THE SONG OF ACHILLES
One of my focuses as a designer is costume design, a passion that was born since I was a child. I have been practicing theater since I was 10 years old, and thanks to that, I design not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also from the scenic sensibility of an actress.
My love for reading has also been key in my creative process, that’s why I chose to design costumes inspired by my favorite book: The Song of Achilles. This novel tells the love story between Achilles and Patroclus, told from the intimate perspective of Patroclus.
For this project, I conducted an in-depth analysis of the book and the actual costumes of the time, in order to maintain the narrative essence without straying from the historical context, which is a part of design that I enjoy researching. I designed the costumes for Achilles, Patroclus and Briseis, the characters that have the most impact for me in the story, and developed different proposals for key scenes and important emotional moments.
To synthesize the research, I made a flipbook that summarizes the historical analysis of the costumes used during the period in which the story of the Trojan War is set, within the context of Mycenaean society.
PATROCLUS
The first garment with which we will see Patroclus will be in his childhood when he meets Achilles, after being banished by his father King Menetius. We must remember that Patroclus went from being a prince to an exile so (according to the book) he wears clothes from his old life that are “transformed” to reflect his new life in Pthia with Achilles.
A second key point in the story of Patroclus is his training with Achilles at the hands of Chiron the centaur, in this phase they learn to fight, to defend themselves and to use the weapons used in Mycenaean times (such as spears and blades). Therefore their costumes are quite rudimentary since they do not train in “gymnasiums” as many heroes used to do, but in nature.
During the Trojan War more than a violent role, Patroclus develops a more practical role in the life of Achilles and the soldiers; with Chiron he not only learned to fight but also learned about nature and its remedies, so he helped to heal and also thanks to his personality to keep calm in times of war.
ACHILLES
Achilles is the son of a king and a goddess so he also grew up surrounded by certain luxuries. When he meets Patroclus, they share certain characteristics in their costumes, however, we see how Achilles’ costume is more heavy and more “brawny”.
A second key point in the story of Achilles is his training with Patroclus at the hands of Chiron the centaur, in this phase they learn to fight, to defend themselves and to use the weapons used in Mycenaean times (such as spears and blades). Therefore their costumes are quite rudimentary since they do not train in “gyms” as many heroes used to do, but they do it in nature.
Achilles is the main face of one of the sides of the Trojan War, with his armor made by Hephaestus (the god of fire and forging) is a unique and majestic armor. In addition Achilles carried the shield of Achilles which represents his strength as a warrior and the way his battle against Hector represents the struggle of all Greece against Troy.
BRISEIS
Briseis is kidnapped by Achilles’ army when conquering a city, so she becomes his “war prize”, however neither Achilles nor Patroclus treat her as such. When she is separated from her home and loses her family, we can see her with worn out clothes, stained and dirty from so much walking and fighting.
The scene in which Agamemnon snatches it as booty after a dispute with Achilles. There is tension, restrained rage, and fear. Agamemnon was one of the most distinguished heroes of ancient Greece, so his “booty” could not be seen in deplorable conditions, therefore he ordered to “fix” Briseis to his liking; all this against his tastes and will.
What we see in the image is a representation found of Briseis dating from about 520 BC-510 BC.
