Awakening, newly premiered at The Wynn in Las Vegas, runs the gambit in costuming, from latex to leather to metals, to a score of other textiles. Reminding us very much of the couture we see when participating in the World of Wearable Art shows, this new big brassy Las Vegas extravaganza is hard to ignore for even the most cursory fan of alternative fashions and/or big spectacle.
Claiming in their tagline that this show features, “a diverse cast of dynamic characters, the heroine known as IO must face a challenge like no other: to brave the forces of Light and Darkness in her quest to reunite them and save the world,” there is surely a lot going on here. And while Awakening features some fantastic set pieces, state-of-the-art sound, and lights, it’s three-time Emmy Award-winning costume designer Soyon An who demands attention with how she dresses the show’s performers.
In this interview, An claims she drew inspiration from Thierry Mugler, Paco Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen, while concentrating on each “realm” of the story that unfolds. For instance, the costumes in the Black and White realm were influenced by runways of major cities, while the Coachella and Brining Man festivals fed the impetus for the couture seen in the show’s Fire realm. As Awakening runs with no interactive dialogue between its characters—only narration by Anthony Hopkins—the visuals surely tell the story. So An’s costumes here are of primary importance.
Mining “Avant-garde, couture, one-of-a-kind, high fashion,” An and her team individually hand-tailor each costume piece for as much “anatomy and function” as she says was possible. This makes perfect sense as the folks on stage wearing her stuff are often undergoing intense choreography, cavorting around hydraulic set pieces and pyrotechnics.
Soyon An’s previous costume includes her work on So You Think You Can Dance, and The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth – Dance Battle, to name just two. You can see more of her work at her Instagram account: Soyon An (@soyonan) • Instagram photos and videos
