Marlo Coat & Makeup

Deadname was as show I wrote and directed as part of the 2024 Stage Fright Festival of original queer horror theater. One of the main characters, Marlo, is a ghost, and I was excited from the start at the opportunity to deign his costume! My inspirations for his outfit come from 1920's gangsters, since that's when he was alive. For the design of it, I took inspiration from Disney's Haunted Mansion; the specific palette of white and teal with dramatic shading (essential for the Pepper's Ghost illusion to work) is iconic in my mind. I wanted him to look like he had been painted with a single brush, keeping the visible strokes. I had already experimented with this limited palette for the character while making my Marlo doll.

For the pattern, I used the Hydrus Cosplay Coat from Mood Fabrics.

I started off by sewing the basic structure of the coat out of grey courderoy and a teal lining. Next, using the same pattern, I made an additional layer out of a white sheer curtain that could be layered over the coat itself.

What followed was a multi-day weathering free-for all; tearing at all three layers with x-acto knives and scissors, smearing them in layers of white and teal paint. It was a lot of fun! I wanted to create a sense that the edges were dissapearing - so the color faded to darker and darker on the sleeves and bottom edge.

The coat was the only piece of the costume I made from scratch. The shirt, pants, and hat were purchased secondhand, and only needed their paint job to fit in with the rest of the style.

• Deadname show page