Culture

RagTag: A Circus in Stitches. Autoethnographic Costume Design Research for a Touring Circus Troupe

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Abstract

Designing costumes for circus artists requires a balance of learned skills, experiential knowledge, open communication, and safety. The garments worn by these artists must fit an aesthetic theme for the overall show, and the functional needs required by the artists' movements, apparatus, and routine. In this autoethnographic project I combine my extensive professional career as a circus costume designer and technician with academic training in apparel design to develop costumes for a small professional touring troupe, Cirque Us. The project includes design research with preliminary results from qualitative interviews and a focus group, along with field notes, info sheets, photographs, video, and audio recordings. All troupe members gave written consent, and the project was submitted with permission from Cirque Us.

Keywords: Circus Costume, Design Research, Autoethnography

How to Cite:

Du Puis, J. L., (2020) “RagTag: A Circus in Stitches. Autoethnographic Costume Design Research for a Touring Circus Troupe”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12108