Thanksgiving Greetings!

Thanksgiving is almost upon us! It’s that time of year when the anticipation of Christmas begins growing, we start searching for unique presents and our inner glutton can come out to play, not only for roast turkey, pumpkin pie, ginger bread, marzipan and cinnamon spiced hot chocolate, but for the opulent and decorative arts too; sparkling Swarovski crystals and glittering sequins, sumptuous hand dyed silks and ornate hand beading - all that is decadent, indulgent and wonderfully autumnal.   

To celebrate this festive time of year we are displaying our ‘Autumn Fairy’ Costume Maquette, recreated from the ballet Cinderella. 

A highly decorative and glamorous tutu made entirely by hand, it has an appliquéd skirt and bodice encrusted with a combination of Swarovski crystals, seed pearls and very rare and delicate original 1920’s sequins that glint through from the top layer of lilac and green tinted silk tulle. A miniature work of art that would make the most unique and desirable gift of all.

 Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Our 'Autumn Fairy' costume miniature. 
Photograph taken by Richard Wilding.

1930's Thanksgiving pin up.

1930's Thanksgiving pin up.

Studio image of our 'Autumn Fairy' maquette.

Studio image of our 'Autumn Fairy' maquette.

1930's vintage Thanksgiving

Studio image of our 'Autumn Fairy' maquette.

Close up studio image of our 'Autumn Fairy' maquette.

Vintage Thanksgiving post card.

Studio image of our 'Autumn Fairy' maquette.

Studio image of our 'Autumn Fairy' maquette.

Marilyn Monroe 1930's Thanksgiving pin up

Have a Spooktakular Halloween!

It’s almost that spooky time of year again! The one day of the year where witches, ghouls, winged creatures and villainous vixens come out in all their glory to honour the eve of All Saints’ Day.  

We are celebrating by displaying our eerily beautiful ‘Bad Black Bat’ miniature ballet costume. Made entirely by hand, this quarter scale maquette is comprised of a silk tulle dress with a blood red underskirt and tiny slime green 1920’s gelatine sequins. The bodice is appliquéd with vintage midnight black lace and the bat-like wings are made of latex and dead leaf spines.

Does it remind you of a certain caped crusader? Created by the very same hand that brought you the original Batsuit, Penguin and Catwoman costumes for Batman Returns, this makes a wonderful and unique piece of costume iconography to invest in.

Have a very happy Halloween!

Our 'Bad Black Bat' costume miniature.
Photograph by George Chinn.

Our 'Bad Black Bat' costume miniature.
Photograph by Richard Wilding

Ann Miller - 1945

1940's Halloween dress up

Batman
Photograph by Herb Ritts

Batman Returns
Courtesy Warner Brothers Studios

1930's Halloween cover of Life Magazine.

1920's Halloween dress up

Catwoman
Courtesy Warner Brother Studios

Penguin
Courtesy Warner Brothers Studios

Dusty Anderson - 1945

Veronica Lake - 1940's

Celebrating a new season of Strictly Come Dancing with our Lilac Fairy miniature.

Don't forget to tune into the new series of Strictly Come Dancing this weekend to see prima ballerina Darcey Bussell reprise her role as judge on the season’s 12^th year. In celebration we are displaying our Lilac Fairy costume miniature that Darcey termed: “a little work of art which will delight any collector.”

Our Lilac Fairy miniature stands at around 21 inches tall. This glamorous tutu has appliquéd skirt and bodice panels edged in frayed shot silk taffeta and encrusted with a combination of Swarovski crystals, seed pearls and original 1920’s gelatine sequins. Tiny swags of linked sequins festoon the shoulders.

Enjoy this season of spectacular dancing!

Prima ballerina Darcey Bussell with our Lilac Fairy costume miniature.
Photograph by Becky Maynes.

Our Lilac Fairy costume miniature.
Photograph by Richard Wilding

Darcey Bussell, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet.

Darcey Bussell as the White Swan.

Our Lilac Fairy miniature.
Photograph by George Chinn.

Our Lilac Fairy miniature.
Photograph by George Chinn.

Darcey Bussell on Strictly Come Dancing

Darcey Bussell as the White Swan. 

A Celebration of Russian Ballet

The Mariinsky Ballet is returning to the Royal Opera House for an exciting three-week season of spectacular ballets including: Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, A Midsummer Nights Dream composed by German composer Mendelssohn and choreographed by the great Russo-American choreographer George Balanchine, a former principal dancer of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, and Cinderella composed by Sergei Prokofiev just to name a few.

