The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has provided a seemingly bottomless mine of cultural references and creative exploitation since L. Frank Baum penned it in 1900. But far more inspiring than a band of hippies falling asleep to the 1939 movie, while Pink Floyd drones away in the background, is Harmless Creatures’ new collection of costumes inspired by the text’s characters. Putting an almost haute couture spin on tinmen and lions, each ensemble is intricately crafted, using innovative materials and unusual techniques. A newly launched prop and theatrical design venture, Harmless Creatures is the brainchild of NCAD graduates Sadhbh Doherty and Clare Geraghty, and the exhibition of their works will be housed in Smithfield’s Unit H (on the corner of Mary’s Lane and Halston Street) from May 4th – 7th. The site is just a few steps away from the Little Green Street Gallery, where an exhibition showcasing the fashion design and illustration wizardry of Kitty Moss will also be running in tandem. There’s no place like Dublin 7, apparently.
Words: Rosa Abbott
