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

Valentine's Day

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in love am I,

And I will love thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

- Robert Burns. A Red, Red Rose.

Valentine’s Day is finally here and while the fashion crowd will be spending it with their first love – fashion – as London Fashion Week begins today on the 14th, the rest of us will be focusing our attention on our loved ones.

We are celebrating Valentine’s Day by displaying our ‘Sugarplum Fairy’ costume miniature. A glamorous and decorative tutu made entirely by hand; a sparkling testament to the skill and precision with which The Little Costume Shop creates these miniature works of art.

The skirt and bodice panels are edged in the finest silk taffeta with a rose pink tinged hem on the silk tulle skirt and encrusted with a combination of sparkling Swarovski crystals, seed pearls, and a scattering of very rare, delicately shaped original 1920s gelatine sequins.   

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Our Sugarplum Fairy miniature. Photograph by George Chinn

Sarah Lamb as the Sugarplum Fairy at The Royal Opera House.

1920's Valentine flapper.

Our Sugarplum Fairy. Photograph by George Chinn. 

Sugared sugarplums. 

Sarah Lamb as The Sugarplum Fairy. 

Twirling tutu.

Close up of our Sugarplum Fairy miniature. Vin's studio image.

Cupid. 

Vintage Valentine photograph.

Photograph by Richard Wilding.

Vintage photograph. Cupid costume. 

Valentine roses.

Close up of our Sugarplum Fairy miniature. Photograph by George Chinn. 

Baby cupid.

Crystallised sugarplums. 

Vintage fairy photograph.

Our Sugarplum Fairy miniature. Photograph by Richard