0:00:34 > 0:00:38I'm at Notting Hill Carnival and I've had the challenge
0:00:38 > 0:00:40of designing my own carnival costume.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42But the story doesn't start here,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46It starts two weeks ago when I visited Mahogany.
0:00:48 > 0:00:49Hello, I'm Kirsten.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51- Hello, Kirsten.- Nice to meet you.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Clary is head costume designer here.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56I need to get... Well, not quite that, but I need a carnival costume.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59You've come to the right place. Let me show you...
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Look at all the colours, ooh, I like these.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05You can see the movement actually in the photographs that you've taken -
0:01:05 > 0:01:09- All these swirls. People can really dance with them on.- Absolutely!
0:01:09 > 0:01:11There's no point if you can't move it in.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13So can I get a costume like that?
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Right, I'm looking forward to this bit.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Let's get some ideas down.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21So, think about someone dancing - their legs open...
0:01:21 > 0:01:22- OK.- ..Their shoulders...
0:01:22 > 0:01:24- Baggy trousers?- Definitely.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27I think this design should be inspirational,
0:01:27 > 0:01:28so let's use some good words like,
0:01:28 > 0:01:33- inspire, achieve...- I've got an idea for a word actually.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34- Have a go.- See if it fits.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Is this going to take ages to do letters?
0:01:36 > 0:01:39No, it won't take ages. We've got lots of help.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40A whole crew!
0:01:40 > 0:01:42It's going to be my big bling ring!
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Should it be like a diamond?
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Like with prisms, triangles... Would that work?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55I am happy with that!
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Now we've got to go and draw it up real size.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Is that my hair?
0:02:08 > 0:02:09This bit's now finished
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and as you can see, I've chosen the word creativity.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20- Here you go, Kirsten. - Thank you.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24This is great, everyone is helping out so we're really cracking on.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Keep going, girls. Nearly there.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Ladies, you are going so fast here.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34- Do you think I've got rhythm? - Yeah.- Want me to dance next year?
0:02:34 > 0:02:35No!
0:02:39 > 0:02:40I want to be really blinging,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43so these guys are busy cutting out sparkly bits,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Selena, how are we going to put it together?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Well, basically we're going to transfer all this bling
0:02:48 > 0:02:52- onto this diamond here. - The bling onto the ring!
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Just as important as the design
0:02:56 > 0:02:59is making sure your costume fits, which is where Daniel comes in,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01welding the frame. Hi, there.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- Hi, how you doing? - I've been sent for a fitting.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06That's the piece of steel we'll work with,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I'll just check it to see how it fits onto your body.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10That's quite a snug fit.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14That's the one. Brilliant.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- Ooft!- Ooh, that's all your gym for the week, I think.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18So does my costume fit onto that?
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Yes, we try to make it so it breaks down smaller
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- so you can get through the doorway, otherwise it'll be too big.- Ah-ha!
0:03:28 > 0:03:30There you go.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- Careful, it's quite hot.- Cheers.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Yee-ha!
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Nicola, that looks fantastic! I like the glittery bits and everything.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Thank you, Kirsten.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45Right, do I shimmy in?
0:03:45 > 0:03:46Shimmy in!
0:03:46 > 0:03:47I can't believe it!
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- Oh, it's really light.- It is.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It's lovely, let's get the hat back on.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- Just tie a loop at the front.- Yeah.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- And you're ready. - I'm ready to carnival!
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- You're ready!- I'm ready!
0:04:01 > 0:04:03# Are you ready to rumble?
0:04:03 > 0:04:04# Get ready to rumble
0:04:06 > 0:04:08# Get ready to rumble
0:04:09 > 0:04:11# Get ready to rumble... #
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Wow!
0:04:15 > 0:04:17# Get ready to rumble... #
0:04:24 > 0:04:27This is unbelievable! I can't believe I'm in this.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I've found my rhythm, it's all right!
0:04:33 > 0:04:36What an amazing experience -
0:04:36 > 0:04:39taking my costume from design through to carnival.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41We made it! Phew!
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Ha! You got me! I'm not really a puppet,
0:04:59 > 0:05:00it's me, Mike.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I'm not a puppet, but I've come to the little angels theatre
0:05:03 > 0:05:05to meet puppeteer, Roger.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Roger, you've made some of these puppets,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- will you introduce me?- Yes,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12this is a traditional style marionette, um,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16from the story of the Snow Queen. I think his name is Kai.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19And he's jointed in a way that will allow him to move
0:05:19 > 0:05:25just like a human being. So his arms can go up and down,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28His legs... There's a special leg bar that comes out
0:05:28 > 0:05:31so he can do a nice walking movement.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34And any time you tilt the control,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- the head will move.- Wow!
0:05:36 > 0:05:39So, that's a traditional style marionette,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- Would you like to hold that while I get another one?- Yeah.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Lets see... He had his fingers in here like that...
0:05:46 > 0:05:49hold that one out for the legs,. Twisting at the same time,
0:05:49 > 0:05:50It's complicated.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Roger, this is a lot harder, you made it look so easy.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56This one... These are much simpler puppets.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59It's still a marionette because it's operated from above with strings.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03It's the ghost and he has very simple movements, he just whooshes around.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05He's great.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- Woooo!- Argh!
