[Luca Vaccari]

D e s i g n

Luca's time at Falmouth University not only honed his performance skills but also peaked his interest in design, notably fashion and costuming. Through a series of collaborations with undergraduate designers, Luca was exposed to the craft and skill of textile-based art forms. Luca has designed a number of costumes, for personal use and stage.

Charity Fashion Show at Frankfurt International School, 2023

Under his teaching moniker, Luca Delacroix, Luca was invited to design the Faculty Collection for the annual charity fashion show. With clothing sustainability and gender expression at the heart of his personal fashion outlook, Luca brought his ethos to the runway to share with his school community. As the manager of the school costume collection Luca had full-reign, looking to some his greatest style icons Luca dreamt up a collection inspired by the likes of Yohji Yamamoto, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. Each look was curated and styled through the conversation with the model, resulting in looks that not only impacted the viewer but also brought new power and pleasure to the wearer.

The Magical Voyage of Ullyses by John Wiles, performed by FIS Middle Years Theatre Ensemble, 2023

The fantastical nature of Greek and Roman mythology has long fascinated Luca. He leapt at the opportunity to try his own hand at bringing the Ullyses to life. In conversation with fellow performing arts educator and director, Sarah Abrams, it was agreed that the production should reflect not only the traditional fashion sensibilities of the ancient Greek era, but also the Renaissance lense that is so often layered over these myths and legends. The final costume design also incorporated the myriad pop-culture references within Wiles' script. With access to hundreds of pre-existing costumes once used by the Frankfurt Alte Oper residing within the school's costume collection and his own sewing skills, Luca designed and collated over 100 unique costumes for the cast.

The Sirens

Zeus

Poisedon

Calypso

Penelope

Hermes

Circe and her attendants

Break the Mold - an retelling of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' - performed by FIS Dance Company, 2023

Break the Mold, the 2023 dance production at Frankfurt International School was directed by Jez Gregg and co-choreographed by Luca. Luca also designed the costume, an many aspects of the set. The zany imagery of Roald Dahl's book, and the 1971 film provided a delicious palate from which to draw inspiration from.

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BOY ECLECTIC, 2022

By Luca's third-year live performance was a possibility once more. His final piece - a solo entitled Boy Eclectic - encorporated themes of identity, landscape and freedom of expression. The final scene, an imagined future amongst a pulsing urban environment, gave Luca a second opportunity to design and make his own costume. The dress, with large, ballooning sleeves, was made up of layers of polyurethane dust-sheets sewn and taped together. Made from the same material that made up the set, the dress signified the connection between wearer, projected-image-of-self and environment. The plastic moved at the slightest stimulation, producing a soft rustling noise, creating a sense of restless movement and urgency from the dancer within the urban landscape.

The nature of the plastic fabric allowed it to morph in response to both Luca's movement and body but also the lighting state surrounding it.

The balloon sleeves caught in full affect as Luca twirls beneath the neon glow of his urban fantasy landscape.

Site Specific Performance Module 2020

For his first-year site specific performance Luca designed and prototyped a costume. The performance was unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The prototype design for Luca's site-specific performance module was informed by the setting of the site-specific performance: the Italian gardens on the Falmouth University campus. Textured, natural neutrals were used to mirror the greenery of the plants and warmth of the terracotta garden ornaments.

Weather-permitting, the costume utilised the bright Cornish sun. The costume was designed to be gender-neutral for a mixed-gender cast of dancers alluding to the androgynous appearance of renaissance sculpture.

Prop Design for Echoes of Wartime, 2018

Luca was first hired by The Common Players theatre company as a stage manager, aged 19. The role expanded as Luca proved his capability as a designer, maker and choreographer.

The full stage inventory, every prop made or sourced by Luca. All of the props had to be packed and transported to Germany, requiring forethought in their construction or careful maintainence and packing.

Entrusted with his own budget, Luca had a defined his prop procuring priorities:

first, buy local.
If you can't buy it then make it.
If you can't buy local, or make it yourself, look further afield!

These 12 flags were handmade by Luca using coloured paper, kebab sticks and glue. Luca hand-drafted and scalpel-cut each component of the flag. Whilst easier, quicker methods could have been used, the home craft, make-do-and-mend attitude reflected in Luca's ethos reflected the reality of many WWI households across Europe.

The nagelbild was a common means of raising donations in wartime Germany, members of the public would be encouraged to sponsor a nail to complete a patriotic image - in this case, the iron cross. Luca made this prop from two joined untreated sections of scaffold plank - lightweight, cheap and rustic. Wrought iron nails and dark twine proved a perfect contrast against the light pine.

The newspapers, complete with a frontpage story specific to the production proved a challenge at first. How to imitate the noise and feel of a newspaper? With the local newspaper office unable to assist with such a limited print run, Luca turned instead to the local fish and chip shop. Chip-wrap, cheap and plentiful, proved the perfect stand-in for newsprint paper allowing Luca to edit and print any custom layout onto it.

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