MW
Couture
MW
Couture Co.
Obsessed with bringing the art of fashion to life.
Custom clothing designs to reveal the real you.
The Obession
Costume Design
Costumes by Maria Wilkie, a production of Wonderful Town. Grissom High School,
Huntsville, AL.
The women's costumes are constructed to transform into different looks so that this "chorus" has a unique look for each scene. Parts of the costume are reversible and other items were simply removed to transform the looks. The styles are based on the 1930s.
The Obsession
Fashion Design
Another obsession of Maria's is fashion design. Even as a little girl, Maria was always looking at clothing and using principles of art to create outfits that were pleasing to her in an artistic sense rather than following the trends of the day. Her grandmother, Nell, a high-school chemistry teacher, was the catalyst for her interest in the way we dress. Mama Nell, as she was called, would shop at the finest store in Atlanta, Rich's, and at Christmas time, Maria and her sister, Anita, would receive the most beautiful outfits. Maria remembers one year Anita, who was dark haired and blue eyed, received a baby blue crinoline dress with a matching bonnet, and she recieved, as a blonde haired, blue-eyed girl, a yellow dress with a yellow bonnet. Maria thought it was the greatest thing for her grandmother to match her sister's eyes and her hair color in their outfits. Yes, even at toddler age, she glimpsed how our dress is an extension of who we are.
Maria's mother, Sylvia, was always a great supporter of all things having to do with art. As a quiet child, Maria would fill up sketch books hoping to be able to pursue art as a calling one day. In her sketch books, she would create lovely fashions or, after reading a book, would draw what she thought the costumes would look like from the descriptions in the book.
This love of fashion and art has merged in Maria's designs. Coupled with a avid interest in the way culture and society work as subconscious influences on the fashons of the day, Maria is passionate about bringing all that has gone before into her art. While allowing her intution to hone in on the Zeitgiest, Maria aspires to challenge our views on fashion by bringing the past into the present and adpating vintage, cultural and historical styles for modern day wear. Maria hopes to focus attention on fashion as art, making people aware that our entire look from head to toe can be evaluated not only as an expression of identity, but as a work which adheres to the effective use of art.
Bustier is by Maria. Fabric is low pile velevet, bustier is boned and lined with an irredessant ruffle for accent, and has a lace up back closure. Photo courtesy of AJani, Inc., photographer Raven Ward.
Model, Sheena.
The Gallery
The next pages reveal Maria's vision and design concepts.
Costume Gallery
Wonderful Town
The costumes for this musical were based on the 1930s. The above photo depicts some of the chorus for the night club scene. The pink suit and the multi halter dress are original creations; the evening gowns were purchased from thrift stores. Colors of the scene were the vibrant tones of the multi-colored dress . The photo to the upper right shows one of the leading ladies in the brown print dress with hot pink and apricot accents. The ladies in black are the chorus of girls featured in the photo to the right. The costumes of these actoresses are made to change looks for every scene. Different parts of the costume can be reversed or removed. notice the hot pink accent color combined with anilmal prints. Hats for these ladies were also made by Maria.
The Mikado
Gilbert & Sullivan's Operetta
A color palette of rust, yellow, pink, apricot, olive, soft lavender and powder blue. The more sinister characters were in darker tones of the same palette.
Women's and men's kimonos were built as double kimonos in one layer. Men's hakama, kimishimo and hitatare were separate.
The Mikado
The costume for principal female character to the far left was built in three layers, the outer most pink, the second apricot and the inner pale green. The layers could be removed without untying the obie. Six feet long, the obie was tied in the authentic Japanese manner with several bows stacked on top of each other to denote the status of the character. Middle frame: a male chorus actor in hakama, kimoshimo and hitatare. Right: the three little maids: kimonos for the two women to the left and right are built with under-kimono attached.The costume for principal female character to the far left was built in three layers, the outer most pink, the second apricot and the inner pale green. The layers could be removed without untying the obie. Six feet long, the obie was tied in the authentic Japanese manner with several bows stacked on top of each other to denote the status of the character. Middle frame: a male chorus actor in hakama, kimoshimo and hitatare. Right: the three little maids: kimonos for the two women to the left and right are built with under-kimono attached.
My Fair Lady
The first picture depicts the ball where Eliza gives her debut. Gowns were based on 1910 styles and the color palette simulated a flower garden. The second picture shows the Ascot races, a balck and white palette with small accents of red. Eliza's costume is a copy of the one in the classic movie. Her hat was constructed as well.
My Fair Lady
The costumes above were rentals; however, the girl's costume are originals by Maria as well as the hat and dress on the fourth woman from the left. The four maids costumes to the far left are originals. Maria put a little variety in the designs by giving the maids different styles of aprons.
Othello
The Opera
The women's costume to the right and far right is constructed in layers: chemise (in blouse form), then back-laced bodice and skirt. For the skirt, the overskirt was attached to the underskirt. The gown was made so that the sleeves could be raised and lowered to accomodate the use of an outer layer for the costume.
