Where is the body in the costume design process?

Sally E. Dean has led the Somatic Movement, Costume & Performance Project in collaboration with costume designers/visual artists Sandra Arròniz Lacunza and Carolina Rieckhof since 2011. This project offers an alternative costume design methodology that starts from the body or ‘soma’ (i.e. a sentient, perceiving person), whereby perception is inherently active and relational. This approach is thus multi-sensorial, somatic and holistic, and is based upon Sally’s background as a somatic practitioner, performer, performance-maker and teacher. This visual essay gives examples from the project’s design approach, working with a live, moving and multi-sensorial body to create Somatic CostumesTM through co-creation, collaboration and participation. Costume designers are actively engaged in trying on materials and costumes through all stages of the process in order to answer the following overarching question: what are the materials/costumes doing to the body (i.e. body image and body schema)? Through these experiential methodologies, the project aims to return and relocate the body into the costume design process.