S.E

The Story brought to life by journals written by Anna Leonowens about her adventures in ancient Siam and her time in the Imperial Court of King Mongkut has many adaptions, all mostly before the year 2000. This, I believe, will enable me to create a fresh perspective and redesign focusing more on the historical accuracy on textiles, prints, embroidery, symbolism, religion, economy and trade and how it shaped their fashion concerning both ancient Siam and 19th Century western clothing. I will further explore how these were reflected across all social classes that would be portrayed through the characters as they would have been in their time.

 

My direction of designing and research will aim to fully explore the two cultures history to gain an accurate understanding of the textiles and use this to inspire a blend of both reflected in each character evolving throughout the performance. The characters within the play adaption have a clear hierarchy of social status and importance; I believe I can use what I learn to further enhance this visually for an audience.