The Women, the Wisdom and the secret Wardrobe

Artscape's wardrobe of glittering costumes is one of Cape Town's best kept secrets. Or it was until Saturday when Gabeba Isaacs spilled the beans - at a WOMAN ZONE Story Cafe in her honour!

In conversation with journalist Theresa Smith she explained the inner workings of how these wonderful, sometimes weird outfits are made.

She talked about basic pattern blocks, darts and toiles - the language of a costumier.

....about bodices, baubles, brocade and built-in sweat pads....and the duvet sized petticoat that makes the The Queen of Hearts frock fulsome....

.....about the fabric buyer, the curtain cloth and cutting sequinned cloth by the metre for Tina Turner's sexy shift....

And in the audience were two of her gurus - mentors Eva Parsons and Penny Simpson....

...who joined in conversations about the unavailability of good fabrcs these days and how you have to improvise with patchworked leather outfits for Troillus and Andronicus.....

....and the stories of the designs and designers are legion....Gabeba's archive file is thick with examples....

Turns out the talented Gabeba - who retires next month after nearly forty years in the wardrobe wonderland, is able to turn her hand to other things....like matric dresses....

So the other doyenne Wardrobe Women with all their wisdom were persuaded to come and share.....

....and answer questions from the audience....

...until it was time to say thank you....with flowers for the rare blooms of the wardrobe world....

....meanwhile, all this time, Khayelitsha Yo-yo Queens. Jennipher and Angelina had been using the time wisely - stitching as they listened....

Just time for a photo-op to record the event.....

...and pay tribute to all the fabulous women keeping sewing alive - most especially to Gabeba and we wish her well in the next chapter of her life which, we hope, will include passing on her skills. Watch this space!

....then finally time to pack away all the wonders of the wardrobe back into their secret space. And just fyi, the wardrobe archive is the size of two rugby fields!!

....last but not least, time to say thank you to Ambre Nicholson and Theresa Smith for getting this very special Woman Zone honouring STORY CAFE together. xx