Hamlet, Ophelia & Horatio - A major thing I wanted to explore with this group was creating the look of a youth culture. It really struck me when I read the play again that Hamlet is just a university student who comes home and finds his family life has been totally turned upside down. I also wanted to communicate a sense of rebellion. Compared to their upbringing in court, they look a lot more casual and grungy. Their way of separating their identity from their parents. For their look, I was largely inspired by a clothing line called O.D.D. What inspired me the most was its dark, moody look and a lot of the cuts and styles are revival Medieval and Gothic styles.
The Courtiers - I saw the courtiers of Hamlet as a transitional social group. They are the oldest end of hamlets generation and are growing into their more adult roles. They still have elements from their your culture and share elements with Hamlet, Ophelia and Horatio, but the more traditional clothing elements of the Monarchy are starting to appear in their style.
Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Laertes - I wanted to communicate the traditional, old world style of this world with this group. They are the figures of authority that Hamlet is pit against. I based the crowns of Claudius and Gertrude off of the traditional crowns of Denmark. Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius all have more 17th century cuts and styles in their clothing, but they maintain an image of a modern military influence with different styles of combat boots and steel and silver accessories. I included Laertes in this group because I felt, as Ophelia's older brother, he has a certain authority over Hamlet.
The Servants and Guards - With the servants, I wanted to communicate a lower social status with their more peasant like garb, reflective of perhaps the middle ages. With the Guards, I wanted to show more of Denmark's military style. I wanted to create something that looked sleek and modern, yet steeped in tradition.
The Ghost - For the Ghost, I wanted him in what I would consider a traditional dress armor. To bring a more modern look to it all, I liked the idea of using combat boots.
The Players - I had a lot of fun with the Players. I imagined them as a sort of traveling acrobat/comedia troupe. I wanted them to have the traditional cut of a doublet, but I wanted the material to be more like a shiny rubber material to communicate the modernity of it. I think my favorite part about them is the cut of their doublet. In line with the whole macabre look, I wanted the cuts and stitches to resemble the cuts and stitches used for autopsies.