A double-height sweep of dark blue drapery has enfolded the fashion gallery. At one point it drips down to meet the floor, then peels back up, unfolding the entrance to DIVA. Inside, layers of drapery continue to peel away, revealing the story of the diva scene-by-scene. As we progress from early opera to the Victorian stage, through to silent movie stars and early Hollywood stars, the extravagance of the drapery pares back as we progress through each era of diva. Throughout the design process, the drapery went through several iterations, as the build progressed and we learnt from the material itself.

Concept

In the classical proscenium theatre setup, the proscenium and curtain serve as a threshold between the audience and the stage. Only when the curtain lifts does the story begin, letting the audience in. By using fabric to mimic these curtains around each showcase, each showcase becomes its own stage diorama.

Sketching

While the decadent draping of classical European theatres, such as the Palais Garnier, was a fitting reference for the operatic, and historic divas, it was less relevant for the more modern sections set in Hollywood and beyond. With this in mind, we used sketches to explore different fabric treatments – on a spectrum from the  decadent to the simplified.

At the end of the sketching process, we proceeded by pairing classical drapery with contemporary blunt cuts of straight fabric. As the showcases progress through time, so too would the proportion of contemporary vs. classical fabric, creating a chronological gradient.

Material

In selecting the exact fabrics to use, we had to consider multiple factors: fire resistance, longevity of cleanliness, resistance to visitor damage, ease of manipulation, ability to keep its shape, and budget. The draping fabric was the easier of the two to source, as working stage curtains for theatres also need to meet many of the same requirements as those for exhibition use.

Using a three-metre roll of sample fabric, we tested the hanging properties of the chosen fabric on site. It was good to see the ripples and pleats we wanted to achieve, but it also appeared to shrink onsite compared to the studio – three metres wasn’t as much as we had thought!

We found that the contemporary fabric was harder to source. At first, we selected a recycled suede, which offered its own sheen as well as being easy to cut without additional hemming. Its problem was its fire resistance – unlike the stage curtain fabric, which was 100% polyester and inherently flame retardant – the recycled suede would need additional fireproofing.

We looked at adding a physical backing of a fire-retardant layer, but once we saw the sample from the supplier with a backing layer added, we became concerned that the layer – which was white – would be visible. It also added significant cost to the material. Subsequently we tested a fire-retardant spray, but this also didn’t work as the suede itself was waterproof, and didn’t take to liquid application.

After considering thinner fringe, pleated and crinkled fabric as alternatives, we eventually went for a flame retardant flat-laying fabric from the same supplier of the drapery. The colour match was almost identical, and rather than cutting into it, it was used as a smooth second skin to the showcases, going for an even more minimal treatment than the blunt fringe.

Install

There was a lot of learning onsite, as we talked through with the specialist fabric contractors. We tested two showcases at different ends of the decadent/contemporary spectrum to establish the range of treatment. We were also able to test through different physical manipulations – roses, ripples, twists – and employed these at suitable moments across the ground floor. For the flat fabric, our priority was keeping it as neat and crisp as possible, which we achieved with made-to-measure cuts and hemming.

Interestingly, although we had produced a set of technical drawings for the draping and cutting, with specific dimensions for each of the individual cases, in the end the concept sketches came back on to site, taped to each showcase as reference. While the technical drawings had measured dimensions, the loose artistic impressions showed the design intent more clearly, and were more helpful for the draping.

Sustainability

While all the fabric we ended up using was virgin material, i.e. never before used and therefore higher in embodied energy, we planned that it could be reused at the end of the exhibition, whether within the museum or donated to other public sector use. In planning for reuse, the cutting and hemming was kept to a minimum for the flat-fixed fabric, and there is no hemming at all for the draped fabric. Removing the blunt fringe cuts also made the fabric easier to reuse. All the fittings between fabric and showcase are removable – staples, kimble tags, Velcro – and do little damage to the fabric itself.

After different iterations and 1:1 testing, the final build stayed quite faithful to the original sketches. We learnt a lot through just the fabric design process, in particular the limits of physical manipulation and of available fabric choices. The wider need for circular, recycled fabrics that are as readily available and suitable for public sector use was also highlighted by our sourcing process. The greatest strength of using drapery in an exhibition is its immediate flair, and for DIVA, its highly relevant connotations to the theatrical, to spectacle and story. Hopefully, this project can stand as an example of the potential use for more recycled, stage-ready textiles.