Week 8: Adaptation

The Piano (1993)

The Piano is a story set on a bleak New Zealand coast where a mute mail-order bride, Ada and her young daughter, Flora struggle to maintain dignity through rain, humidity and mud.  It is set in the early years of European colonization of New Zealand.

As the Costume Designer the main element is designing textiles that depict the civilized world the main character has left, and transitioning into a wild, primitive world.   I still want to maintain her somber dignity even though all around her world falls apart and she succumbs to the primitively forced upon her.I want to set the color palette lush and somber, setting a tone for the entire film.

Ada McGrath’s first costume is a dark crepe Victorian dress.  I would make the dress out of  upon layers of fabric to create a somber yet beautiful dress.  She is a widow still wearing black so the dress will be simple yet elegant.

When she arrives with her daughter on the beach of New Zealand, she wears a black satin bonnet bound tight with a black ribbon.  Flora will be wearing a very dark plaid dress and wearing a bonnet as well.  When she is carried upon the shoulders of the men, she realizes how primitive the island is and she knows she made a terrible mistake.   The dress and bonnet symbolizes the darkness of the island and she is a bound prisoner.

The fake wedding dress she wears will be of simple linen with ties on the back.  Ribbons bind her hair.  She has dainty boots that get defiled with mud not matter how hard she tries to avoid it.  It is too big for her and fits her oddly.

I had to have many layers of clothing for Ada’s scenes with Baines.  She has to earn her beloved piano that was sold by her husband by giving “lessons” to the man, George Baines, to earn it back.  Every layer has to be very detailed since close up of her garments will be in the film.

The first layer is stockings above the knee.  They will be black of course.  They are held up by garters attached to a corset.  There are white cotton drawers over her stockings.  A sleeveless chemise she wears is white.

The corset consists of genuine whalebone.  I want to be as historically accurate as possible.  The crinoline will support the skirt and supports the seven petticoats that would be added.  Layers of fabric that represent layers of her dignity and pride.  The dress will have a high neck and long sleeves and a small jacket.  Of course she will wear small gloves.  She has half boots because of the New Zealand mud.

One detail the Director wanted was a small hole in her stocking.  This is gives Baines the ability to “touch” her bare skin.