   About Roxane Roxane has always been attracted to colours, textures, shapes and movement. Add a passion for history, a need to make things with her own hands and a belief that art can be practical, not just for ornamentation and you understand why Roxane enjoys making clothes and other textile accessories. She grew up reading history books and novels, and watching any historical movie, drama or documentary that came her way. The costumes fascinated her! After graduating from The Visual Arts school in Montreal, she studied Fashion Illustration and Design at Concordia and then Interior Decoration at McGill. Historical studies are an ongoing personal interest. Learning about the history of fashion became a part of her daily routine. Theater, television and movies interested her from the “backstage” point of view. Dressing up the actors, not acting, is what she wanted to do. Costumes are decidedly more colourful than everyday clothes, but every day clothes can also be fun and interesting to wear if given the right treatment. Even “serious” office clothes or sports equipment can be more inspiring! Hallowe'en is still her favourite celebration of the year. Science fiction and fantasy as well as the traditional “horrible” subjects are all suitable themes for costumes. Creating whatever strikes the imagination of her customers is a challenge to be met. Roxane loves it all and the more complex the project, the better! Especially if unusual, beautiful, colourful and soft fabrics are involved! Sometimes other materials are used, like plastic sheeting and telephone parts or whatever can be assembled to make and wear the item wanted. In 2002 the Canadian Museum of Civilization ordered 8 historically accurate costumes ranging 10,000 years for their exhibit, "The Bog People". The following year, they requested two more costumes from the 1750s for their teaching workshops. In 2007, Roxane was commisioned for 8 "Caribana" style costumes for the Children's Museum section of the Museum of Civilization and added two more "Nouvelle France - 1750s" costumes to their permanent collection. Continuing work with the Museum includes the maintenance and restoration of the historical costumes as well as additions to the costume collections and accessories needed in the Children's Museum. Such collections include 20 Bedouin face covers and veils, 24 kimono and Mexican and Indian clothing and decor; 8 Bedouin tunics and 2 robes are the additions to the Children's Museum projects in May 2008. Several Egyptian tunics, kalasiris and men's kilts were made for the Museum's "Tombs of Eternity" in Dec. 2008. Roxane prepared 10 Flamenco dancers' costumes for the Museum of Civilization in July 2009 and added another 9 Caribana costumes that October. Other museums and theater companies in Ontario and Quebec have asked for designs for Victorian accessories and clothing, and help with identifying and cataloguing the pieces in their collections. Roxane cooperated with the Anxiety Disorders Association in setting up their four annual Medieval Balls (these were masquerade charity fund-raisers at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa, Canada) supplying 120 medieval style costumes for their guests. Roxane also uses her costumes to help Grade Four teachers (in the Social Studies part of their curriculum) illustrate life in medieval times and Grade Five teachers with Ancient Studies by supplying costumes from Ancient Greece, Rome and China. |