Entertainers have always pushed the envelope when it comes to fashion, and these days costume design is a major part of any show, be it a live concert, theatre performance, or even music video.
So when it came to developing Macau’s sexiest cabaret, TABOO at City of Dreams, it was important to create costumes that embodied the risqué vision for the show and helped the talented performers truly tease and wow the audience.
For this task, show creator Franco Dragone called upon designer Michael Sharp, who has worked with the likes of Annie Lennox, the Pet Shop Boys, Take That and comedian Russell Brand, and who was also part of the creative team for the closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
Before becoming a stylist and costume designer, Michael was himself a dancer, singer and acrobat, performing on West End and in international pop tours. This combination of backgrounds allowed him to perfectly understand what was needed for TABOO, a show that is not only very artistic and provocative, but also at times intensely physical and demanding.
Macau CLOSER: When designing costumes for a show like TABOO, what sort of things to do you need to particularly consider?
Michael Sharp: The biggest considerations I made were for movement. With any show that involves dancing, the fit and cut are so so important, hence using Lycra fabrics that can stretch to fit perfectly and are also durable for a yearlong show. For Lucky Hell’s costume it has to be fire retardant so only natural fabrics can be used.
What sort of inspiration did you look for when designing the costumes?
Inspiration for the costumes comes from many different sources. First was to represent Jay Smith’s (Executive Artistic Director) vision for the show, so I researched images, fashion shows, adverts and videos. As TABOO is a bit more racy, underwear and fetish design were high on