This is a coat that I patterned and tailor for the titular character in Dracula . Unfortunately like so many productions, the show was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I was still asked to complete the coat for future use.
As you can see from this picture and the next one, this full length frock coat as a very full skirt. The designer wanted the fabric play of a cape without actually using a cape. She designed the idea of a frock coat with a full skirt. Photograph
What I ended up doing was patterning a traditional frock coat top and creating a full circle walking skirt on the bottom. I also used pleats at the center back to add more fullness for the actor to swish around on stage. Photograph by Grace Cochra
Before the production was canceled, we were able to have a mock-up fitting with the actor. The fullness of the skirt worked great!. This is the front view of the mock-up. Photograph by Grace Cochran Keenan.
Side view of mock-up. Grace Cochran Keenan.
This coat was meant to be worn by two different actors in the play so I patterned the coat based on the larger actor. In the fitting, the designer decided that it was more important for this coat to fit the Dracula actor the best as the other actor
In this photograph you can see the flatlining fabric of a sleeve piece pinned to the fashion fabric. The fashion fabric itself was an embroidered polyester that was chosen as it looked similar to the black garbage bags that were twisted and draped a
Close of view of the lapels after pad stitching. Photograph by Grace Cochran Keenan.
Finished garment. Photograph by Grace Cochran Keenan.
Finished garment. Photograph by Grace Cochran Keenan.
Finished garment. Photograph by Grace Cochran Keenan.
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