BBC Musketeers S3 - Grimaud Leather jacket
Designer - Hayley Nebauer
Welcome to Tailor Pepys, where my passion for historical costume craftsmanship comes to life. With over 30 years of experience, I offer a range of specialised services tailored to meet the unique needs of theatre, film, opera, ballet, and occasional private commissions.
Period & Theatrical Pattern Cutting
Bring authenticity to your productions with my expertise in period and theatrical pattern cutting. I use original pattern referencing where possible and, whether it's the precise tailoring of historical garments or the creation of intricate costumes, I ensure each piece is crafted with attention to detail.
Tailoring and Construction
From concept to completion, I provide comprehensive tailoring and construction services. Every garment is meticulously crafted to meet the highest standards of quality and authenticity, ensuring a seamless integration into the world of your production.
19th & 20th Century Tailoring
Specialising in the nuances of 19th and 20th-century tailoring, I bring a wealth of knowledge to accurately capture the styles of different eras. Whether it's the elegance of Victorian attire or the sleek sophistication of mid-20th century fashion, your vision will be brought to life.
16th, 17th & 18th Century Menswear
Travel back in time with my expertise in crafting menswear from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. I delve into historical research and employ authentic feeling techniques to create garments that transport your production to the desired time period.
Ladies Period Corsetry and Draping
Creating good foundation garments is essential to capturing the perfect period shape. I aim to do this with reference to original shapes whilst still making them comfortable for the modern body. Once the base shape has been created the other layers can be built on top to create a unique costume, again referencing original pattern sources where possible as well as draping to use the fabric to its best effect.
Machine Embroidery
Whilst not a period technique my aim is to recreate as closely as possible historical embroidery to create the exquisite detailing often overlooked in the modern, fast paced, deadline driven environment of a TV or film workroom.
Soft Leatherwork
From doublets, jerkins and breeches to full length coats or small corsetry details, leather is a staple of any period production and is perfect for detailed punching, hand stiching or embellishing with rivets or buttons. My desire is to only use leather sourced responsibly (sadly reproduction products do not yet have the same qualities)
Carnival Row - Dress detail
Designer - Johanna Eatwell
Team Management
When working ‘in house’ on a production I have extensive experience managing work through a team of experienced, junior and trainee costume makers. Working with the Design Team and meeting deadlines are priority as is flexibility in a fast paced and frequently changing environment.
Workroom Setup and Management
I have been involved in the initial setup and management of workrooms on a few projects and enjoy the challenge of creating and maintaining a happy environment for the incredibly hard working members of the costume manufacturing team.
Stock Ordering
Always necessary and frequently left to the last minute keeping up with haberdashery and basic stock fabric ordering often feels like a full time job. I have experience in building an initial stock and setting up systems so that, in a perfect world, stock items are always ordered before they are needed.
