From Archive To Screen: Inside Cosprop with Assistant Curtor Sage Foley

Cosprop is one of the world's leading costume houses, known for supplying beautifully researched and constructed period dress for film, television, and theatre productions. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Sage Foley, Assistant Curator of the John Bright Collection at Cosprop.Originally from Colorado, Sage has worked in costume for over a decade across stage and screen. Now based in London, she combines curatorial work with her background in design and her academic training in Dress and Textile History from the University of Glasgow.We talk about what it means to dress history for performance, how Cosprop supports the visual storytelling of historical drama, and the fascinating challenges of curating a costume collection that is both archival and actively in use.

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In today's episode I am very excited to be joined by Grace Timothy to chat all things Goodwood Revival!Grace is the Revive & Thrive Brand Lead at Goodwood. She curates the fashion talks and craft workshops at Goodwood Revival, the immersive celebration of classic motorsport and vintage fashion held at the Goodwood Motor Circuit every September. ‘Revive & Thrive’ is the thoroughly modern message woven through the Revival landscape, inspiring creative ways to rethink, repair and re-wear.  We talk all about sustainability in vintage fashion, the spirit of the revival and its relationship with fashion and how to acquire and curate the perfect vintage, mid century look! Rethink, Repair and Re-wear! Tickets to Goodwood Revival 2025 are available here

In this episode, I am joined by Elizabeth The Thirsty - a drag queen historian who brings together two of her biggest passions: history and drag. Her work focuses on the Tudors, queer history, and especially fashion history - exploring how what we wear tells stories about identity, power, and culture across time.Elizabeth creates engaging educational content online and brings that same passion to the stage, where she performs pop songs with a historical twist. We talk about how she uses fashion history in her work, the role of costume in drag and performance, and what it means to make history accessible through creativity. We also talk about her upcoming live show Off with Her Headpiece!, happening on Friday 25th July from 7:30 to 9pm at Pride Hub Egham. Tickets are £5, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Terrence Higgins Trust. You can get yours via the Linktree in her bio or on the Pride Hub website.If you're interested in the intersection of fashion, performance, and the past — this one's for you.Thanks for listening and stay fab x

In this episode of Silhouettes, join me for a live and in-person tour of Kensington Palace's stunning new exhibition, Dress Codes, guided by Head Curator Matthew Storey. Together, we explore the fascinating world of royal dress - its hidden rules, coded meanings, and the powerful expectations placed on those who dressed for court. Discover how fashion both reinforced hierarchy and offered moments of rebellion, navigating the delicate balance between conformity and self-expression in the royal spotlight.Join the Behind The Seams community to support the podcast and access bonus content: ⁠www.patreon.com/silhouettespodcast⁠Thanks for listening, and stay fab everyone.Follow the podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠ @Silhouettespodcast for more updates

In this episode, I am joined by Matthew Storey, curator of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Historic Royal Palaces, to discuss the upcoming Dress Codes exhibition at Kensington Palace, opening March 13th, 2025. Matthew takes us behind the scenes of the exhibition, sharing the inspiration, research process, and challenges of curating royal fashion spanning 500 years. From rare garments worn by figures like Princess Diana and Queen Victoria to the collaboration with the Young Producers, this episode offers an exclusive look at the fascinating world of royal attire.This is part one in a two part series, tune in for a sneak peek of what’s to come at Dress Codes - a must-see exhibition for anyone interested in the intersection between fashion and daily life!Join the Behind The Seams family to support the podcast and access bonus content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/silhouettespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks for listening, and stay fab everyone.Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ @Silhouettespodcast for more updates

In today's episode I'm joined by Joanne Fenn, Professor and Collections Manager/Museum Registrar at the Kent State University Museum about their latest exhibition The Hepburn Style: Katharine and her designersThe exhibition is on view through September 28, 2025 (extended from May 25). The exhibition contains over 70 garments, lobby cards, and photographs and features the work of three costume designers (Valentina, Adrian and Irene) who worked with Katharine Hepburn on stage and in the film industry. In addition, the exhibition exhibits ensembles worn by Hepburn at home, including negligees, several pant ensembles, and the swimsuit she wore for winter swims in the Sound by her Fenwick, Connecticut home. Overall, the exhibition allows the viewer to see the continuity of Hepburn’s famous style both on and off screen.Join the Behind The Seams family to support the podcast and access bonus content: ⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/silhouettespodcast⁠⁠⁠Thanks for listening, and stay fab everyone.Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ @Silhouettespodcast for more updates

In this episode, we explore the transformative role of color in Victorian fashion, uncovering how it not only shaped trends but also challenged societal norms. We’ll dive into the fascinating story of mauveine, the synthetic dye that revolutionized the fashion industry. But it’s not just about the technical side—join us as we break down common misconceptions about color in the Victorian era, explore how color influenced everything from class identity to social status, and examine how it became a key marker of emotion and morality. Discover how the rise of vibrant hues in fashion was intertwined with cultural shifts and technological advances, and how color grew in popularity to become an essential element of self-expression. Tune in to learn why the Victorians’ obsession with color still resonates in modern fashion today.Join the Behind The Seams family to support the podcast and access bonus content: ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/silhouettespodcast⁠⁠Thanks for listening, and stay fab everyone.Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ @Silhouettespodcast for more updates

In this episode, join me to explore the fascinating origins of the Cottagecore aesthetic! Come with me to connect the dots between the historical past and the modern-day Cottagecore movement, touching on the rise of floral prints, country living, and Laura Ashley’s iconic designs. Whether you’re a fan of vintage style or curious about history’s influence on today’s trends, this episode uncovers the hidden stories behind a timeless aesthetic, by tracing its roots back to 18th-century France, where it was popularised by none other than Marie Antoinette, to exploring the history of aprons as both functional and fashionable garments in the 18th and 19th centuries. Tune in for a whimsical, historical exploration of fashion, culture, and the allure of the simple life. Join the Behind The Seams family to support the podcast and access bonus content: ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/silhouettespodcast⁠⁠ Thanks for listening, and stay fab everyone. Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ @Silhouettespodcast for more updates

Join me and Dr.Isabella Rosner, embroidery historian and curator of the Royal School of Needlework, to discuss their brand new exhibition "Tales of Textiles". This new intimate exhibition, Tales of Textiles: The RSN Collection in Focus highlights the life of key pieces from the Royal School of Needlework’s Collection & Archive with a focus on English embroidery. Objects on display span three centuries and tell a story of wear and use, protection and care, tradition and innovation, and stitchers domestic and professional. Exhibits include a fragile embroidered mirror frame dated 1653, a Georgian man’s waistcoat, and a late 19th century Royal School of Needlework-designed cushion cover. The exhibition takes place in one of our Embroidery Studios at Hampton Court Palace and will run from 25 September 2024 to June 2025.  Isabella offers her insights into the curation process of the exhibition, and we also discuss the exciting work that we have undertaken together to research, and catalog, much of the amazing fashion and costume held within the collection, and available to see on display at this extinction. Link to purchase a ticket and a private tour, are available here- https://royal-needlework.org.uk/events-exhibitions/tales-of-textiles-the-rsn-collection-in-focus/ https://royal-needlework.org.uk/product/tales-of-textiles-talk-private-view/ https://royal-needlework.org.uk/archive-collection/