ARTicles vol.4 i.3: Kasia Maimone

Rachael Rayment talked to Romeo and Julietcostume designer Kasia Maimone before the beginning of rehearsals.

Rachael Rayment: What led you to costume design?

Kasia Maimone: Although I’m originally from Poland, I’ve lived in America for eighteen years. In Poland I studied English, but then I took up fashion design when I moved to New York. I soon realized that fashion didn’t appeal to me. There was no deep thought behind it. So I started to work in theatre and film. The last movie I designed was Capote with Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Theatre and film are different worlds, requiring you to look through a different lens. On film, you are aware that the costume details are blown up by X60. In theatre they are reduced by X60. It’s fascinating to move from one world to another. The change of perspective is refreshing.

R.R.: Are there any particular designers and artists who have influenced you?

K.M.: There is not any particular artist who has had a continuous influence on me. I draw inspiration from everywhere – contemporary artists, sculptors, fashion designers. Drawing on one particular style or artist is dangerous. If there is only one design vocabulary that I use I will just be translating each project I work on into the same language.

R.R.: How did you approach designing for Romeo and Juliet?

K.M.: I read the play and certain images came to mind. These images indicated to me that elements of this world needed to be repeated over and over in the designs – strength, decadence, power and the unpredictable nature of youth. All these elements must be translated into the layers of clothes that appear on the actors’ bodies.

R.R.: Will you be drawing on contemporary fashion?

K.M.: Absolutely. High-end fashion. The boys will be dressed in suits. No jeans in this world! The boys will have simple, classic slacks but low slung, slim cut, no pleats, a little sheen, things you would see in fashion-conscious stores. The rich of this world have the privilege of simplicity and minimalism, like the very expensive T-shirts you see in high-end stores. Expensive, but understated. As though they had walked through their castle that morning and thrown on whatever they saw first in the closet. They’ll wear these suits in an unconventional way, maybe over their naked torsos.

R.R.: What other sources have you drawn from to create your designs?

K.M.: The base design is rooted in our familiar, contemporary world, but we’ve added elements of Renaissance Europe, England, Spain, France and Italy. For a while we looked at Elizabethan styles from Shakespeare’s period that reflect opulence and decadence. The embroidery and men’s jewelry we are using are inspired by this period. We’ve also looked at how members of street gangs wear jewelry as a sign of power, various kinds of tattoos and the ornamentation worn on the hats and sleeves of Nazi uniforms. Symbols of power became a prime focus for us.

R.R.: Gadi Roll, our director, described Romeo and Juliet‘s world as a fascist society. You either submit, or you break its contract and become an outsider. Society is built on fear and control. Romeo and Juliet are the purest people in this social structure.

K.M.: Juliet is not just an innocent. Fully aware of the world she lives in, Juliet has seen its darkness and its light. She chooses light. It was immediately clear how I should convey that through her costume. She will wear a simple, elegant white dress with black leather gloves.

R.R.: Can you give other examples of how you have conveyed character through costume design?

K.M.: Benvolio, for instance, is in Romeo’s gang. He is Romeo’s closest friend and shares his sensitivity, but he hasn’t completely found out who he is, so his clothes will send mixed messages. We’re thinking he will have a tattoo – the wings of a bird. In ancient times snakes, dragons and birds symbolized power. We’re creating a system of symbols carved into bodies and garments. The bird may be tattooed on his back with the wings curving around his neck, entangling and choking him. Finding the right elements for each character and putting them on the right place of their body is important. The wings around Benvolio’s neck are choking him because he has good intentions but always messes up. This is how Gadi described his character to me, and this is how I interpreted it through my design. Mercutio’s lust for life will be translated into a more flamboyant style. He’ll be wearing a fur coat and high-heeled boots. However, I say all of this in theory. These ideas will continue to evolve through the rehearsal process.

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