Theatre Research Guide:Production & Design

Researchers and students from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) have worked alongside Zandra Rhodes to painstakingly prepare, photograph, and catalogue 500 dresses and garments selected from the designer’s private archive at her studio in London, including pieces worn by icons such as Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and Diana Ross. The project has not only catalogued these designs for future generations but also created contextual learning materials which explore her creative processes and production techniques, through video interviews, video tutorials, and over 1000 pages of exquisite drawings from the 'Zandra Rhodes Style Bibles'.

"An apparel industry directory providing members of the fashion industry with links to virtually every aspect of apparel, fashion, textiles, and clothing."

"A unique tool for researchers and designers to recreate or date clothing from 1868 to 2000."

"A central location on the web for fashion and costume."

"Discover the treasures of Toronto's...shoe museum. Hundreds of shoes (from a collection numbering over 10,000) are on exhibit. The Museum celebrates the style and function of footwear, [ranging] from Chinese bound foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut-crushing clogs and glamorous platforms. Over 4,500 years of history and a collection of 20th-century celebrity shoes are reflected in the semi-permanent exhibition."

5,800 images of American and European costumes and accessories. The Brooklyn Museum Costume collection was established in 1902 and is the world's most comprehensive collection of American fashion from the late 19th to mid-20th century.

"The collection is encyclopedic, ranging from ancient Peruvian mantles to European tapestries, from 100 B.C. to the present....More than 25,000 objects, including approximately 6,000 textiles. "

"The Costume Institute houses a collection of more than thirty-one thousand costumes and accessories spanning five continents and as many centuries."

"The Motley Collection of Theatre and Costume Design is a rare collection of original materials on the theatre comprising over 5000 items from more than 150 productions in England and the United States. These materials include costume and set designs, sketches, notes, photographs, prop lists, storyboards, and swatches of fabric."

"Internationally recognised for its quality and diversity. The aims of the dress collection are: to represent London’s role as a centre for the fashion and clothing industry, from education through to design, production, promotion, retail and wear; and to reflect the diversity of life in London, recording and collecting the clothing of all London’s communities There are over 24,000 objects in the collection, dating from the Tudor period to the present."

"A cutting edge centre for contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery in London. Founded by iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes, the centre houses permanent and changing exhibitions exploring elements of fashion, textile and jewellery."

The Fashion Museum collection was started by Doris Langley Moore, a collector, costume designer and author. The earliest pieces in the collection are embroidered shirts and gloves from about 1600. The most up-to-date pieces in the collection are from 2008.

"KCI systematically collects and preserves outstanding examples of western clothing through the centuries, as well as the documents and other items related to this area of study." The digital archives displays 200 of the approximately 11,000 items in the collection.

"The Textile Museum expands public knowledge and appreciation – locally, nationally and internationally – of the artistic merits and cultural importance of the world’s textiles."

With more than 12,000 objects from more than 200 countries and regions, the TMC's permanent collection celebrates cultural diversity and includes traditional fabrics, garments, carpets and related artifacts such as beadwork and basketry.

"The collection covers fashionable dress from the 17th century to the present day, with the emphasis on progressive and influential designs from the major fashion centres of Europe. The V&A collections also include accessories such as jewellery, gloves and handbags."