Strand Palace X University of the Arts London

Here at Strand Palace we have partnered up with the talented students at the University of the Arts London to showcase their “New Deco”: Tutu Collaboration for a 6 week exhibition. Situated throughout the ground floor of the hotel, you can explore 9 tutus that have been designed by the ‘BA Costume for Theatre and Screen’ students and discover their incredible work that they have put together as part of the ‘Contemporary Deco’ University project.

Basing the project off of the distinguished interior from Strand Palace, this bespoke installation was a unique opportunity for the students to showcase their work. With Strand Palace being based in the heart of theatre land, it’s abundance of spectacular art deco features - including the original foyer that is now owned by the V&A museum, it meant that the students had the perfect basis of inspiration for this exciting project.

Using various processes to create the garments, from screen printing and hand beading to laser cutting and sculptural construction methods, the students have worked with various departments to explore different challenges and learn new skill sets to master the art of collaboration and the needs of the project set. Each tutu was created through the process of research, illustration, development and then designs created from 2D sketches to 3D fully wearable costume for performance.

Be sure to check out the work from the students of UAL and tag @strandpalace and @bacostumefortheatreandscreen in your social media.