Alison Lyons, who studied costume construction during the Northern School of Art’s former days as Cleveland College of Art and Design, has been involved with the new film adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.”
The movie, which stars Star Wars’ Daisy Edgar-Jones and 1917’s George MacKay, opened in the UK at the end of last month.
Alison has built a successful career working in the costume departments of major period productions including “Downton Abbey” and “Lady Chatterley’s Lover.”
A self-confessed “huge period drama fan”, she secured her role on the production after contacting the film’s designer, Grace Snell.
Alison said: “I had found out the film was starting production. I reached out to Grace Snell, the film’s designer, and she offered me a place within her team. I feel very lucky to have worked with such a fantastic designer.”
Alison worked in two roles for production – as Costume Co-ordinator during the film’s preparation period and Principal Truck Supervisor for the duration of filming on location.
She said: “I got to work with the cast every day and they were a joy! One of the things I love most about period drama is that you have to physically dress someone, whether that’s lacing them into a corset or helping them tie a great bow! But on this film in particular, I spent a lot of time with the cast, dressing them in the mornings and de-rigging them at the end of the day, and I was very lucky to spend my time with such a fantastic cast.”
The production took place across locations in the south of England over 10 weeks. Alison said the range of locations was one of the highlights of the experience.
She added: “We shot all over the south of England, including Devon, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Kent and Hertfordshire. We also had a couple of fantastic locations in central London, including Horse Guards Parade and the National Gallery. I have always thought the best part of my job is being able to visit the locations. I have been lucky enough to shoot in some beautiful places, and shooting this film through the summer in locations such as Dartmoor was certainly stunning.”
The shoot involved integrating costume pieces from “Sense and Sensibility” with designer pieces for the magazine’s cover.
Alison said: “The Vogue shoot was such a great experience! The stylist had approached Grace and said that they would like to feature parts of the costumes alongside designer pieces for Daisy’s cover, and I was asked by Grace to assist her as I knew the costumes very well. Grace and I got to visit the Vogue offices, be part of Daisy’s fitting on the day before the shoot, and work with the stylist and the photographer to integrate costume pieces into the designer looks.”
She added: “I was there on the day of the shoot to dress Daisy and our lead actor George MacKay in the costume pieces and help the stylist and her team. I have never been on a set like that. The photographer, Szilveszter Mako, was so fantastic and it was incredibly collaborative.”
The Northern School of Art Lecturer for BA (Hons) Costume for Stage & Screen in Hartlepool, Ian Bowden, said: “Since graduating, it has been fantastic to see Alison go on to build a successful career within the costume industry. Her achievements are a wonderful reflection of the talent, creativity and ambition that our students develop throughout the course. Over the years, our degree programme has continued to evolve and establish itself as one of the leading costume courses in the UK, with each new generation of students and graduates making their mark across the industry.”
