Register your interest and vote for your favourite themes here.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Windswept romance, wild landscapes, gothic femininity. Think longing, lace, dramatic heroines and women with unresolved inner lives.
Costume Ideas:
Flowing skirts, Victorian blouses, long coats, lace, velvet, boots, shawls, corsets, loose hair, dark florals, weathered knits.
Prop Ideas:
Books, lanterns, dried flowers, gloves, letters, candles, old keys.
Potential Locations
Monsalvat, Eltham
OUTLAW WILD WOMEN
Australian outlaw femininity. Bushranger women, frontier rebels, runaways, rule-breakers and women who chose freedom over respectability.
Costume Ideas:
Long skirts, waistcoats, boots, men’s shirts, suspenders, wool coats, scarves, hats, riding gear, leather belts, worn lace.
Prop Ideas:
Maps, rope, lanterns, pocket watches, saddlebags, old suitcases, whiskey glasses, playing cards, wildflowers.
Mood References:
Ned Kelly era, bushranger folklore, colonial rebellion, outlaw romance.
Potential Locations
Gulf Station Historic Farm, Yarra Glen
Hurstbridge bushland???
MATRIARCH
Dynasties, hostesses, sovereigns, queens, widows, old-money glamour and women who quietly ran the room and who were the centre of those around them. Not mothers necessarily.
Costume ideas:
Velvet, silk, pearls, gloves, dramatic tailoring, mourning black, structured dresses, brocade, fake fur stoles, statement jewellery.
Props:
Cocktails, antique books, silverware, perfume bottles, flowers, portrait frames, playing cards, candelabras.
Character Ideas:
Catherine de Medici, mob wives, biblical matriarchs, Morticia Addams, aspirational matriarchal archetypes, Queen Charlotte, Jackie Kennedy, Succession / old-money matriarch energy, Queen Victoria, aristocratic hostesses, opera divas, dynastic women, glamorous widows, head of households, ‘the mother of [fill in the blank]’.
Potential Locations
GODDESS
Mythological, cinematic and richly costume-driven. Not Pinterest wellness goddess. Think ancient archetypes, operatic drama, myth, shadow, velvet and feminine power.
Costume Ideas:
Draped fabrics, velvet, silk, metallic accents, veils, layered jewellery, crowns, cloaks, embroidered details.
Character Ideas:
Persephone, Artemis, Hecate, Demeter, The Morrigan, Aphrodite, Freyja.
Prop Ideas:
Pomegranates, candles, goblets, mirrors, flowers, antlers, moon imagery, fruit, relics.
Potential Locations
Pietro Gallus Estate, Warrandyte
WARRIOR
Saint-warriors, queens, rebels and women forged through conviction. Joan of Arc, Boudicca, Valkyries, battle queens and mythic feminine strength.
Costume Ideas:
Armour-inspired styling, chainmail details, leather, wool capes, military jackets, boots, belts, cloaks, metal jewellery.
Prop Ideas:
Banners, swords, shields, ravens, candles, armour pieces, rope, smoke bombs, relics.
Character Inspiration:
Joan of Arc, Boudicca, Valkyries, Éowyn, Xena, warrior queens.
Potential Locations
Plenty Gorge
Sugarloaf
AQUA TOFANA (Giulia Tofana)
Poison salons, whispered conspiracies, dangerous femininity and baroque intrigue. Inspired by Aqua Tofana, secret alliances and women with beautiful manners and hidden agendas.
Costume Ideas:
Loose / modern baroque styling, black velvet, lace gloves, pearls, corsets, dark silk, baroque jewellery, dramatic sleeves, veils.
Prop Ideas:
Perfume bottles, goblets, handwritten letters, candlelight, lace fans, rosaries, antique mirrors, poison bottles, fruit.
Mood References:
Italian baroque, dark salons, forbidden rituals, dangerous elegance.
Potential Locations
Panton Hill Winery, Panton Hill
Pietros Gallus Estate, Warrandyte
Other Potential Locations
Ellis Cottage, Diamond Creek
