Butterfly is a modern fairy tale told through movement, blending themes of realism and magic with classical and contemporary technique. Designed to appeal to all ages, featuring 80 full-time students of The Australian Ballet School. Choreographed by Lucas Jervies with costume and set design by Hugh Colman. This new production utilised textile design and digitally printing fabrics to the fullest potential.

We worked from the costume designs by Hugh Colman to bring fabrics to life. Firstly, toiles for each garment design were created, then major design lines and motifs were plotted on the toiles to guarantee the right placement. The garment pattern pieces and major design lines were then digitised and graphic artwork painted digitally to create the correct painterly aesthetic seen in Hugh’s designs. Sampling and colour testing was done to ensure the right colours, textures and placement. Once consolidated, bulk production printing was undertaken to create panels that were cut and sewn specifically for each garment panel piece. A large task as the entire production used fabrics that were custom digitally printed giving an overall cohesive painterly effect.

We worked from the costume designs by Hugh Colman to bring fabrics to life. Firstly, toiles for each garment design were created, then major design lines and motifs were plotted on the toiles to guarantee the right placement. The garment pattern pieces and major design lines were then digitised and graphic artwork painted digitally to create the correct painterly aesthetic seen in Hugh’s designs. Sampling and colour testing was done to ensure the right colours, textures and placement. Once consolidated, bulk production printing was undertaken to create panels that were cut and sewn specifically for each garment panel piece. A large task as the entire production used fabrics that were custom digitally printed giving an overall cohesive painterly effect.

Butterfly, 2021 The Australian Ballet School

Production Credits

Choreography: Lucas Jervies
Music: ‘Le Papillon’ by Jacques Offenbach
Set, Property & Costume Designer: Hugh Colman
Lighting Design: Paul Jackson

Photo Credits: Sergey Konstantinov & Lynette Wills