Susan Hilferty designed all of the costumes herself and there"s 180 unique costume designs

Last night I saw Wicked, and it was... Wicked! (Sorry, I had to). Lucy Durack who played Galinda was not only incredibly gorgeous but hilarious! I"ve been trying to replicate her high-pitched voice very poorly and much to the annoyance of anyone within ear shot.

But the thing that really got me, as you can imagine, was the costumes. Glitter and sequins and velvet - oh my! I"ve been day-dreaming about running away and becoming a costume designer, kind of like the circus but with more feathers.

There was a strong influence of early 19th Century, a wonderland vibe of fantasy and hyper-reality. There was boning, corsets, bum rolls (is there a nicer word for that?), and boots oooooh the boots! I couldn"t find enough pictures to truly represent how fabulous they are, so I"m sorry but you"re simply going to have to watch it.

How on earth did she think of them all? And whilst they most certainly are unique, there"s still an obvious continuity that runs through them, they are part of a whole. And by golly they"re just fun - even the thought of being allowed near that many ruffles gives me the the giggles.

I even got to wear my new Pendrell Blouse which was a hit with my friends. Yes, new! I ended up making some alterations and hallelujah to the sewing goddess this one actually fits me lovely! I can"t post any pictures right now (because it"s being washed!) but I"ll give you a sneak peek...

What"s that you say? Reverse bias tape? More dots? Yes... You sharp eyed little eagle you are correct! I will be sure to post pictures when it"s clean again. In hindsight I should have taken photos last night but I would have felt a bit silly posing in front of a bunch of strangers. Aaaah I"m such a blogging rookie I have so much to learn.

If you"re up for a bit more Susan Hilferty admiration (which honestly, who wouldn"t be?) I"d suggest checking out her website which is also where the photos are from, or the two awesome videos below.

And this one, well I think it"s my favourite. I know it"s mean to pick favourites, but how could I not? I mean just look at it. That heart shaped bodice with boning? That gathered skirt? The graduated sunset of colours broken up by stripes? Forgetting the fact that it"s from the 1950s which means it would be meters too short for me being a tall legged lass, it is absolutely and completely divine.

VIA «Costume Designer: Susan Hilferty» by Jane Storm