San - Studio Ghibli
Materials and Textures in Creative Liberty
San is one of the two main protagonists of Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke. San, as the protector of the woods was raised by wolves and does not identify with other humans who are known for destroying nature to reap its resources. This aspect of San's background had me prioritizing the materials and textures to use for this costume: not only did I want them to look authentic, but using specific fabrics and details add depth that help tell San's story.
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This costume was made over the course of a month, handmade with love including the dress/apron, mask, and accessories. The process of this costume aided me in utilizing trail-and-error with a one-size-fits-all structure.
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Photo to the left taken by Moojig B.C.; Edited by Elyzia Zhang
Fabrics
Much planning went into what portions of the costume will be what fabrics and why - I selected the base dress and apron, to be a plain cotton in order to keep the base of the garment bold but a plain canvas for other textures. The cape was made from a faux white fur fabric with a tough and almost canvas-like lining. In this sense, it gives of the aesthetic of a real animal pelt, which San adorns to match the wolves she identifies with. My personal touch was to purposely dirty and weather parts of the bottom of the pelt, which adds an air of realistic wear and tear to the garment, as San lives in the forest and fights both humans and animals alike throughout the film.
The accessories lining her upper arms, wrists, forehead and thigh are make from folded layers of a soft and textured faux leather: these also mimic the textures found in animal skin, and stretch well over parts of my body. Meanwhile, I added strips of the solid base fabric to these accessories to add depth to them, while keeping a coherent thread of blue running through the costume and adding some structure to the flimsier faux leather.
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In terms of sizing, I had originally made this costume to sell. As someone with a smaller frame, I decided to make the costume several sizes too large for me: the dress is sewn to waist using darts, and the accessories tie around my arms and legs twice before being tucked into place. For the apron, I took two strips of white fabric and used large and hefty snaps to keep the apron tight on my waist. If the costume were to ever be sold, I would be able to seam rip the darts back out of a the dress and re-tailor it to that of my buyers. Meanwhile, I would also remake two more strips of white fabric and reattach the snaps on those strips: in this sense, the costume fits me in a perfect oversized look meant for San's disheveled appearance, but it can easily be tailored up or down accordingly.
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Photo taken by Alex (@au_yeah); Edited by Elyzia Zhang
Props
Materials and Processes
Photo taken by Alex (@au_yeah); Edited by Elyzia Zhang
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San's mask was an insightful experience with trial and error: in order to create a mask with an authentic look that was both budgeted and lightweight, I decided to start with a styrofoam dome that I cut into the mask's general shape. I also cut holes for the eyes, and filled in the porous crevices of the mask with a slip made from warm water and air-dry clay. I also used masking tape to seal and 'hem' the cut edges of the mask, and then added clay detailing and painted the mask. After the mask was finished, I used a thick-wound string and a large tapestry needle to hand sew the mask into the cape. This was a very painstaking and arduous process - but the end result was an authentic mask, lined on the top and bottom with beautiful stitching that drew from the visible and thick hand stitching often showcased in the clothes of historical forest-dwelling peoples. This sense of homage towards older and natural cultures in a reflection of San's inhabitance of the forest really gave the costume an air of significance and authenticity.
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During this process I had made many mistakes and learned much along the way: the paint I originally used for the mask had burned through the styrofoam and destroyed parts of the mask's infrastructure. Meanwhile, I found that scoring the mask to attach strips was a necessity, and letting the clay dry in specific areas was crucial to the final product's overall look.
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Meanwhile, I continued to draw from the forest and native jewelry to make San's accessories. The necklace securing San's cape around her neck and chest was originally with three to four bone teeth and some beading or string, but I decided to pick up smaller teeth-like beading with the texture and coloration of seashells. These beads were selected because many forest-originating jewelry are forged from seashells and murky rocks that are found around the shores of lakes within the forest as well as beaches lining the land itself. On top of this, San's skill in hunting, I supposed, would lead to heavier-looking 'trophies' and contribute to her intimidating I also got a hold of this beading in teardrop-shaped disks, which I used to detail the bands on my arms, forehead and leg. I also used this scalloped disk for San's spear, as well as furs, faux leather and solid cotton fabric.
