Pennod 9 Cwpwrdd Dillad

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-Tonight,

-we meet designer Jane Davies.

-We will also take a peek inside

-David Meredith's clothes shed.

-First, to the Bethesda area

-to meet singer, Lleuwen Steffan.

-Welcome to Cwpwrdd Dillad.

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-Clothes are playthings.

-It's about

-the way you want to be perceived.

-It isn't about who you really are.

-It's all about what you want

-the world to see, which is great.

-Lleuwen Steffan is a member

-of the jazz group, Acoustique.

-She loves to get dressed up

-to perform.

-Lleuwen,

-what are your greatest influences?

-What has influenced your music

-and your style?

-I would say that both things

-go hand in hand.

-Until fairly recently...

-..I've been wearing the clothes

-you expect a jazz singer to wear.

-I think it all stems back

-to my childhood.

-My father had a large and varied

-record collection.

-I was immediately

-attracted to the sleeves...

-..featuring dusky ladies

-in gorgeous dresses.

-I thought, "Wow!

-That's what it means to be a woman."

-This is my wardrobe, Nia.

-These are your concert dresses.

-These are your concert dresses.

-

-Yes, and this is my favourite.

-I haven't worn it, yet.

-It's a 1930s dress,

-that belonged to my aunt.

-It's an original, 1930s dress?

-It's an original, 1930s dress?

-

-Yes, that's right.

-It's been

-in my grandma's wardrobe for years.

-She said, "You should wear this

-to sing, Lleuwen."

-I didn't argue with her!

-I'd be scared to wear it,

-in case I ripped it.

-I won't be wearing it to do a gig

-at Bethesda Rugby Club!

-Is it important to you

-to dress in a very feminine way?

-Yes. I enjoy it.

-I'm a woman

-and that's what I represent.

-I realise it's all nonsense

-and clothes don't mean anything...

-..it's just part of enjoying life,

-like everything else you enjoy.

-I bought this in Copenhagen.

-I went there for the jazz festival.

-It brings back good memories?

-It brings back good memories?

-

-Yes, very much so.

-This is what I wear when I don't

-want to have to choose an outfit.

-I reach for this dress

-and it works every time.

-That's my overriding memory

-of good gigs.

-I wear this and

-I'm not aware of what I'm wearing.

-That frees you

-to focus on your singing.

-You're not self-conscious.

-You're not self-conscious.

-

-Exactly.

-I love the humour in clothes.

-There's no need

-to be serious all the time.

-I enjoy

-wearing over-the-top earrings.

-You can either take it seriously

-and despair a little...

-..or you can see the joke

-and appreciate the irony.

-It's all a bit of fun.

-# Here I am

-# I'm head over heels.

-I've fallen for you

-# Here I am

-# I want to surrender myself to you

-# But I wonder if you

-# I wonder

-if you feel as strongly as me

-# Does your world revolve around me?

-# There's no-one quite like you... #

-What look would jazz singers

-traditionally adopt?

-Traditionally,

-it's all about dresses.

-Very, very glamorous

-and often quite kitsch.

-Women want to get married to have

-a chance to wear that sort of dress!

-If you're a jazz singer, like me,

-you get all that out of your system.

-You wear that sort of dress

-to every gig!

-You're not worried about

-getting married?

-No. I get to wear the dresses

-in all sorts of colours, to boot!

-Are you increasingly confident about

-your clothes, as you get older?

-Yes, most definitely. I don't care

-what other people think any more.

-If I feel good about the clothes

-I'm wearing, it'll be a good day.

-If you're confident,

-it radiates from you.

-# I want to please, please,

-please you... #

-Do you dress to please your audience

-or do you dress to please yourself?

-I'm far more concerned with

-pleasing myself than my audience.

-It isn't fair

-and I'm going to stop doing it.

-Singing is a God-given talent...

-..and I should use it

-in a much kinder way.

-It should be used to please others,

-rather than please yourself.

-Otherwise, I may as well

-stick to singing in the house.

-Can you sum up

-what music means to you?

-Life. Freedom.

-What do clothes mean to you?

-Freedom.

-Clothes don't mean life to me.

-I like clothes...

-..but you can go overboard,

-thinking about your image.

-It isn't important.

-My grandmother said it's alright

-to give a shed a coat of paint.

-The thing is not to go overboard.

-If you do, it isn't real any more.

-It becomes pointless.

-A complete waste of time.

-I don't know

-how to stop playing at dressing-up.

-That's what it boils down to.

-It's all a game.

-Playing house.

-Playing dressing-up.

-Fancy dress.

-Will you do it when you're 60 or 70?

-Will you do it when you're 60 or 70?

-

-Yes, I hope so.

-I hope so.

-Clothes and fabrics are the life

-of fashion designer, Jane Davies.

-Here's where it all happens.

-Has your life turned out

-as you imagined?

-Are you living the dream?

-Yes. It feels a bit as if

-I'm living the dream.

-I loved to dress up,

-when I was young.

-When I take stock

-of what we're doing...

