Introducing Guest Artist Julia Campisi

We're proud to say that our audiences have been continually blown away by the creative and beautiful costumes worn by the Narnian creatures in our production of The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. We're even prouder to say that our actors love wearing them too! This can all be attributed to the boundless imagination of one woman: Julia Campisi, costume designer extraordinaire!‍

Julia is a Calgary-based Set and Costume Designer who holds a BFA in Theatre Production and Design from York University in Toronto. Most recently she has worked in the costuming department for the TV series Fargo, as well as Hell on Wheels and Young Drunk Punk. Her recent theatre credits include James and the Giant Peach (Set and Costume Design, Storybook Theatre), The Knight of the Burning Pestle (Set Design, York University), and The Taming of the Shrew (Cutter/Stitcher, Canadian Stage).

When asked about her vision for the costumes in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe Julia says her aim was to create pieces that were "Celtic inspired, with subtle hints of 1940s, WWII and tribal/animalistic styles."

Julia admits that some of her personal favourites among the designs are The Centaur, The Eagle, The Unicorn, The White Witch and Maugrim.

Below are some examples of Julia's costume renderings for the show:

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The Witch White's dress is decorated with Celtic pattern and the long, wide sleeves are medieval in silhouette.

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Aslan is wearing a WWII inspired military uniform with a medieval inspired cape, while Maugrim is wearing a Nazi-inspired silver trench coat with a very animalistic headdress, bringing out his raw and untamed nature. The two styles work both with and against each other throughout the costume designs, speaking to the dichotomies between good and evil at the core of the story.

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