High School Musical

This spring I will be costume designing High School Musical. That's right folks I said it, I am designing Disney's High School Musical for SBC. I had never watched any of the films till Monday when I got the email that do to issues with the rights we would not be doing "The King and I" as planned. I immediately went out and got the films and sat down to watch all three (which was quite a task let me tell you). I gotta say, the material isn't over whelming, and award winning it is not; but I am actually a little excited. The characters are so generic; the handsome jock, the smart girl, the bitchy diva, the overly fem pretty boy, the pushy smart girl, the wall flower. I can basically do what ever I want as far as costume wise. As long as it's right for the character, I'll be fine. So get ready folks because HSM is getting done my way.

After watching all 3 films, i began researching, and getting ideas. As soon as i decided to throw out the film concepts and create my own, I was in business, the ideas were flowing. For inspiration I'm gonna look from some of the entertainment worlds most brilliant versions of high school and college life: Clueless, Heathers, Jawbreaker, Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, Never Been Kissed, She's All That, Can't Hardly Wait, 10 Things I Hate About You, Saved By the Bell, 90210, Popular, and Glee. All of these pieces captured a generation, and are considered iconic for their portrayal of high school. I'm also gonna pull some inspiration from Britney Spears' classic music video "Baby One More Time", because let's face it, who didn't see that video and want to go to that school. I want to create an over the top theatrical version of high school, it's not going to look the way the kids normally dress, it's gonna be an enhanced reality. That is what the theatre is, or in my opinion what it should be.

I think of all the characters I am most excited for Ryan and Sharpay Evans, they are the Reigning thespians at the school, and the villains of this little diddy. They are over the top, and completely ridiculous, and I am going to go as outrageous as I can. Sharpay is typically portrayed as a Bitchy Barbie doll, but that's not quite good enough for me, I want to take it to the next level. So I am going to make her the love child of a Barbie, and a super villain. Think lots of exaggerated silhouettes, blacks and metallics, and mix them with fuchsia. I want her to have a bad ass leather and lace kind of vibe. When i was reading up on Ryan, the costumer for the third film said she focused on fashion trends for him, so I am gonna do the same, but focus on grittier designers like Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, and Gaultier. I want to even pull some inspiration from Karl Lagerfeld himself. I want Ryan to look high fashion, but not in such a prancy preppy way. I think the two of them together are gonna look so intense next to a more wholesome cast, i really want them to look like villains.

as the weeks progress, i'll give you guys updates on the whole process. I am so excited to share it with everyone, and see how the production grows and changes to it's final version.

xo KS