Behind the Costumes: Kiss of the Spider Woman

Craftsmanship, Collaboration and Made in London Excellence

Some productions leave a lasting impression long after the final curtain falls. For everyone involved at DSI London, Kiss of the Spider Woman is certainly one of them.

Working alongside the exceptional creative vision of Costume Designer Gabriella Slade and Costume Supervisor Justin Allin, our skilled team in South London was proud to contribute a range of costumes to this visually striking production. Every garment represented far more than fabric and embellishment; it was the result of craftsmanship, collaboration and countless hours of specialist work, transforming costume designs into garments ready to perform under the demanding conditions of live theatre.

As the first feature in our new Behind the Costumes series, we invite you to discover some of the remarkable costumes created for this acclaimed production and the craftsmanship that brought them to life.

Aurora's Gimme Love Costume

Among the many costumes created for the production, Aurora's breathtaking green costume for the Act One finale, Gimme Love, stands out as one of the most technically demanding and visually spectacular.

Worn by Anna-Jane Casey in her role as Aurora, the Spider Woman, the costume was designed to command attention from the moment she stepped onto the stage.

At its heart was a beautifully structured corset, lavishly adorned with hand-applied beaded embellishment. Every strand of beading was individually positioned by hand, requiring hours of careful craftsmanship to achieve the dramatic effect demanded by the production. Under the theatre lights, the intricate detailing transformed the garment into a dazzling centrepiece that reflected both the character's glamour and her commanding stage presence.

The corset was complemented by a full-body unitard, sculptural neck piece and dramatic arm gauntlets, creating a complete silhouette that balanced elegance, strength and theatrical impact.

For our team, this costume perfectly demonstrated how couture craftsmanship and stage performance come together to create unforgettable theatre.
 

Tailoring for the Stage

Aurora's elegant black velvet tails ensemble, worn during Where You Are, presented a very different creative challenge.

Crafted from luxurious smooth velvet, the bespoke tails jacket featured meticulously applied buttons and precise tailoring, worn over a full-body unitard. The clean lines and rich texture created a sophisticated, high-fashion aesthetic that contrasted beautifully with the denim boilersuit worn earlier in the production, which was also created by our workshop.

Although visually understated compared with the dazzling green corset, this costume relied equally on precision pattern cutting, careful construction and expert tailoring to achieve its dramatic effect under stage lighting.

Creating Drama Through Movement

Another memorable costume was Aurora's voluminous cream opera coat, featured during Her Name Is Aurora.

Its dramatic silhouette, flowing movement and elegant proportions brought a sense of cinematic grandeur to the stage. Creating garments of this scale requires careful consideration not only of appearance but also of movement, durability and practicality, ensuring performers can move confidently while preserving the visual impact envisioned by the designer.

The finished result demonstrates how theatre costume-making combines artistic vision with technical expertise, allowing every performance to appear effortless while concealing the complex craftsmanship beneath.

Becoming the Spider Woman

Perhaps the most iconic costume created for the production was Aurora's striking Spider Woman ensemble.

Inspired by the spider motif at the heart of the story, the costume combined a fully boned corset, fitted bodysuit and dramatic skirt into a powerful theatrical silhouette.

Every element had to work together seamlessly, balancing structure with comfort while enabling unrestricted performance on stage. The finished costume captured the mysterious, seductive and captivating nature of the character, bringing Gabriella Slade's creative vision vividly to life.
 

Building the World of the Production

The visual success of any theatrical production extends far beyond its principal costumes.

Alongside Aurora's spectacular wardrobe, our team also produced a range of menswear garments that helped define the contrasting environments of the production.

These included the guards' and wardens' uniforms, consisting of denim shirts and trousers that established the harsh atmosphere of the prison setting.

For the male dancers, we created striking gold performance costumes featuring black mesh layered over our 1204 Golden Glow Metallic Lycra, paired with coordinating gold trousers. Designed to shimmer dramatically beneath the stage lights, these garments added energy, movement and visual richness to the production's choreography.

Together, these costumes demonstrate that successful theatre costume production relies not only on individual showpieces but on creating a complete visual world in which every performer contributes to the storytelling.

Craftsmanship Made in London

Productions such as Kiss of the Spider Woman remind us that exceptional costumes are never created by one person alone.
They are the result of designers, costume supervisors and highly skilled makers working together towards a shared creative vision.
Every costume featured in this production was brought to life through the dedication, experience and craftsmanship of our Made in London team, whose expertise transforms creative concepts into garments capable of performing night after night on stage.
It is this combination of collaboration, technical excellence and attention to detail that continues to define everything we create.
We are sincerely grateful to Gabriella Slade, Justin Allin and the entire production team for the opportunity to contribute to such a remarkable production. It has been a privilege to help bring their creative vision to the stage.

Producer: Curve Leicester
Photography: Marc Brenner
Costume Designer: Gabriella Slade
Costume Supervisor: Justin Allin