-..I must say we're creating

-some magnificent garments here.

-One-offs.

-We take our time, creating them.

-When I see stars wear them, on

-television, I think, "We did that!"

-It's so rewarding.

-It is a dream come true.

-This is every girl's fantasy!

-A wardrobe at work

-and a wardrobe, at home.

-Are you allowed to take things home,

-to wear in your private life?

-Well, I can take whatever I like!

-Not everything fits me,

-which is a damn shame!

-I'm lucky because the girls

-can make another one, to fit me.

-If you were off to a party tonight,

-which dress would you wear?

-A party?

-I think I'd go for

-a little touch of bling.

-Something girly.

-I think red is my colour.

-I'd wear this.

-Really, really sexy.

-Really, really dramatic.

-We should wear headscarves.

-We should really look the part!

-Yes. The girls and I do it.

-We dress up

-and we wear headscarves and shades.

-We drive to Chester

-and have a gorgeous lunch.

-That's our idea of a real treat.

-We all go home. Kick off your shoes.

-Back to normality.

-Back to normality.

-

-Yes.

-It's good to do things like that,

-sometimes.

-This is my wardrobe.

-You have a whole room as a wardrobe!

-Shall we start over here?

-Shall we start over here?

-

-Yes. This is my daywear.

-This is my work wear.

-Over here,

-you'll see my evening wear.

-I can see plenty of splashes of red.

-I can see plenty of splashes of red.

-

-Yes - red and black.

-Red is a happy colour.

-This is something I wear.

-I don't know if it's cool or uncool.

-I do know it's really comfy.

-I wear this to work

-and to go to the supermarket.

-Here's something

-completely over the top!

-I'm told I look like Elmo,

-off Sesame Street, when I'm in this!

-I don't care because I love it.

-I also wear jeans and T-shirts.

-This is my work wear.

-I wear jackets, coats and suits.

-This suit

-doesn't have much hanger appeal...

-..but this is absolutely fantastic

-when I'm wearing it.

-It's a simple shift dress,

-which I wear with lots of pearls.

-It looks fantastic.

-Let's move on to evening wear.

-Did you design these

-especially for yourself?

-Yes. My exclusive collection.

-This is my party dress.

-I love it.

-A wide skirt.

-This is my Ricky Martin dress.

-You do a bit of Latino dancing

-in this!

-Yes, definitely.

-Red, killer heels.

-Bright red lipstick.

-Bright red lipstick.

-

-Surprise, surprise!

-This is my all-time favourite.

-It's a very, very simple

-evening dress.

-You can wear it with pink

-or with black.

-It swishes around, when you walk.

-It looks fantastic.

-This is my million dollar dress.

-This is one of my favourites.

-The colour is so wow!

-It's so dramatic.

-The shapes are very, very simple.

-This has great sentimental value.

-I wore it to a wedding, on a beach.

-I walked along the beach with

-a bottle of champagne in one hand...

-..and wearing this.

-It was fantastic

-and this is very special, to me.

-I know you enjoy going out

-and dressing up.

-One obvious part of that...

-..is the all-important

-matching accessories.

-Shoes and bags.

-You can't resist them, can you?

-No. They're another

-little weakness of mine.

-I love handbag and shoe shopping.

-You can't make them yourself?

-You can't make them yourself?

-

-No. They're specialist fields.

-The red ones are my dancing shoes.

-I feel fantastic when I wear them.

-I think those shoes are gorgeous,

-but they're killers!

-They're fine, if you stand still.

-They're fine, if you stand still.

-

-Stand still, smile but don't walk!

-You don't dance on the tables,

-in those.

-No - not in those.

-What gives you the greatest thrill,

-as regards clothes?

-I love shoes and I love handbags.

-I love dresses, of course.

-I think what gives me

-the biggest thrill is dressing up.

-I love putting an outfit together

-and going out. Fantastic!

-That's the highlight of a night out.

-Yes - when Pete says,

-"Wow! You look lovely tonight."

-He knows exactly what to say!

-He knows exactly what to say!

-

-Yes, absolutely.

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-Hello, Nia. Did you receive the map?

-Head along the Dinas Mawddwy road,

-from Llanuwchllyn.

-You'll see a red kiosk,

-with trees to the left.

-Come through the pine trees...

-..until you feel you've reached

-the ends of the earth.

-Keep walking and you'll find a lake.

-By that lake

-you'll see a wooden hut.

-That wooden hut is my wardrobe.

-Nia! Hello! How are you? Welcome.

-Was the map alright?

-Yes, but my map reading skills

-leave a lot to be desired!

-I tried to get the map

-up to Ordnance Survey standard...

-..and as detailed as possible!

-It's wonderful to meet you.

-It's wonderful to meet you.

-

-You, too.

-Welcome to my wardrobe.

-Welcome to paradise.

-David Meredith

-worked in public relations.

-He lives

-in Llanuwchllyn, near Bala...

-..but

-his wardrobe isn't in his house.

