Montreal based fashion designer Liz Vandal was asked to design costumes for the performers of Ovo, a show by Cirque du Soleil. The result was a variety of insect outfits, ranging from butterfly costumes to that of a cockroach. "Ovo" is a performance which takes the audience into the mysterious world of insects, where they live in harmony amongst each other, engaged in constant play, as well as the perils of life. The creators have even brought in a romantic angle.
Vandal has been fascinated by insects since childhood, and her elaborate study on the same helped her create apt costumes, which are at the same time "evocative." She attributes her attachment to creepy crawlies because of their "beauty, complexity, and organization." "Insects were here before we (humans) were here, and they will probably be here after we are gone, and we would die without them, " Vandal reflects.
In an interview between journalist Stephanie Green and Liz Vandal, they discussed insect based accessories to enhance the costumes of the performers. Accesories such as butterfly hair clips, ladybird brooches, lizard rings have been extremely popular with teens in the past, and continue to appeal to a large section of the youth. These knick knacks deviate from conventional jewellery, which consists mainly of designs revolving around hearts and flowers, and thus are highly individualistic. I myself own a pair of spider shaped earring that appear to be crawling up the ear when worn. There is a whole new dimension of thrill when it comes to insect inspired accesories and clothes. Think Spiderman.
Apart from her Ovo collection, Liz Vandal has created costumes for many artistic organisations in the last twenty years, the Washington Ballet being one of the prominent ones. She remains an independent, one-of-a-kind fashion designer.
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