This concept design of The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux is set in a steampunk 1870’s. Steampunk is a sci-fi/fantasy subgenre where Victorian-type societies use steam engines to create fantastic technology, along the lines of Jules Verne and HG Wells. For this play, the four madwomen wear clothes from the 1830’s, when they were have been young and the steam engine first came into wide use. In their madness, they collect items that have significance to them; Madame Josephine collects letters from people’s garbage, Madame Josephine collects wedding and engagement rings, Mademoiselle Gabrielle collects buttons, and Countess Aurelia collects discarded frivolous articles of clothing like purses, shawls, and stoles. The society built upon steam technology supports only the wealthy, and all those that support this upper class have been modified in some way, like The Policeman literally having a “strong arm” and The Press Agents driving a press machine. Also, each person working for this upper class wears a gear badge, as this is the emblem of the times. The lower class do not modify themselves, but instead wear leather and fur. They are closer to the earth and themselves, and therefore they live on the fringes of society.
The process began, after reading the play, with researching the steampunk movement and pulling images to use as inspiration. Then I sketched rough ideas, moved on to rough costume sketches, created colored thumbnails, and completed full color renderings for many of the characters.
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