-QUACKING

-QUACKING

-

-Behave yourselves!

-Off you go,

-to the far end of the lake!

-To what extent...

-..did your line of work dictate

-the contents of your wardrobe?

-I had what I'd call

-a horrendously public career.

-That meant I had to dress formally.

-I had to wear a suit.

-The suit was important...

-..and elements of the suit

-were extremely important.

-Pockets, for example.

-I carried notes and

-details of meetings, and so on.

-Suits are extremely handy,

-in that respect.

-I was wearing a filing cabinet,

-in essence!

-Suits can make things easy,

-at times.

-A suit can be the easy choice.

-You wake up in the morning and

-you don't dither about what to wear.

-Precisely!

-You're free

-to concentrate on your work.

-Add those elements and you'll see

-the suit is extremely useful.

-Are you a slave to fashion,

-or do you buy whatever pleases you?

-Take the spotty tie.

-I'm very fond of the spotty tie

-but it's no longer fashionable.

-Squares are now in vogue.

-I don't like

-seeing squares on a tie.

-It's unnatural

-to see squares on a tie.

-Ties should either be spotty,

-or a plain colour.

-I'm about to have the privilege

-of seeing inside your wardrobe.

-Yes.

-It's my privilege to show it to you.

-After you.

-After you.

-

-You're too kind.

-I'm sure other people

-have larger collections of ties...

-..but I'm very fond of them.

-Do you receive many as presents?

-These seem to express

-your character.

-Not enough presents!

-Listen up!

-Listen up!

-

-I'd love many more presents.

-Do you have

-one particular favourite?

-No. I treasure them all.

-This is a nice colour.

-This is a lovely, spotty tie.

-I'm very fond of it.

-Is the handkerchief

-an ever-present feature?

-No, I sometimes forget to wear one.

-You wear them on special occasions,

-such as today.

-I'm very fond of this suit.

-I bought it in Cannes, to wear

-during the film festival, and so on.

-I was looking for

-a lily-white suit.

-I really wanted a white suit

-with wonderful lapels...

-..but I couldn't find one,

-on land or sea.

-I compromised

-and I settled for this colour.

-I've grown very fond of it.

-Other colours

-go really well with it.

-Blue and red, in particular.

-What about David Meredith,

-the private man?

-What do you wear

-on a Saturday morning?

-A tie and a suit.

-A tie and a suit.

-

-At home, on a Saturday?!

-Yes - I wear a tie every day.

-I strive to wear a tie all the time.

-You don't wear a tie in bed!

-Please tell me you don't!

-Please tell me you don't!

-

-No, of course not.

-The tie is a restricting, yet warm

-item of clothing.

-That's part of its glory.

-I've seen a photograph of you,

-wearing a T-shirt.

-You tried to tell me

-you didn't own a T-shirt.

-I do wear this, occasionally,

-in the privacy of my own home.

-I designed this T-shirt,

-when I was running my own company.

-It promotes the Welsh International

-Film Festival.

-You were wearing a shirt and tie

-under the T-shirt, in the photo.

-That's true.

-Thank you for pointing that out.

-Did you wear huge collars

-in the 1970s?

-To my extreme embarrassment...

-..I wore rounded collars.

-I like them. They're great.

-I like them. They're great.

-

-Yes, they're very funky!

-I like double-breasted jackets.

-They envelop you.

-The colour is wonderful.

-Any shirt and tie

-goes with this suit.

-There's a beer mat, in the pocket.

-There's a beer mat, in the pocket.

-

-A special beer mat.

-"Start every conversation in Welsh".

-This is a "bola deri".

-I use that term

-and I receive blank looks.

-I've just given you a blank look!

-This is a Moss Bros suit

-and I call it a "bola deri".

-It's a formal, dinner suit.

-Did you wear this to the Oscars?

-Did you wear this to the Oscars?

-

-Yes, indeed.

-This is my Oscars suit.

-What an experience!

-What an experience!

-

-It doesn't happen every day.

-I'm fond of this and I'm delighted

-I kept it for all these years.

-This coat is back in fashion.

-Good friends of mine have begged me

-not to wear this coat!

-They didn't mince their words.

-"Don't wear that ancient coat,"

-they'd say.

-I ignored them and, lo and behold,

-it's back in fashion.

-And you're in your hut.

-You're a stylish man.

-You're a stylish man.

-

-Thank you very much.

-Look at these stylish surroundings.

-Wonderful trees

-and green, lush growth.

-Welsh soil.

-This is Tara. This is Tara.

-You've retired

-but you're still a busy man.

-You continue to wear

-a suit, a shirt and a tie.

-Does that indicate

-reluctance on your part...

-..to let go of your work

-and your career?

-There may be something in that.

-You can't teach an old dog

-new tricks.

-In practical terms,

-I'm fond of suits, shirts and ties.

-I must confess my fondness of them!

-Amen.

-"Filling time on a battered clock

-on an old tree trunk by the sea.

-"And on the blue, placid waters

-sails the ship of my life."

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones