The Armor Theaterkostüm by Samantha Chijona Garcia and Vladimir Cuenca

The Armor Theaterkostüm by Samantha Chijona Garcia and Vladimir Cuenca is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award in Silber in Darstellende Kunst Competition Category.

SilberDarstellende Kunst· 2020

The Armor Theaterkostüm

by Samantha Chijona Garcia and Vladimir Cuenca

Client: Jazz Martinez Gamboa

A' Design Award in Silber Winner in Darstellende Kunst Category

59,168

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #102743

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About The Armor Theaterkostüm

Die Rüstung ist ein Theaterkostüm, das für die Figur Richard III. in einer Bühnenfassung eines Shakespeare-Stücks entworfen wurde. Das Kostüm besteht aus recycelten und ausgedienten Materialien. Auf eine Jacke aus Köperstoff sind Metalllinien aufgenäht, während sich überlappende Ledergamaschen eine eigenständige Struktur bilden, die durch Lederriemen und Schnallen verbunden wird. Ein Kettenhandschuh schließt den Ärmel ab, und ein mit Metallstreifen ausgekleideter Samthut dient als Helm. Die sechs Teile können hinzugefügt oder abgenommen werden, während sich die Figur im Verlauf des Stücks verändert. Der Entwurf spiegelt sowohl den König als auch den verletzlichen Menschen in ihm wider.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Silber

The Armor Theaterkostüm ist Gewinner des A' Design Award in Silber, einer enorm prestigeträchtigen Anerkennung für erstklassige, großartige und beeindruckende Spitzendesigns. Silber-Gewinner sind ungemein brillante und äußerst kreative Werke, die die herausragende Expertise, das Talent und den Scharfsinn ihrer Designer veranschaulichen. Von The Armor Theaterkostüm wird erwartet, dass es ein wunderbares Vorzeigewerk ist, das bemerkenswert professionell und zutiefst innovativ ist. Dieses mit dem A' Design Award in Silber prämierte Design ist eine höchst bemerkenswerte, bewunderte Erfindung, die den Grenzen von Kunst, Wissenschaft, Design und Technologie zugutekommt und sie voranbringt. The Armor Theaterkostüm ist eine vielbeneidete Schöpfung, die Wünsche weckt, positive Gefühle vermittelt und Staunen und Verwunderung entfacht.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This armor, made with fully recycled materials, mixes metallic corset nerves referring to the classic western armor, topped by a butcher's chainmail glove that evokes the bloodthirsty of the character with leather leggings overlapping layers denoting the various faces assumed by the character during the plot. From a modernist vision in terms of fabric, overlapping and weaving of pieces the structure refers to the vulnerability of the King and the man who lives at the same time in Richard III.
Dimensions & Packaging: Armor- 45cmx30cmx55cm
Helmet- diameter:57cm High: 23cm
Tags: Costume design, Shakespeare, Richard III, Armor, theater, cuban designer, Samantha Chijona Design, schijonag.
Production Technology: The armor is compound by 6 pieces. 1: The metal structure, it is metal lines sewn on a twill weave jerkin jacket, 2: the leather armor, leather gaiters overlapping forms an independent structure that joins the rest of the set with leather straps closed by buckles, 3: The metal glove, a chainmail glove closes the cuff to give the sleeve a shot, 4: The helmet,
a velvet hat lined with metal strips works as an armor helmet 5: The pants, a black twill pants and finally 6: Black leather boots to the knees.
Design Challenge: The development of the piece became a challenge, I wanted to do something great for the character but working in Cuba is always difficult due to the lack of resources, so while researching, I also located materials. Looking in an antique warehouse I found these old pieces of unused corsets bones and leather leggings and decided to use them. With only one month to prepare the entire theater play with more than 16 characters we were detained in this armor for a week, assembling, testing and sewing piece by piece in search of achieving an attractive but useful result.
Research: My research flew over two essential aspects, the historical and the technical. After having studied for years Western and Japanese armors, the challenge of creating one was wonderful. I had to solve how I should use the historical engineering structures in those garments with the modern materials I had in hand. I read and compiled images and information, of the western armor, I appropriated the metal and the order of the parts while from the Japanese I took overlays of leather pieces sewn with cord. The result was a very visual and modern armor that keeps its basic function, protection.
Inspiration: Having studied for years structures that we use when dressing and that have protected and distancing ourselves from the real world I choose one of my favorite, the armor. I took advantage of the study of Western and Japanese war pieces and modernized it with the use of materials and disused pieces. The text of Shakespeare's play emphasizes the two faces and the physical problem of the character I used it as inspiration to separate and show the two parts of Richard III.
Project Duration: The project started in June 2018 in Havana, Cuba and ended in September 2018 in Havana, Cuba.
Operation Flow: The piece is compound by 6 small parts, the main three, armor jacket, pant and boots are easy to put, also it has another leather structure which should be placed with buckles while the hat and the glove are closed by an elastic piece. the interaction between the actor and the piece is determined for the modular form of the main piece, the person can take off the leather part, the helmet, the glove and keep only the base jacket, pants and boots, in the same way he can add more pieces throught the evolution of the character inside the theater play.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Chijona, Samantha, 2018
Team Members: Designer and Creative Director: Samantha Chijona
Designer: Vladimir Cuenca
Image Credits: Image 1,2,3,4,5: Samantha Chijona Photographer/ Samantha Chijona Designer /Richard III/ The Armor /Model: Maria Gabriela Sanchez, 2018