About Julia Renaissance Costumes

 I have a BA Hons in Theatre Design, I create beautiful costumes inspired by historical clothing and present ‘Historical Fashions Shows’, Lectures, Talks and Costume Displays throughout the UK and Scotland.

I present events for English Heritage, The National Trust and Edinburgh Council. I have also presented events for SWRI, WI, Museums, ladies groups and libraries as well as Townswomen’s Guilds, Border Textiles Groups and Embroiderers Guilds.

My exciting Period Fashion Show includes costumes I have designed worn by models. They are accompanied by beautiful period music, a brief history of each historical figure and a talk about the design and construction of each costume. The show concludes with the dramatic disrobing of Mary Queen of Scots prior to her execution. The Show provides a glamorous and different entertainment for any type of special event. I have presented Period Fashion Shows at many locations including Raby Castle and Washington Old Hall.

I also present costume lectures. I currently present a Regency Talk and a Tudor Talk and am currently preparing a new talk for 2107 about “Marie Antoinette and Fashion’.

An integral part of my talks is a unique insight into the practical aspects of design and construction from inception to completion.  I explore the significance of the costume in relation to the history of the period.  I design and create all the jewellery, headdresses, underwear and accessories. I also include details of my use of patterns, fabrics and sourcing of all materials. My lectures are very interesting, lively and informative, they include the design/construction and inspiration for my historical gowns as well as a brief history of the people who wore them.

My exciting new talk is about Queen Marie Antoinette and 18th Century Fashion.  My lecture includes a display of a reproduction silk boned corset, petticoat, pocket, panniers and a very spectacular Pink Silk Court dress – La Robe Francaise worn with large ornate pompadour wig. Also included is the Chemise a La Reine  – a simple gown which Marie Antoinette preferred. An integral part of my exciting new talk is a comparison between the court gowns worn for formal court occasions and the Chemise a la Reine.

Integral to my Tudor Talk is a display of four costumes on mannequins with headdresses, fans, underwear and jewellery.  My talk includes a personal appearance by King Henry VIII in full regalia plus ornate costumes for Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots and Anne Boleyn. A highlight of my talk is a costume inspired by Mary Queen of Scots Execution Gown.

My Regency Talk ‘Enter the World of Jane Austen” is a very interesting, lively, humorous and informative lecture about the design and construction of gowns worn during the Regency period. Beautifully costumed mannequins are dressed in an ornate Court Gown, an afternoon dress with Spencer, a Lilac Ball Gown as well as underwear and accessories.

Venues for my Regency Talk have included the Royal Armouries in Leeds, the Army and Navy Club in Edinburgh and the Royal Scots Club in 2015 – I was booked to commemorate the bi-centenary of the Battle of Waterloo.

I also present Costume Displays.  I have displayed my work at many locations including Raby Castle, Belsay Hall, The Royal Armouries and Newcastle City Library.

I recently presented a Tudor Costume lecture with display at beautiful Auckland Castle. The Tudor Exhibition at Auckland included Henry VII’s ‘Paradise Bed’ and several 16^th Century portraits and important artefacts.

We have also presented a Tudor Fashion Show at Trinity Apse – a 15th Century Church in Edinburgh as part of the ‘Festival of Museums’. Outfits worn in the show were used for a photo session in Edinburgh, my costumes were featured in the local newspaper ‘The Scotsman’.

As part of Newcastle Fashion Week, I presented a display called ‘Kings and Queens in Costume’ at Newcastle City Library – we also presented a two Period Fashion Shows at the same venue to celebrate both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the anniversary of the death of Shakespeare.

The Royal Armouries in Leeds was an excellent venue for our Period Fashion Show. We presented it in the exciting Tournament Gallery which has Henry VIII’s actual armour on display!

At Belsay Hall I presented two stunning Tudor Costume Displays and nine fabulous period fashion shows part of the ‘Fashion from the Past Weekend’ for English Heritage. Over 3,500 visitors attended our events over a Bank Holiday Weekend.

I have also presented several costume lectures for Lauriston Castle near Edinburgh included in their programme of popular Lauriston lectures.

In Stockton in Teesside I organised an exciting ‘Tudor Fashion Show’ to celebrate the reopening of the splendid new Stockton Central Library. We also presented a fabulous Fashion Show for the SWRI (Scottish Women’s Rural Institute) at the second largest concert venue in Edinburgh, the aptly named Queens Hall.  It was a great success with over three hundred members attending our show.

As part of their literary festival a 16^th Century themed evening was organised at Middlesbrough Library. A talk by popular historical author Tracy Borman was followed by my Tudor Talk with Costume Display – it proved to be very popular indeed – a sell out!

I assisted with the instillation of the ‘Dressing the Stars’ – a large display of film costumes at Woodhorn Museum. This exhibition was a rare and special opportunity to see fantastic costumes from classic British films such as ‘Elizabeth’,  ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.  It gave visitors the chance to learn more about costume design and the designers themselves. I have also presented my Tudor and Regency Talks for the Woodhorn Museum.

I have been featured on BBC Television and my show was recently filmed as part of a television documentary about Fashion in the time of Elizabeth I.

I am pleased that one of favourite costumes – my Anne Boleyn Gown has also been chosen to grace the cover of a wonderful and imaginative book ‘Threads – The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn’ by Nell Gavin.

If you would like to book my events, require information or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me I will reply promptly.