Maid Marian
Session Title
Design
College
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Department
Design
Faculty Mentor
Jason Tselentis, M.F.A.; G. David Brown, M.A.; Janet Gray, M.F.A.; and Lisa Cody-Rapport, M.F.A., Rollins College
Abstract
I will design four costumes that will bring to life Maid Marian, the heroine of the Robin Hood legends in English folklore, and I will produce one design as a complete costume. This project involves extensive research on the story of Maid Marian and on the history and clothing of medieval England, followed by many hours of hands-on work to draw my designs and sew the finished garment. The final presentation will include concept sketches and illustrations, professional photographs of the finished costume being worn and used in its intended environment, and the costume itself complete with props and accessories. I intend to revitalize a traditional, familiar female character and bring her to life as a heroine to whom girls of all ages can relate, without turning her into a Disney Princess or a gender-swapped Robin Hood. Girls in our culture should learn that strong women have existed in history and folklore for millennia without royal status, happily ever after, or contemporary feminism. By combining Maid Marian’s historical context with my own interpretation, I’ll create a strong female character who—rather than redefining femininity—seeks to embody the true beauty and power of womanhood.
Course Assignment
VCOM 487 – Tselentis
Previously Presented/Performed?
Winthrop University Department of Design Senior Show, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 2019
Start Date
12-4-2019 3:55 PM
Maid Marian
DIGS 221
I will design four costumes that will bring to life Maid Marian, the heroine of the Robin Hood legends in English folklore, and I will produce one design as a complete costume. This project involves extensive research on the story of Maid Marian and on the history and clothing of medieval England, followed by many hours of hands-on work to draw my designs and sew the finished garment. The final presentation will include concept sketches and illustrations, professional photographs of the finished costume being worn and used in its intended environment, and the costume itself complete with props and accessories. I intend to revitalize a traditional, familiar female character and bring her to life as a heroine to whom girls of all ages can relate, without turning her into a Disney Princess or a gender-swapped Robin Hood. Girls in our culture should learn that strong women have existed in history and folklore for millennia without royal status, happily ever after, or contemporary feminism. By combining Maid Marian’s historical context with my own interpretation, I’ll create a strong female character who—rather than redefining femininity—seeks to embody the true beauty and power of womanhood.
