Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Megan Culleton 

BA [Hons] Costume Design

Hello! My name is Megan Culleton and as of now, I am a graduate of Costume Design [BA] in IADT. One of my favourite aspects of costume is it's storytelling elements and the way it can be used to communicate with an audience. I have a strong passion for it's technical side and I take great satisfaction in bringing a design from paper to reality. I possess a genuine enthusiasm for continuous growth and improvement. As I begin my career, I always want to embrace new challenges and seek out opportunities that will expand my knowledge and skill set!

Much Ado About Nothing

For my Major, I chose Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing', setting it in 1930's pre-war England. The play revolves around two romantic pairings that emerge when a group of soldiers arrives in town. The first, between Claudio and Hero, is nearly altered by the accusations of the villain, Don John. This conflict is resolved and the two have a second wedding, which is the scene I have designed for. Hero's second wedding outfit signifies the growth that she has experienced in at this point in the story and her coming into her own. She no longer is looking to others to decide who she should be and shows grace in forgiving Claudio and choosing to love him on her own terms.



Styling Orientalism: The Making of The Other Through Costume in 1930s’ Hollywood.

This thesis explores the question of how costume was used as a tool of ‘othering’ towards those regarded as ‘Oriental’ in 1930s’ Hollywood film. The primary sources that I will be using in this thesis are The Women (1939), Daughter of the Dragon (1931) and The Good Earth (1937). My work throughout is supported by Edward Said’s theory of Orientalism as I look at how colonialism continued to influence the way in which people of the East were represented in Western media and how as a result, their culture, clothing bodies were subject to appropriation and objectification.