Spotlight On YAFies: Lola Clavel and Stephanie McNicol

Lola Clavel
WestK x HKYAF: Miller Performing Arts – Gen Last Costume Designer

Stephanie McNicol 
WestK x HKYAF: Miller Performing Arts – Gen Last Actor and Director’s Assistant

When did you become interested in fashion design?
Lola: I’ve always been interested in fashion. When I was ten years old, I asked my mother to buy me a mannequin for Christmas; I remember playing with it and draping fabric onto it. That mannequin brought me so much joy, in fact it’s still at my mother’s home in France. 

I had a friend whose mother was always making something with her sewing machine, and I always enjoyed visiting them in their home for that reason. One day my mother bought me my first sewing machine and Maryse, my friend’s mother, taught me how to do basic things with. I made some bandanas and decorated them with hand-stitched pearls, and sold them at garage sales in our small town in France. I also used to play this computer game where the object of the game is to design your own collection. In addition, I was always drawing clothes in my sketchbook and clipping out photos from Vogue magazines to put into my fashion scrapbook.  

Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation
Arcana March 2023

What are the steps of creating a stage costume?
Lola: The first stage is to understand the artistic vision of the director and to work together with the director hand in hand. We exchange ideas on the artistic intention, and make sketches or provide visual support to help the production and artistic team understand the artistic direction. After getting the measurements of the performers, the next step is to realise the costumes. This process can encompass making them from scratch (from pattern making to sewing) or buying some costumes to alter or modify. We will generally do two fittings with the performers before the first full costumes rehearsal (around two to three weeks before the show) and the dress rehearsal on stage where the wardrobe team make last-minute adjustments.  

Dress for Wengie campaign
New album 2021

Which step do you find the most challenging and why?
Lola: A lot of theatre productions often have tight deadlines. Time management and prudent organisation skills are critical to ensure that we do not run up against the clock. Managing design expectations while respecting the budget for the costumes can sometimes become a tricky balancing act itself.

Kate Miller-Heidke 
Australian Singer
Eurovision Australia decides 2019

What led you to suggest a collaboration with Redress?
Lola: As a member of the Redress Alumni Network, it was natural for me to suggest Redress for this production. They collect unwanted clothing in Hong Kong through their Takeback Programme, and they were excited to collaborate when I proposed upcycling these garments for Gen Last. This decision aligned perfectly with our message to audience and the ecological impact we aimed to minimise through our costume creations. Most of the fabrics showcased in the show come from the Redress Takeback Programme and second-hand shops.

What do you want the costume design to show the audience of Gen Last?
Lola: Lindsey and I talked about showcasing a strong image of an empowered and awakened generation in a dystopian, futuristic style. We wanted the performers to feel comfortable and powerful in their costumes, to give them strength to embody a future generation concerned by eco-conscious values.

When did you become interested in acting?
Stephanie: It’s hard to say exactly when I found a passion for the stage, but ever since I was little I was always confident in front of an audience. I used to do lots of dance, and I never got stage nerves! In fact, I loved the applause I’d get from an audience, showing them the results of all our hard work. When I watched movies, I would picture myself being an actor on the screen, with an even bigger audience; I love telling stories, and the bigger the audience, the more people hear this tale. As I got older, I joined many school performances, and soon I reached out to outside companies to do more shows. Last year I was lucky enough to get a place in 24:7:365, which is how I’m where I am now.

How did your experience with 24:7:365 prepare you for your role in Gen Last?
Stephanie: In 24:7:365, I had less responsibility, so I could focus on taking in the atmosphere and the production style. I was able to get used to the long hours of focus and work, letting myself grow as a performer. It takes a lot of mental stamina to work on such a play for that long (three hours, twice a week!), so it helped me understand what I was getting into as the director’s assistant.  

As well as being an actor in Gen Last, you are also the Director’s Assistant. What are your responsibilities in this role?
Stephanie: As the Director’s Assistant, I help Lindsey with keeping the cast together and on top of their work, as well as suggesting and asking important questions on everyone’s behalf. I also lead exercises and activities to warm up the cast before we work on scenes.

What has surprised you the most during the production of Gen Last?
Stephanie: I’m full of wonderment about the creative process of sharing information and details with other members of the creative and production teams. I found the most interesting part of the pre-production was the photoshoot. I didn’t realise that they’d be using a projector as well as a proper photography set for the shoot – I just found the technical details rather interesting.

What has been your biggest takeaway from Gen Last?
Stephanie: In the future, I aspire to be a director myself, crafting my own performances and films. Seeing the organisation that needs to go into each production, and even each rehearsal, is really valuable for me. The amount of discipline and focus that goes into every aspect of the project is amazing, and I think even observing the process is really useful for my future.

How has Gen Last inspired you regarding climate change issues?
Stephanie: Rather than being told the problem, and that it’s all our fault, I get a chance to be a part of spreading awareness. It gives me the opportunity to contribute my own individual emotions and experiences, making it feel more personal. Because I get to connect to the problem a lot more, it feels like it impacts me more, if that makes any sense. Because I care about the show, I also care about the problem. So I guess I empathise with my character/role.

How do you picture your life and the environment in 2055?
Lola: I know climate change is a real concern, but I prefer to look towards the positive side and direct my energy towards finding solutions that allow me to be more respectful of our planet in my daily life. Witnessing some new eco-responsible technology gives me hope for the future. It can be hard to keep faith in our world when we’re constantly reminded of negative things.

For my life in 2055, I hope I will continue to design and create for costume and fashion, meet a lot of people that share a passion for arts and design, and keep creating and exchanging knowledge and ideas to drive the world towards a positive place.

Stephanie: I see a barren wasteland that’s hot and dry. I see dust filling the air, turning it brown, with “goop” and pollution filling the seas. I see life in 2055 full of fear and hiding, with people only going out to find food or shade. I don’t see a very inviting place to call home. Sure, my imagination is running a bit wild, but I feel like that’s the most extreme version of our future: an unhappy wasteland full of broken dreams and dying lungs. I really hope our future doesn’t look anything like the one in Gen Last, since at that point, the world may be too far gone to fix – without Crystal Children at least!