"Stepping through the doors of the Fashion and Textile Museum at the moment feels like stepping through the back of a wardrobe into a land where the air smells faintly of lavender sachets and starched lace, and everyone looks ready to promenade along a gravel path. Here, corsets whisper secrets, petticoats swish in approval, and gentlemen's coats stand at attention, ready for their next close-up."
"It's a story that begins in the 1960s, when colour television burst onto the scene and audiences began to notice the details. The theatrical costumes that once fooled an audience squinting from the back row were suddenly exposed under the merciless gaze of the camera lens. Into this stepped John Bright, who established Cosprop specifically to create detailed costumes for TV and films, and to do so with a reasonable degree of historical accuracy."
The Fashion and Textile Museum exhibition recreates an Edwardian atmosphere through displayed period garments and theatrical staging. Costumes from television and film are presented as a wardrobe of famous pieces, including gowns, tailcoats and bonnets, with limited didactic material about construction. John Bright and his company Cosprop supplied historically detailed costumes to screens after colour television revealed costume detail, achieving recognition including an Academy Award for A Room with a View (1985). A handout with descriptions accompanies visitors. Filmmakers prefer Edwardian dress over mid‑Victorian opulence because heavy crinolines are impractical for performers and prohibitively expensive for productions.
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