Jake Conroy
For our Major Project I chose to adapt a version of Robert Zemekis' 1992 dark comedy 'Death Becomes Her' reimagined within the setting and style of the 1930's. The film follows two rivals, Madeline and Helen whose obsession with youth and beauty drives them into a bitter competition. After years of jealousy and betrayal involving a plastic surgeon named Ernest, both women discover a mysterious potion that grants eternal youth and immortality.
I felt this decades glamour and decadence of 'Old Hollywood' would pair perfectly with the themes of vanity, aging, and the fear of mortality explored in the film. Looking to designers like Adrian I was able to link dramatic silhouettes with the surreal extravagant themes of the story.
Undertaking this project required building a strong body of research, intricate and thorough research and knowing the period I am designing for well allowed me to create more fleshed out and better realised final deigns. I had to look to Old Hollywood films and the costume designers that worked on them. Given the theatrical and camp nature of the story and original film, I needed to look for references that embodied these themes of glamour, vanity and excess. Designers like Adrian and Elsa Schiaparelli were major inspirations as they encapsulated the dramatic glamour I was drawn to whilst also having the right silhouettes for my 30's transposition. I loved how they blended whimsy with sharp eye-catching silhouettes creating these over the top feminine forms. I knew I wanted to emulate this feeling for my make so I prioritised using luxe fabrics like velvet and taffeta and an elegant shape to create a highly glamorous final garment fit for the likes of Joan Crawford or Norma Shearer.
For the technical aspect of the Minor Project, I was tasked with remaking a women's garment from a film set in the 19th century. I chose to remake a dress and jacket from the 2020 version of Emma with costumes designed by Alexandra Byrne. I had wanted to try my hand at making a Spencer jacket for some time and I felt it was the perfect opportunity to learn. I also fell in love with the film in large part because of Byrne's designs. The springy pastels and soft twee silhouettes were a delight to watch. I was excited to create a regency piece of my own with all the Grecian elements and the lovely delicate lace and ribbon details.
For my thesis I decided to utilise a unique option provided by my lecturers at IADT to create a video essay rather than a written one. After my initial research and early discussions a video medium felt more appropriate for analysing the work of Madonna as most of the visual work she has produced is through a video format weather its her music video or live recordings. I was drawn to look at her work initially as I have always enjoyed her music and style and was interested to analyse it and understand how she came to be. She has always used style to market herself and iconise herself in pop culture, so there was a lot of research pertaining to the area of costume design and fashion specifically. Through analysing her style and visual work I hoped to understand her better as an artist, exploring how and what she was referencing and why. Ultimately investigating how Madonna has impacted culture and the effect she has had on female celebrities navigating fame and commerce.
Jake Conroy is costume design student from Dublin. He has always had an interest in fashion design, particularly for women’s wear. Seeing the storytelling available through costuming in film he was spurred on to study at IADT. Here Jake has gained experience immersing himself in characters to embellish his design work and expanding his knowledge of construction through historical research and technical practice. Jake has also taken part in the Erasmus programme studying at the Hungarian University of Fine Art in Budapest gaining further insight into his craft while expanding his cultural knowledge.
After honing his skills in construction and design he wishes to continue to learn and expand his skills in the costume and fashion industries.
