WWD: Acrobats catapult through the air, whirling around a colossal white cube wearing sculptural animal masks and street style-inspired tailored suiting. Cirque du Soleil’s 20th big top production, Echo, which premiered this fall in the U.S., showcases gravity-defying feats of the human body. Weaving together a storyline about relationship between humans and animals, Echo is the company’s first new show since the pandemic.
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I remember doing an article last year on ‘Echo’, focusing on Es Devlin’s design and contribution; it is giving me a little Deja Vu. This article focuses on the costume aspects of the show, talking specifically about the difference between costumes and couture. For me, costuming has always been about extravagant silhouettes, crazy colours, and unconventional colour crashes. I really appreciate Vaudelet talking about combining design and fabrication with technology. Unlike ready-to-wear, costumes have a lot more ‘requirements’, such as durability, stretch, flexibility, maintenance and overall cohesiveness with other design elements. While ready-to-wear aims to make a profit (and we don’t really care what the customers do with the clothes after the purchase), costumes serve an important role in the storytelling and should still assist the cast with their performance onstage. Vaudelet also talks about lots of trial and error in the process, which I think of as science experiments. When something isn’t working, the costume shop employees are testing all kinds of solutions, and making adjustments as needed to get to the right ‘formula’.
God Cirque du Soleil is probably one of the coolest things on this planet. I was incredibly lucky to have watched one of their shows when they came to Denver a while ago, and I was astounded. The technical aspects of everything in addition to the performers on stage literally blew me away. When I first clicked on this article I was expecting to see costumes of the extravagant nature that usually defines Cirque, so seeing the sleek costuming surprised me. Usually the costumes in these shows are extremely large and over the top, however these are refined and elegant but not lacking in detail. They are incredible and I am astounded that people are able to move around so freely in them. When I read over the part that said the most important choice was the fabric since the performers needed to be able to move I was not surprised at all. I hope to work on one of these shows one day and be a part of the magic it brings.
This was such an interesting article to read because, through the costume design lens of the picture, we were able to see kind of the rebranding they are doing for Cirque du Soleil. When I think of Cirque, it definitely is the ornate style and extravagant but elegant look. I think over the top, detailed pieces for costumes as well. Yet this is a very crafty feeling, and the costume designer Nicolas Vauludet is definitely achieving his vision. The rebranding is interesting to me however because I think that a key factor of Cirque's brand and image is the regalness and professionality that comes with it. I don't think I can personally agree with the new choices and the new costumes. Though it definitely achieves the crinkled paper look the designer is aiming for, I personally feel the colors are too vibrant and bold and I would rather see the old Cirque.
I am so obsessed with Cirque du Soleil, and I would love to work with them one day. I feel like I could watch the show every day and not ever get tired of it. When I think about Cirque costumes, I typically imagine a sleek body suit base with larger-than-life nature-inspired additions and bold makeup. This design is very different than anything I have ever seen Cirque do. I enjoy the departure from the original style, especially since this is the first new work since covid. I feel this change opens up the door for future shows and for a more diverse collection of shows. I thought it was really interesting to put a traditional-looking suit on these acrobats due to the rigorous physical demands of the show, but I am glad they found a way to make it fit the needs of the show without compromising the design.
I’ve always loved Cirque du Solei, their performances are incredible and always something to admire. Any chance I get to see them I will take as there’t nothing quite like it. I really enjoyed reading this article as I was fascinated by the detail put into the costumes. I’m also really intrigued by the deviation from the typical ornate style as mentioned. I’m also really fascinated as someone who’s always loved origami and still consistently makes little cranes when I have any scrap piece of paper. I’m really excited to see how they bring the paper animals to life. I really appreciate the fact that they were able to use the time spent in quarantine to be productive and just constantly be refining the costumes and hyper specific details on them. All in all I really hope I get a chance to be able to see this production before it closes.
I love a fresh new take on an art piece that has been around for decades. Cirque du Soleil is an industry standard in the arts and acrobatics world. The company as a whole may be a constant in the artistic world but the shows themselves are everchanging. I appreciate that artistically the show is constantly evolving. Once the show is set in terms of live theatre then the show is at its end artistically. I really like that Cirque gets to continue evolving. It also is an interesting challenge to make the clothing fit for the show but also has to work for the acrobats. I also think that the all-white cubism concept of this version of cirque. It is such a fresh take on something that has been done multiple times. I admire that the creative team of Cirque is constantly trying to evolve and bring in new concepts to their work.
Nicolas Vaudelet's insights into costume design resonate deeply with my current experience in production. The article underscores the immense effort and research invested in creating costumes, reflecting the dedication of designers like Vaudelet. The notion that circus has no limits particularly strikes a chord, mirroring the creative freedom and boundary-pushing nature of my current project. In our production, a brilliant costume designer faces the challenge of time constraints, specifically quick change times. This constraint isn't merely about production timelines; it's about the practicality of executing costume changes within the rapid pace of the performance. The article's discussion on the complexity of Cirque du Soleil's quick changes echoes our struggles. While theoretically, costumes could undergo transformations, the narrative's demand for seamless transitions becomes a limiting factor. This situation prompts a profound reflection on the delicate balance between artistic vision and logistical feasibility. The need for quick changes doesn't diminish the importance of storytelling through costumes. Instead, it highlights the intricate dance between creativity and practicality, emphasizing that, much like in the circus, every element serves a purpose in the grand narrative. In the world of costume design, as in the circus, embracing limitations often leads to unexpected moments of brilliance.
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