{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1308868"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1308868/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LA1355/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LA1355/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2018LA1355","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LA1357","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LA1358","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LA1359","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1308868","accessionNumber":"S.2333-2014","objectType":"Costume","titles":[{"title":"Dance Costume","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume for the lead Swan in a production of <i>Swan Lake. </i>It was originally designed  by Lez Brotherston and first produced by Matthew Bourne in 1995. This version of the costume was worn in 2012.\n\n<i>Swan Lake</i> was created by Matthew Bourne at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, for his clmany, Adventures in Motion Pictures, in 1995. The lead Swan was created by Adam Cooper and the production went on to be a lasting international success. It is regarded as the longest-running ballet in the West End, although not in one continuous run. Bourne was inspired by many sources for the production, ranging from: Peter Shaffer’s play <i>Equus </i>and Alfred Hitchcock’s film <i>The Birds</i> to Jean Cocteau’s poster image of Vaslav Nijinsky in<i> Le Spectre de la Rose. </i>He was also influenced by productions of <i>Swan Lake </i>he had seen, beginning with the first two: Erik Bruhn’s version for the National Ballet of Canada and Peter Darrell’s staging for Scottish Ballet. He regards the ballet a being about ‘someone who needs love’ and from the outset wanted to create a beautiful work for men at a time when European dance was presenting men aggressively. He saw his swans as being beautiful, pagan and animal.\r\n\r\nLez Brotherston was Bourne’s third choice of designer for <i>Swan Lake</i>. Bourne’s reluctance to use Brotherston stemmed from the fact that although they had just, successfully, created <i>Highland Fling</i> together Brotherston had already designed a modernist interpretation of <i>Swan Lake </i>for Northern Ballet. \n\nThe majority of the costumes Brotherston designed for Bourne’s production are either timeless or inspired by the 1950s and 1960s. The costumes for the swans are iconic feathery breeches made of loops of white silk chiffon stitched individually at approximately one centimetre apart to white Lycra calf-length tights. There is a corset-style, elasticated waist with flesh-coloured insert (to create the illusion of a lower cut at the front waist). The chest of the wearer is left bare, but whitened with water-based pancake make-up, The dancers' calves and feet are also bare. For the facial make-up Bourne suggested to Brotherston ‘a triangular beak-shaped dark line, from the hairline to the tip of the nose’. The dancers’ hair was to be cut very short to ‘get long, swan-like necks with the smooth lines of the head, neck and shoulders.’\r\n\r\nBourne claims that the Swan costume ‘was the one that I developed the most myself.’ He gave Brotherston a picture of an Indian dancer, leaping. ‘He had trousers that seemed to be made of fringing or something; they moved very well and looked good in mid-air’. \n\nThese white, dynamic costumes become very worn and stained after long tours. Brotherston therefore kept back this costume worn by Ashley Bain from the 2012 recording of the production so that the museum would have an example that remained in good condition.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Full white breeches, reaching from the waist to just below the knee and fitting closely to the lower torso and leg. The breeches have a close fitting elasticated Lycra ground which fits closely to the wearer's legs from hip to just below the knee. This ground fabric is covered with looped strands of white silk chiffon which has been cut to resemble feathers. \n\nThe waistband of the breeches is formed from curved panels of white ribbed lycra,  which have been stiffened with wide graduated channels of 'boning'. These panels meet in a low triangular point at the centre front and in a piped seam at the centre back. They sit around the wearer's hips and waistline, creating a 'corset'-like effect at this point.  \n\nA wide, flesh coloured band of elastic runs around the interior waist of the breeches. This sits inside the 'corset' and is visible at the centre front 'dip.' \n\nAt the interior waist, the costume includes the maker’s label, Phil Reynolds/Costumes. giving the company's phone number and website, and a production label recording the performer and production details\n\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Brotherston, Lez","id":"A6676"},"association":{"text":"costume designers","id":"AAT163428"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk chiffon","id":"x32757"},{"text":"lycra","id":"x32923"},{"text":"elastic","id":"x29976"}],"techniques":[{"text":"appliqué","id":"AAT53646"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silk chiffon, Lycra and elastic","categories":[{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre costume","id":"THES268477"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2018LA1355","2018LA1357","2018LA1358","2018LA1359"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"105","id":"THES49926"},"free":"","case":"CA010","shelf":"FIG","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"Breeches","id":"AAT46135"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2012","earliest":"2012-01-01","latest":"2012-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"The production was first staged in 1995, but this costume was worn by Ashley Bain in the 2012 recording of the production. "}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the designer","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"71","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"front waist to hem (not including waist panel)","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"12","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"side panels of waistband","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"15","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"centre back of waist panels","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"7.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"across elastic waistband","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"75","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"external waist of breeches (as mounted)","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Full white breeches, covered with strands of cut silk chiffon. Costume for the lead Swan in <i>Swan Lake</i>, originally designed by Lez Brotherston and first produced by Matthew Bourne in 1995. This costume was worn in 2012.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Gallery rotation. 2022\n\nCOSTUME FOR THE SWAN IN MATTHEW BOURNE’S <i>SWAN LAKE</i>\r\n2012\n\r\nTo create the costume for the male swans in his <i>Swan Lake</i>, Matthew Bourne gave designer Lez Brotherston an image of a leaping Indian dancer in fringed trousers which ‘moved very well and looked good in mid-air’. Brotherston created the feathery breeches by adding loops of white silk chiffon to a Lycra base, leaving the dancers’ whitened chests bare to emphasise their masculinity. This costume was worn by Ashley Bain in 2012. \n\r\nDesigned by Lez Brotherston in 1995\r\nSilk chiffon, Lycra and elastic\r\nGiven by the designer\r\nMuseum no. S.2333-2014","date":{"text":"07/03/2022","earliest":"2022-03-07","latest":"2022-03-07"}}],"partNumbers":["S.2333-2014"],"accessionNumberNum":"2333","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2014,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-15","recordCreationDate":"2015-02-25","availableToBook":false}}