My name is Ellen Rey de Castro. I am a British Peruvian Costume Designer for Theatre and Film.
I am particularly interested in community based projects and in facilitating the stories of marginalised communities. I believe in equality, diversity and justice and these values are integral to my vision as a designer.
Hot Seat
A Short Film by Mimi Jayson about two young girls who take revenge on an abuser.
The director wanted to play on the stereotype of the promiscuous young girl and subvert it.
Writer and Director - Mimi Jayson
Producer - Edward Carlton
DOP - Maria Camilla Piana Brizio
Art Director - Jessica Berry
The Adventures of the Little Prince
Edinburgh Fringe bilingual production (French and English) created for children.
The show was produced by Asylon Theatre in collaboration with Head Over Heels Dance Theatre and used elements of dance so costumes had to be be designed with movement in mind.
Director and Producer - Marta Mari
Visuals and Set Design - Krzysztof Szypczynski
Music - Emily-Rose Conlon
‘Hollow’ & ‘Monstrous Child’
I designed, made costumes and styled Bad Pollyanna for their ‘Monstrous Child’ and ‘Hollow’ music videos. Bad Pollyanna are a gothic rock band and the visuals for the videos were inspired by gothic lolita fashion. The costumes were also designed and altered so that they could be used on the band’s 2014 tour.
Director - Carlos Dittborn
Producer - Olivia Hyde
Costume Makers - Lowri Anwen Allen and Ellen Rey de Castro
How Amelia’s Party Got Ruined
A short comedy/horror film by Fredrik Gustafsson.
The film plays on stereotypes of the worst kind of party guests - costumes for some of the characters were therefore very heightened and silly.
Writer and Director - Fredrik Gustafsson
DOP - Thierry Volant
Art Director - Jessica Berry
Score - Patrick Berg-Almqvist
The York Realist by Peter Gill
This Tower Theatre production was set in the early 1960s, it was important to the directors that the costumes looked dated as the play is set in rural Yorkshire. Costumes were sourced from London vintage shops as well as from my own vintage collection.
Director - Martin Jackson
Set Design - Jude Chalk
Lighting Design - Nick Insley
Sound Design - Laurence Tuerk
Director - Daniel Bickerton
Producer - Olivia Hyde
Costume Maker - Elizabeth Real
Invincible Girl
Music video for gothic rock band Bad Pollyanna in collaboration with Illamasqua and the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. The band wanted a softer look to convey the message of the song whilst still staying true to their gothic aesthetic.
Besame Cosmetics
I was the stylist for Besame’s campaign for Red Velvet as famously worn by Hayley Atwell while portraying Agent Carter in the eponymous Netflix series
The idea behind the shoot was to create a more androgynous image of the character to challenge the stereotypes within vintage fashion.
Photographer - Scott Chalmers
Hair and Make Up Artists - Sharon Holloway and Gloria Holloway
Antony and Cleopatra
My final degree project re-imagining Shakespeare’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ for a modern audience. The textiles for both costumes were created by the layering of laser cut pieces of fabric in a variety of different ways. Silhouettes for both characters were inspired by modern draping methods with a heightened futuristic twist.
