Rose Maxson
Made by Mary-Anne Lawler
Worn by Zahra Newman
Costume: Rayon slub fabric
Jeremy Allen (Designer): "Designing Fences began with a deep dive into late 50's Pittsburgh, which is where we meet the Maxson family.
We were lucky enough to find one of the most incredible resources – the work of 'Teenie' Harris, a black photographer working around the exact area of Pittsburgh and in the exact time period. Not only are the photos of enormous artistic value – they also gave us first-hand insight into the day-to-day clothes and style of the community of the Hill District, which is also where August Wilson was born and raised.
Rose's first look is one of her more colourful – generally, as the play progressed, they became more neutral.
The yellow dress is made from a vintage slub rayon, and is beautifully constructed by Mary-Anne Lawler. It is based on the simple frocks of the late 40s and early 50s, which were often made from simple cotton fabrics (they were commonly referred to as 'feed sack dresses') and were utilitarian in style and function.
This one happens to have some beautiful hand stitch detailing. The apron, also made from scratch, is a classic house apron, which would be worn during chores and work keeping up the house – the plaid piping you see was also made in-house."
Zahra Newman (Rose): Working with Jeremy to chart the significant passage of time through the play, as well the emotional highs and lows of Rose's journey was very rewarding. The subtle details of texture and colour palette went a long way to supporting the work I was doing in the rehearsal room. Working with designers like Jeremy who engage in that dialogue between rehearsal room and design concept is always a joy.
Cory Maxson
Made by Trish Barker
Worn by Darius Williams
Costume: Cotton jersey, canvas pants
Jeremy Allen: "Cory's football uniform was also built from scratch by our men's tailor, Trish Barker. In order to get the silhouette and construction as accurate as possible, we sourced a vintage set of football pants from 1954, and these were used as a direct reference to recreate the look you see here.
'Teenie' Harris' photographs were also an indelible reference here – he has hundreds of photographs of football games and players from the period in his collection, so this ensemble was based on one particular uniform.
The leather padding worn underneath the uniform is genuine vintage – it even has the previous owner's name and address (in Pennsylvania!) handwritten inside. The shoes Darius wore were also a vintage pair – and our fantastic stage managers had to screw in the studs each interval so that when we saw Cory 'bin' them in Act 2, they looked like proper cleats!"
Darius Williams (Cory): "Wearing this costume and being a part of this production has been a true highlight of my career so far. The uniform was a powerful and perfect reveal of Cory’s manhood and paternal rivalry. It was a joy to showcase to audiences every night."