Stockholm: Costume design (including hair and make-up)

Stockholm: Costume Design (including Hair and Make-up)

Character Distinction Through Costumes

  • Todd and Kali’s costumes are starkly contrasting to emphasise their divergent identities and also the polarities in their relationship.
  • While Todd’s clothes imply a control and dominance, Kali’s dress symbolises her vulnerability and submissiveness.
  • The progression in the clothing styles throughout the play also emphasises the change in dynamics and shifting power roles between the two characters.

Colour Symbolism in Dress

  • The use of colour symbolism in the costumes can reflect the characters’ emotional states and the atmosphere within their relationship.
  • An example could be the use of dark hues for the sauna scene, indicating the underlying tension and torment that is veiled behind their veneer of normalcy.

Minimalism in Costume Design

  • The costume aesthetic possibly draws from the Scandinavian minimalistic design philosophy, aligned with the overall production design.
  • This translates to bare minimal accessories and simple clothing styles, thus ensuring the focus remains on the performance rather than the attire.

Significance of Hair and Make-up

  • The application of hair and make-up also plays a pivotal role in conveying the character’s emotional and psychological state.
  • Heavy or dramatic make-up on Kali could be used to represent the mask she wears to hide her pain and fear.
  • A disheveled hairdo for Todd, on the other hand, could symbolise the chaos and turmoil within him.

Costume Changes and Narrative Progression

  • Costume changes can be utilised to indicate different stages in the narrative or major shifts in the relationship dynamics.
  • For instance, change from everyday clothes to sauna robes might denote a shift from their public facade to their most vulnerable, private selves.
  • Also, costume alterations during their choreographed dance routines may serve to highlight their attempted harmony, contrasting starkly with their actual discord.