Liz Vandal
Encyclopedia
Liz Vandal is a French Canadian fashion/costume designer best known for designing the costumes for the Cirque du Soleil
show, OVO
. Her style, which is inspired by futuristic super heroes, insects, and medieval armor, was found helpful in creating the OVO costumes, a show that brings different insects to life. Vandal was born in Montreal, Canada in 1965.
She began her career as a fashion designer in 1988. She has designed costumes for several company’s and organizations such as the National Ballet of Canada
, the Back Street Boys, and the Washington Ballet
. In 1990, she began her long career of designing costumes for Édouard Lock, founder of the Montreal dance company, La La La Human Steps
. She designed for shows such as Infante c'est destroy (1991), 2 (1995), Exaucé/Salt (1999). She also designed costumes for Lock’s Amelia (2002), André Auria (2002) and Opéra de Paris and Amjad (2007). In 1992, at age 23, she founded Vandal Costumes with partner Yveline Bonjean, where they create costumes in the fields of fashion, theatre, opera, music and film, specializing in dance. The Backstreet Boys hired her in 2000 to design the costumes for their Black 'n Blue tour. In 2002 she designed costumes for the films The Lathe of Heaven directed by director Philip Haas
and La Turbulence des Fluides by director Manon Briand. In 1997, Vandal and Bonjean of the Vandal Costumes was nominated for Best Achievement in Costume Design at the 18th Genie Awards for Night of the Flood, a 1996 Canadian film by director Bernar Hebert.
, told Vandal that she wanted an evocation of the insects, not an imitation. Inspiration for the outfits came from French fashion designer Pierre Cardin’s
graphic lines and geometric shapes, Renaissance garments’ slashed sleeves and the pleating techniques of Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake
. From early 2008 to the spring of 2009, Vandal and the Cirque du Soleil team created 17 different insect costumes including a spider, a mosquito, a firefly, ant, butterfly, and cockroach. The initial cricket costumes each took 75 hours to make. The first insect costume Vandal envisioned was the spider, which she draw a real spider and turned it into a woman’s body. Vandal used the Cirque laboratory to develop her own fabrics and textile for the costumes to be sure that each were elastic enough for a great deal of movement. It was important to create the insect costumes in sections with stretchy material, allowing the performers to move easily. At first, Vandal considered using biodegradable materials for the OVO costumes. But, eventually she opted for the usual polyester and Lycra, because their longevity made them more “green” in the long run.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
show, OVO
Ovo (Cirque du Soleil)
Ovo is a touring circus production by Cirque du Soleil which premiered in Montréal, Canada, in 2009. Ovos creator and director, Deborah Colker, took inspiration from the world of insects. The idea for Ovo was not to be about the acts, nor dancing, nor insects, but about movement...
. Her style, which is inspired by futuristic super heroes, insects, and medieval armor, was found helpful in creating the OVO costumes, a show that brings different insects to life. Vandal was born in Montreal, Canada in 1965.
Life and career
As a child, Vandal wanted to be a dancer, and in college she majored in computer science, but came back to fashion after “gaining some logic.” She has a son named Leonard. Curque Du Soleil contacted Vandal twice in the past to design their costumes, but both times fell through.She began her career as a fashion designer in 1988. She has designed costumes for several company’s and organizations such as the National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
, the Back Street Boys, and the Washington Ballet
Washington Ballet
The Washington Ballet is an ensemble of professional athletic classical ballet dancers. It was founded in 1976 by American ballet pioneer Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Septime Webre since 1999.-The Mary Day years :...
. In 1990, she began her long career of designing costumes for Édouard Lock, founder of the Montreal dance company, La La La Human Steps
La La La Human Steps
La La La Human Steps is a Québécois contemporary dance group in Canada, known for its energetic, acrobatic style that often involves fast-paced and athletic physical contact...
. She designed for shows such as Infante c'est destroy (1991), 2 (1995), Exaucé/Salt (1999). She also designed costumes for Lock’s Amelia (2002), André Auria (2002) and Opéra de Paris and Amjad (2007). In 1992, at age 23, she founded Vandal Costumes with partner Yveline Bonjean, where they create costumes in the fields of fashion, theatre, opera, music and film, specializing in dance. The Backstreet Boys hired her in 2000 to design the costumes for their Black 'n Blue tour. In 2002 she designed costumes for the films The Lathe of Heaven directed by director Philip Haas
Philip Haas
Philip Haas is an American artist and filmmaker. His exhibition of film installations at the Kimbell Art Museum, "Butchers, Dragons, Gods and Skeletons," was listed by TIME magazine as one of the top ten museum shows of 2009 Retrospectives of his art films have been held at the Tate Gallery in...
and La Turbulence des Fluides by director Manon Briand. In 1997, Vandal and Bonjean of the Vandal Costumes was nominated for Best Achievement in Costume Design at the 18th Genie Awards for Night of the Flood, a 1996 Canadian film by director Bernar Hebert.
Cirque Du Soleil
OVO is the first Cirque Du Soleil show that Vandal has designed for. In an interview about her childhood fascination with insects Vandal said: “Insects were here before we (humans) were here, and they will probably be here after we are gone, and we would die without them.” Cirque du Soleil director, Deborah ColkerDeborah Colker
Deborah Colker is a worldwide famous Brazilian writer dancer and choreographer. She received the Lawrence Oliver Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2001 for her choreography work on the show 'Mix'. In 2009, she directed the Cirque du Soleil production, OVO.-External links:* *...
, told Vandal that she wanted an evocation of the insects, not an imitation. Inspiration for the outfits came from French fashion designer Pierre Cardin’s
Pierre Cardin
Pierre Cardin Cardin was known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical...
graphic lines and geometric shapes, Renaissance garments’ slashed sleeves and the pleating techniques of Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake
is a Japanese fashion designer. He is known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances.-Life and career:Miyake was born 22 April 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan. As a seven year-old, he witnessed and survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. He studied...
. From early 2008 to the spring of 2009, Vandal and the Cirque du Soleil team created 17 different insect costumes including a spider, a mosquito, a firefly, ant, butterfly, and cockroach. The initial cricket costumes each took 75 hours to make. The first insect costume Vandal envisioned was the spider, which she draw a real spider and turned it into a woman’s body. Vandal used the Cirque laboratory to develop her own fabrics and textile for the costumes to be sure that each were elastic enough for a great deal of movement. It was important to create the insect costumes in sections with stretchy material, allowing the performers to move easily. At first, Vandal considered using biodegradable materials for the OVO costumes. But, eventually she opted for the usual polyester and Lycra, because their longevity made them more “green” in the long run.