CATHERINE OF ARAGON MICRO-PROJECT

Above you can see my work for the Fire Station Creative's 'Annual Tenant's Exhibition' in November 2020. These pieces were inspired by a historical re-evaluation of Catherine of Aragon to re-examine her portrayal as the most 'boring' of Henry VIII's wives, which couldn't be further from the truth. This project came from my desire to bring attention to female historical figures who are often defined only in their relation to powerful men and not analysed in their own right. I aimed to explore Catherine's personality and achievements, the good and the bad and create a costume that fully reflected this. The colour scheme was inspired by her royal heritage (royal blue) and her emblem: the pomegranate. The main textile is made using the cyanotype technique, using flowers gathered from the battlefield of Flodden, where she gave her iconic speech in 1513, inspiring her army to victory. The silhouette is a modern take on early 16th century silhouettes, designed to allude to Catherine's Spanish Heritage and to appeal to modern audiences. Above you can see sketches, research mood-boards, textile sampling, a half scale final costume bodice and toile. I have also included a corset-style bodice and chemise shirt, which were inspired by this project and its techniques, but aim to have a more contemporary feel which could be worn as either a fashion or costume piece.