Lady Bracknell - The Importance of being Earnest

For their final project for their costume module at uni, Joao and Lucy were asked to create design plates of their own choosing, then picking one character plate to use in their final detailed design. These designs would be swapped over and the other person would be creating the costume from the other persons design. The finished costumes were then displayed in an exhibition by the designers. Joao chose to design for the 1895 play `The Importance of Being Earnest` by Oscar Wilde and chose to do his final design plate on the character of Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell is a Gwendolyn`s snobbish and domineering mother. She married well and her primary intention is to see her daughter do the same. Through the figure of lady Bracknell, Oscar Wilde manages to satirize the hypocrisy of the the British aristocracy demonstrating the triviality with which Victorian society treated topics such as marriage.  Joao aimed to capture the  flamboyance of this period by designing a gown that was suitable for the period, including fabric, colours, as well as the extravagant hats, corsets and accessories used at the time.
Lucy managed to realize this concept amazingly. Transporting every detail from paper onto the costume, complete with a leg of mutton jacket and matching skirt as well as matching hat and accessories.