{Translated from the original French by Paul LeBarr… thank you!}
Echo, Cirque du Soleil’s new show, is breathtaking by the athletic exploits of the artists, but also by the technical prowess of the costumes.
My exchange with Nicolas Vaudelet, the costume designer, confirmed that the simpler it seems, the more complex it is. With this new production, the team developed a more refined and contemporary stylistic approach, far from the usual ornamentation of Cirque costumes. We could almost say a fashion aesthetic. Some might even fall for several looks of the show while the tailor approach comes from the suit to the trench coat and the short jacket.
A few weeks after the world premiere of the show, Nicolas continues to work on the costumes. “There are always small changes to make, there are sometimes new artists, you always have to think about back-ups, etc. A show never ends, we always continue to refine things, and fortunately, because it allows us to leave creation slowly, “explains Nicolas Vaudelet.
Review of the different Echo costumes with Nicolas Vaudelet.
THE “CASSE-GUEULE” PRINT
Echo begins as Future and his dog Ewai go on stage. They are dressed in suits printed with a blue sky dotted with white clouds. The two artists are in symbiosis, Ewai is a domesticated wolf-dog who takes the colors of the human, of his master. In the original idea, the character of Future represents, through the clouds, the dream, the future.
“We’ve seen the cloud print a lot. It came from Magritte’s inspiration and surrealism, before Louis Vuitton published it in his show! Cloud print is difficult to work with, because it can quickly make poor quality. A cloud too bright on stage, it’s cheap! Moreover, the costumes of Future and Ewai are cut from different materials to meet the needs of the two artists. It was very annoying, but it makes sense. It works well, a surreal print in a monochrome universe, “says the costume designer.
BANKER NUMBER AND HUMAN EXECUTIVE
The banquine number and human frame is the most colorful of all. “There are no two colors like this. The outfielders, who are closer to the light, wear warm shades, while the artists on the ground wear cold shades. We thus want to accentuate the aerial aspect of the number, “says Vaudelet.
MANIPULATION DOUBLE TROUBLE
The double troubled manipulation number is the comic portion of the show. The two protagonists represent the era of industrialization. “The red orange, orange with fluorescent, is a synthetic color that represents consumption and trade. Their hat is a nod to the English businessmen of the 1940s, “says the costume designer.
HAIR SUSPENSION OF LUCIOLES
The costumes of the hair suspension number are bold, because the fireflies light up. “It’s very new to integrate electronics into an acrobatic act, because it’s very fragile, you have to protect the connections. It was also necessary to strip the two artists as much as possible while respecting the aesthetics of the show, “says Vaudelet.
EAGLE MASK
The pieces he is most proud of are the masks. “I am very attached to all masks. We explored things we had never done before. Usually, we do not put masks on acrobats for reasons of safety, performance and not to take humanity away from artists. Designing a goat, antelope or bull mask while clearing lateral vision and maintaining the characteristics and volumes of each species was perilous, “says the creator.
THE CARTOGRAPHER
The cartographer is a mysterious character, he wears a suit, whose silhouette dates from another era. “He is our explorer and architect. Its silhouette is that of the 19th century to which a print of the game “tie the dots” was applied. You have to work with the artist’s body and personality. It has gone through several stages of creation and it will soon evolve to yet another. Since Piotr Kopacz has beautiful arms, we will show them. In addition, the jacket is short to lengthen his legs, “says Nicolas Vaudelet.
A NEW APPROACH TO THE COSTUME
Echo’s costumes are made of Cirque du Soleil’s usual visual invoice. They are both simple and minimalist, moving away from the costumed look. “The Circus is used to having a richness in costumes, a certain baroque aspect in ornaments, prints and embroidery. It is an aesthetics that is recognizable. It was therefore a challenge to follow this idea of simplification, almost fashion in the costume, “says Nicolas Vaudelet.
The white suits, whose fabric looks like crumpled paper, are impressive, because this type of clothing is not associated with the circus universe. “It was a technical challenge. So we tried in Tyvek, the material used for painter’s dogs, but it was impossible with the daily maintenance in the washing machine. The Circus is also the genius of the workshop, which is a magnificent laboratory. We did pleat tests on polyester fibers to achieve the desired effect, “shares the costume designer.
“Simplification does not work every time. There really has to be a set and all the designers have to be in the same bath. The simplification of the costume, without the genius of Martin Labrecque with lighting, the staging of Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar and Andrew Skeels’ choreographies, it wouldn’t work, “he says.
{ SOURCE: Journal de Montreal }
