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Fefu and Her Friend, orginal debut. It was performed in 1977, and was directed by Maria Irene Fornes and performed in the Relativity Media Lab, a part of the New York Theatre Strategy. 

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Fefu and Her Friends, 2019 Revival. Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, in the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, located in Brooklyn, NYC.

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Reference images (from google)

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Women’s fashion in the 30′s

-Puffed sleeves, belted waist

-High waisted sailor pants

-Accentuated the high waisted, female appearance, opposed to the boyish look of the 20s.

-Clothing like puffed sleeves were used to broaden shoulders

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Women’s fashion in the 40′s

-Lots of high waisted clothing, padded shoulders, skirt came to around the knee area

-Red lipstick was worn during this time period, as well as hats and gloves

-Overalls helped create a “Rosie the Riveter” like appearance

-Wide leg, high waisted pants

-Female victory suits

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Here is my design for Sue, a supporting role.

The notes written beside the drawings are

COLOR PALETTE: Yellows and greens

PARTIALLY BUTTONED CARDIGAN: More in tune with her emotions, more sensitive to others.

PATTERNS ON SKIRT: More playful and relaxed.

LONGER SKIRT: Still follows gender norms, feminist in hiding. 

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Here is my design for Cecilia, a supporting role.

The notes written beside the drawings are

COLOR PALETTE: Darker blues and yellows

DARKER COLOR SCHEME: More manipulative, not as upbeat as others.

POWER SUIT: Dominant vibes, reflective of toxic husband.

BRIGHT SHOES: Sends mixed messages, doesn’t fit with the rest of her suit.

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Here is my design for Cindy, a supporting role.

The notes written beside the drawings are

COLOR PALETTE: Blue shades

LAYERS/JACKET: Not as open, keeps her feelings closer to her.

SIMILAR CLOTHING TO CHRISTINA: Closest to Christina in the friend group, represented by similar clothing.

FLAT SHOES: Not as passionate as the other members of the group.

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Here is my design for Emma, a lead role.

The notes written beside the drawings are

COLOR PALETTE: Pinks and cremes

PEARLS AND JEWELRY: Representative of her wealth and status

WARMER COLOR SCHEME: Reflective of her warm and bright personality.

HIGH WAISTED PANTS: Accentuates the female figure, reflection of her feminism 

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Here is my design for Paula, a supporting role.

The notes written beside the drawings are

COLOR PALETTE: Pinks, blues and purples.

LACK OF ACCESSORIES: Shows lack of status and wealth compared to the other girls.

COLOR SCHEME: Hints at her sexuality at various points of the show (bisexual flag colors)

SNEAKERS: Represents part of the working class.  

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Here is my design for Julia, a leading role.

The notes written beside the drawings are

COLOR PALETTE: Greys and blacks.

DARKER CLOTHING:Representative of her darker and morbid thoughts.

LILY DECOR: Foreshadowing her death in the play.

WHEELCHAIR: In a wheelchair due to a hunting accident.

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Here is my design for Christina, a supporting role.

The notes written beside the drawings are

COLOR PALETTE: Light pinks and beiges.

LIGHTER COLOR SCHEME: Shyer and more hesitant to make bold choices.

PLAIN ATTIRE/LACK OF ACCESSORIES: More willing to conform, to not stand out.

FLAT SHOES: New to the friend group, not as confident as other members.

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Here is my design for Fefu, a leading role. The notes written beside the drawings are COLOR PALETTE: Pastel pinks and cremes.

BOWS AND PEARLS: To show wealth and status.

PINK COLOR PALETTE: Pink being a stereotypical feminine color, representing her strong feminism.

HIGH HEELS: Leader of her friend group, taller and more confident.

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Introduction

This project is about female empowerment and the expression of women’s bodies, through the medium of costume designs for Fefu and her Friends, a play by Maria Irene Fornes, a Cuban American female playwright. The models used to display these costumes come from a range of diverse body types, skin color and hair types/styles to display the beauty that is in all female identifying people. 

The inspirations for the costumes was the time period the show was set around (late 1930s, early 40s), but I tried not to limit myself to specifically keeping it as such. I incorporated some points of modern day trends or accessories to give some variety and to stand out.   Thank you,

Sophie