AAD011 – Week 8

In the Mid 19th century artistic circles such as the Pre-Raphaelites rejected structured Victorian fashions in favour simple flowing designs allowing freedom of movement. During the 1880’s the Artistic Dress movement evolved into Aesthetic Dress, which was more concerned with the aesthetic values of elaborately decorated fabric. Designers began to abandon embellished ruffles and trims in favour of natural muted dyes with free form embroidery depicting natural forms, such as sunflowers and daffodils. These colours and natural themes can later be seen to influence the Art Nouveau movement.

Left – ‘Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth’, John Singer Sargent, 1889, oil on canvas

Right – ‘Beetle Wing Dress’, Alice Comyns Carr and Ada Nettleship, 1888, cotton, silk, lace, beetle-wing cases, glass, metal

Alice Comyns Carr was a British costume designer whose work was associated with the Aesthetic Dress movement. She realised that the loose flowing garments were perfect for movement on stage, and could be embellished with theatrical embroidery and lace work. Her ‘Beetle Wing’ dress (created for the London Lyceum 1888 production of Macbeth) embodied the ideas of this movement, with elaborate decoration on a simple medieval sillouette. Crochet work by Ada Nettleship simulated a chain mail effect which evokes the scales of a serpent, communicating Lady Macbeth’s cunning and ambition. This was emphasised with the use of over 1000 iredesant beetle wings sewn into the fabric, which glittered under the stage lights.

Bibliography-

‘Artistic Dress Movement‘, Wikipedia, visited 16 March 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistic_Dress_movement

‘The Aesthetic Dress Movement‘, Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion Era, Visited 16 March 2021, https://fashion-era.com/aesthetics.htm

‘Fashions of the Aesthetic Movement‘, Dolores Monet for Bellatory, Visited 16 March 2021, https://bellatory.com/fashion-industry/FashionsofTheAestheticMovementACultofBeautyandVictorianCounterculture

‘Alice Comyns Carr‘, Wikipedia, visited 16 March 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Comyns_Carr

‘‘Beetle Wing Dress’ For Lady Macbeth‘, National Trust Collections, visited 16 March 2021, http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1118839.1

‘The Actor and the Maker: Ellen Terry and Alice Comyns Carr‘, Victoria and Albert Museum, visited 16 March 2021, http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-actor-and-the-maker-ellen-terry-and-alice-comyns-carr/