Othello The Opera
Othello The Opera
For the men's costumes, the doublet and shirt were built-in with the jerkin as one layer. The woman's costume in the background in the center picture comprises a cartridge-pleated skirt with bum roll to add fullne, boned and back-laced bodice with front basque, shirt which is puffed through the openings in the attached sleeves.
Romeo et Juliette
The Opera
The top photo shows the entire cast in costume. Styles were based on Renaissance Italian fashion during the 16th century. Capulets (orange, yellow and red) and Montegues (blue and silver) are indentified by the colors worn. The women's slash and puff features are sometimes built into the costume and sometimes are acheived by a chemise underneath. Below is a close-up of one of the Capulet's costumes. The embroidery is acheived by layering velveteen and metallic lace and the slash and puff is built into the garment.
Fashion Design Gallery
All designs were created and constructed by Maria Wilkie. They are custom designs based on individual body measurements. Maria is well-versed in flat-pattern construction and sloper develoment, and has a foundational knowledge of draping.
Custom Design
This design is a synthesis of fashion from the 1960s. It is a halter style mini with a boned stand-away low back. Cherry red satin hand-made bias trim accents the bottom-weight black and white check fabric. Note the side cut-outs with satin and clear vinyl inserts.
Photography by Mandi Cook, Huntsville, AL.
Custom Design
Design comprises cigarette pants, strapless bra, corselette, panties, tie waistband overskirt and wrap. Inspired by the popular paintings of ballerinas in the 1950s used in home decor. Coupled with a palette of teal, hot pink and black, the design synthesizes major styles from the 1950s into one garment. The panties are hot pink, bara is hot pink with black chantilly lace overlay, corselette is teal with chantilly lace overlay and pants are chantilly lace. Overskirt has three tiers of tulle in black with holographic glitter, teal and hot pink; waistband is satin ribbon. All garment pieces are constructed by Maria Wilkie.
Photo by Mandi Cook, Huntsville, AL.
Custom Design
This original was based on 1950s chic when women donned a complete ensemble. The soft woolen fabric is a royal blue houndstooth print. Dress design features kinomo sleeves and emphasizes woman's curvy abdomen with ruching in the front hip area. The fabric is fringed at neckline, sleeve hem and dress hem. To further emphasize the "50s concept, th look is accompanied by a ruched and fringed matching shawl. Black and white houndstooth purse and polka dot gloves give the look an '80s, yet still very retro, feel. Hat and earrings are vintage.
Photo is courtesy of Huntsville Designers Against Breast Cancer. Erika Dollar, model.
Custom
Design
This evening gown is a synthesis of styles of the 1930s. Inspired by Art Deco design, the gown features cobalt blue inserts shaped like cresent moons to accent areas of the body not usually emphasized: under the bust, at the hip, and the inside the wrist accomapanied by a small train at the back hem. The hip insertes are boned to create an architectural effect. A funnel necklines and dolman sleeves give the form-fitting design a continuous flow of line.
Photo by Raven Ward of Ajani, Inc. Model, CeCe.
Custom Design
A close-up of the 1950s-inspired "ballerina" ensemble. Show the strapless bra in hot pink with black chantilly lace overlay and ruffled edging. Corsellette is teal with black chanitilly lace overlay. Wrap is teal, hot pink and black glitter tulle. Vintage fishnet half-gloves complete the outfit.
Photo by Mandi Cook.
Custom Design
Again, a synthesis of design styles from the 1960s. Here the clear vinyl and red satin accents add a pop of texture and color to the graphic print.
Photo by Mandi Cook.
About MW Couture Co.
Maria brings vision, historical re-creation and quality to her designs.
Experience the Art of Fashion
Maria Wilkie is deeply passionate about fashion and costume design. Enveloped in costume history, she loves vintage style and historical re-creation and would love to share her ardor for design with you. She believes that fashion is a form of art through which everyone can express their life experience and personal persepctive.
Vision and Know-How
As a designer with a combination of seven years teaching at the college level, ten years experience in fashion, and five years experience in theatre, Maria paints a picture on the stage blending artistic vision and workable costume building. She has also worked in wardrobe on six feature films in the Alabama area and her credits are listed on IMDB. Her specialties include script breakdown, continuity books and working within budget.
Just Plain Fun
Maria loves to collaborate with other creative visionaries to achieve the best possible costume and fashion solutions to both entertain and inform. She would love to share her fashion experience with you. Contact her via email at mwilkie530@gmail.com;
Committed inquiries only, please.
About the designer
As one of the few natives in the melting pot of Huntsville, Alabama, Maria is an unique in the Northern Alabama area. Her parents, originally from Atlanta, were transplanted her by her father's daring venture into the space program at NASA. Even though fashion was an innate part of her, Maria was introduced to the concept of "dressing to the nines" by her grandmother, Nell, the eidetic image of the famous 1940s actress Loretta Young. Maria currently holds a M.S. in fashion design and is has been an instructor at Alabma A&M University for seven years. She is trained in the flat-pattern method of patternmaking and in making slopers from body measurements.