A costume-led reinterpretation of Hansel & Gretel, developed as part of the Narrative Costume and Performance unit within the MA Costume Design for Performance at London College of Fashion, UAL.
Approached as an opera production, the project began with a close reading of the libretto to construct a reimagined world and visual language. The narrative was symbolically relocated to a fictional traveler community, using costume as a primary storytelling device.
Central to the project is the Witch costume, conceived as a manifestation of the land itself—shifting between refuge and threat. While the environment may appear stable or safe to others, it remains unpredictable and hostile to Hansel and Gretel, ultimately rejecting them. This instability is embodied through a transformative costume that evolves during performance.

Constructed from 42 meters of taffeta and structured with crin and satin cords, the costume begins as a linear, flattened form and expands into a dome-like mountain by pulling internal cords on the body. The transformation allows the costume to grow, dominate space, and eventually engulf the performers—positioning costume as performative architecture and an active narrative force.