costumes. Same goes for the music. You get a sense for the atmosphere that’s trying to be created through listening to the music and then seeing the sets, and then once I’ve got that I can then let that inform some of my costume-making. Not wanting to put words in their mouth’s but I’m sure the same ethos applies to them.
It is important to achieve cohesion throughout, so all art forms are of the same world.
ALT:
I believe you are incorporating several African traditions in your designs, for example Adinkra symbols. Please can you tell us more about these and how they will be used in the costumes?
Melissa:
Adinkra symbols are distinctive shapes from Ghana that represent proverbs, concepts & aphorisms. The symbols can be seen on variety of things such as fabric prints, pottery, art, and monuments. The use of adinkra symbols incorporated in some of the costumes either relate to the character wearing them or lesson to be learned from the scene. There are other elements of African tradition in the production, but I do not want to give too much away at this stage. I encourage all to book tickets to witness for themselves.
ALT:
Much Ado About Nothing is known as one of Shakespeare’s best loved romantic comedies – but there are some darker elements too. Does costume play a part in visually conveying this to the audience, and if so, how?
Melissa:
Yes, some of the costumes add an air of mystery and discomfort to convey the powerful messages and evoke emotion in some of the more intense scenes. The funeral scene is a perfect example of this. The costumes are inspired by both West African and West Indian tradition delivered in a futuristic manner.
