Evie Watson

Having taken inspiration from Angela Carter’s Nights at the Circus (1984) and informed by research into the costumes of Victorian-era aerial performers, I designed and constructed pieces that depict both the eccentricity of the main character, ‘Sophie / Fevvers’, and the attire of the period. The final visualisation of the costume consists of a Victorian corset and shorts crafted in the same striped cotton twill, paired with a cream muslin chemise, which serves as a contrast to the dense and almost gaudy striped fabric. Inspired by Sophie, “The Cockney Venus,” and her vivacious, often provocative attitude, I incorporated asymmetrical stripes, smocking (inspired by 1880s–90s circus shorts), and trailing laces to capture both her audacious character and the flamboyant, brilliant work of Angela Carter.