Gabrielle the Musical
August - October 2022
Original music and sound design • Musical Direction • Research for Mens costume styling • Costume historical accuracy and alignment with story • Project management
Named 'an icononic performance' by China Daily and Shenzhen Daily, Gabrielle is a biographical musical that traces the early life of Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel, founder of haute couture CHANEL. Celebrated for redefining women’s fashion after World War I, Chanel championed elegance, femininity, and freedom from outdated norms. Yet, her path into luxury fashion was not a clear choice, but a long and challenging journey shaped by frustration and resilience. This musical invites audiences to witness the making of a complex, controversial, and visionary woman.
The Process
Bringing Gabrielle the Musical to life involved a deeply collaborative and research-led approach. The founders got involved with the project as music directors and composers of the original music, but also took on the styling of the male characters.
Our Approach
Historical accuracy was at the heart of our styling approach.
Boy Capel was en English aristocrat, lover of Chanel and a Polo Player. Inevitably, this meant that he would have had access to the finest British tailors, and unfortunately the show only had a total budget of £500 for costumes, therefore we had to produce compelling work with such a tiny budget.
The key to this was to spend the budget on hitting the key defining features of fine British tailoring rather than worring about the minor details. Firstly, an brown striped double breasted jacket was selected, matched with a classic collar crisp white shirt. The dimple in the pasley patterned tie knot was key, and a pocket square was made from scratch from a piece of lush silk fabric found in the scraps.