The season begins on the 28^th of July and runs through until the 16^th August opening with one of the most admired 20^th century Russian ballets: Leonid Lavrovksy’s celebrated version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet featuring Ulyana Lopatkina, prima ballerina at the Mariinsky Theatre and Daniil Korsuntser, principal dancer at the Royal Ballet.

In celebration of the Russian ballet tradition and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where costume designer Vin Burnham began her career, we are doing a special feature on our very own limited edition Odette and Odile costume maquettes from the Royal Ballet’s production of Swan Lake designed by Yolanda Sonnabend; a wonderful and most coveted collector’s item for any avid ballet fan.

Both maquettes are made up of a classic ‘plate’ tutu decorated with wing motifs which have been screen printed onto silk organza in silver ink, then beaded with the tiniest Swarovski crystals and stones, and embroidered with a combination of vintage and contemporary seed beads.

If you would like to see one of our costume miniatures up close, be sure to visit our ‘Queen of the Night', which is currently on display at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in their front of house showcase.

Make sure to buy tickets to this exciting summer event that is sure to delight!

Odette - Our 1/4 scale maquette of Yolanda Sonnabend's design from Swan Lake.
Photo by Richard Wilding
 

Odile - Our 1/4 scale maquette of Yolanda Sonnabend's design from Swan Lake.
Photo by Richard Wilding
 

Marianela Nunez, principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, dancing the role of Odette - Royal Ballet

 Zenaida Yanowsky, principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, dancing the role of Odile - Royal Ballet
 

Our 1/4 scale maquette of Odette - Swan Lake.
Photo by George Chinn

Our 1/4 scale maquette of Odile - Swan Lake.
Photo by George Chinn

The Mariinsky Ballet dance Swan Lake at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Soloist Oksana Skorik of the Mariinsky Ballet dancing the role of Odette and soloist Timur Askerov in the role of Prince Siegfried

Soloist Oksana Skorik of the Mariinsky Ballet dancing the role of Odile and soloist Timur Askerov in the role of Prince Siegfried

The Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

The Importance of Craftsmanship

Collect - The International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects began the 9th and ran until the 12th of May at the Saatchi Gallery in London. This event is run every year by the Crafts Council and is well worth a visit as it is one of the most inspiring events of the year. Their goal is to make the UK the best place to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft.

There is an intimacy and uniqueness in an object that has been handmade by someone with a refined eye for a craft skill, which can never be replaced by a machine. Each piece is imbued with the story of the maker, however, the more things we buy and consume, the more their origins are taken completely for granted. The focus ends up being on the final product, and hardly any on the significance of the means. An emotional attachment towards handcrafted pieces is so vital to keep this kind of work alive.

At The Little Costume Shop, we aim to showcase the slow perfection of skill and the implicit touch of the human hand in our wedding and costume miniatures, so that it can spark a more intimate connection with the customer and lead to a product with real lifetime value. A miniature handcrafted work of art!

Make sure to visit Collect next year! Purchase your tickets here:
https://yourticketbooking.com/craftscouncil/p/2515/book;jsessionid=AF25234A7A7D92D5B3B495F6A8E05412

Photograph by Richard Wilding

Spring is here!

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast

Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

- Percy Bysshe Shelley. The Sensitive Plant.

Spring is finally in the air! The flowers and trees are slowly returning to life from their winter slumber and the city is transforming. Everything is brighter and more colourful; the sweet smell of blossom is in the air, birds are chirping, and there are hints of a warm summer to come.

Spring is known as a time of rebirth and inspiration and to celebrate we are displaying our limited edition ‘Spring Fairy’ costume miniature from the classical ballet Cinderella.

A longer, classical tutu with a pink tinged hem on the silk tulle skirt, ombreed to a fresh green into the waistline. Garlands of little silk flowers, and shot silk taffeta foliage decorate the tutu, and the bodice. Tiny shimmering wings grow out of the back of the bodice, each with a butterfly spot.

This is a wonderful time for new beginnings; a time of passion, love and the flourishing beauty of our surroundings. 

We wish you a very happy Spring!

Our 'Spring Fairy' costume miniature. Photograph by George Chinn.

Spring Blossoms

Lady's Smock Fairy

Our 'Spring Fairy' miniature. Vin's Studio Image. 

Birmingham Royal Ballet. Cinderella

Spring Flowers. 

The Dandelion Fairy

Close up of our 'Spring Fairy' miniature. Vin's Studio Image. 

Side close up of our 'Spring Fairy' miniature. Vin's Studio Image. 

The Royal Opera House - Cinderella

Mary Jago as the Spring Fairy in Cinderella

Our 'Spring Fairy' miniature. Photograph by Richard Wilding. 

Spring Pattern