0:06:07 > 0:06:09He is certainly spooky.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11If you hang on to that one as well, Mike,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I can show you a completely different type of puppet.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Not a marionette, this is a rod puppet.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21- She's Cinderella.- She's beautiful, look at the detail on her face.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23The thing with a rod puppet, as opposed to a marionette,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25you can get graceful movements,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and these are a lot simpler to operate.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30- Better for beginners?- Much better.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33They're amazing, do you think I can actually make one?
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Yes, actually we do need another puppet made for the show tonight.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- Really?- Shall I show you how to do that?- Oh, that'd be great.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43All right, Roger. What are we doing?
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Well, it would be good to make maybe a puppet like this.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- That looks like you!- He does, he does look like me.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52What we want to really think about is the sort of character
0:06:52 > 0:06:54that we're going to make.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57The character we really need for this evening's show,
0:06:57 > 0:06:58- is a damsel in distress.- OK.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02So we need to think about what sort of movements that puppet would have.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06So it's got to be able to go, ahhhh! And, oooooh! And, help!
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- That's exactly it, all those sorts of things.- OK.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12With the evening's performance only a few hours away,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14there was no time to waste.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Roger's main material is corrugated cardboard
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and the place to start is with the head.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- Slide those together.- OK.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22So you're sort of doing, like, a real face.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24What's next after this?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Tape it down to the head.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- Can you use newspaper for this? - Newspaper is good.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37One last little piece?
0:07:37 > 0:07:39- Yeah, I think so. - Just leave it to dry now.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40Yeah, we'll leave it to dry.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Now it was time to make the body which meant more cardboard,
0:07:44 > 0:07:45more cutting and more taping.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49So from here we can work out what sized limbs we want.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52So just roll it up...
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Yup.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Next it was time to tape the limbs together so they would work
0:07:58 > 0:07:59just like elbows and knees.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01..Bend, but won't go further over.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02That's great!
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Then it was time for the mechanics which involved lots of holes
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and tying lots of string.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Obviously these are really sharp, so get a grown up to help you.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14We need quite a long piece of string for this.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16And it was not just about the mechanics.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19We needed to remember what type of character we were making
0:08:19 > 0:08:22and how that character would need to move.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24So the figure's complete and she's all jointed.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Now, I've got to sort out rehearsals, see how that's getting on,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- But, it needs painting and hair.- OK.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- And some sort of costume.- All right.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Hah!
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Hey! Hey, Roger, what do you think? Am I ready to perform tonight?
0:08:49 > 0:08:53She's really good but I don't think you're quite ready to perform.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56First you've got to go out on to the street and discover how she moves.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- OK. Find out her true character. - Yes.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Well, I guess I'd better get to know you better. 'I guess so'
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I think I'll call you Betty. Let's go hang out, Betty.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Cheers! 'Cheers. Hmm, tasty.'
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Then it was curtains up for Betty's big performance.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18'Well, I guess I better get home before it gets too dark.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22'La-da-da-da... Ahhhhhhhh!
0:09:22 > 0:09:23'Get away, you evil thing!
0:09:23 > 0:09:25'Ahhhhhh!
0:09:26 > 0:09:27'Oh, oh, what's that?'
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'Keep out of my forest.'
0:09:30 > 0:09:33'Oooh, you're so scary with your big long legs!
0:09:33 > 0:09:35'Ahhh, someone help me!'
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I think Betty was the perfect damsel in distress.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40And the crowd loved her too!
0:09:49 > 0:09:53I'm on a quest to find a partner for my posterior.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56My first date is with a loud Brazilian called Banquet.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01She was created by famous designers and brothers,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Humberto and Fernando Campana.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Whenever it provokes a reaction,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09good or bad, this is good because you are doing something.
0:10:09 > 0:10:15The most sad thing is whenever nobody pays attention.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18The world's become so sad, so boring.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23It's important to bring this kind of beauty inside your house.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Next up, the Well Tempered chair -
0:10:29 > 0:10:32An '80s icon designed by Ron Arad.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I wanted to do a piece
0:10:37 > 0:10:39with sort of, minimal effort.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40and with nothing hidden.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44What you see is what there is, there's no hidden part.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46There was a uniform response to it.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53The people that sat on the chair had a sentence:
0:10:53 > 0:10:56"Actually, it's very comfortable."
0:11:02 > 0:11:05She's definitely one of a kind!
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Part chair, part three-legged table.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I found the two bits very close to each other -
0:11:11 > 0:11:14one in Hackney and one in Victoria Park,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Um, I therefore call it Vicky.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18The bottom piece is actually a table,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20a little coffee table,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23um, with one leg missing,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26but what interested me was this idea that, um,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28without a table, you don't need chairs, somehow.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33In our culture we use chairs because we invented a table, or vice versa.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36So it's the question, was the table there before, or the chair?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Yeah, it's schizophrenic, maybe a split personality.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Um, but at the same time,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44it's quite a comfortable chair
0:11:44 > 0:11:47even though it doesn't look particularly stable.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56MUSIC: "Laura" by Scissor Sisters
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Definitely not your average chair, Laura is a bench -
0:12:02 > 0:12:03and a reincarnated cow.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Made out of foam and a real cowhide,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10she certainly makes a statement. She was designed by Julia Lohmann.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I think Laura is quite beautiful.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16She's a dark brown, chocolate brown cow bench.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19And she's quite slender.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22She doesn't have any visible scars.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23When an animal gets killed,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27What they do is they chop off the head and the feet first,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31that's why the cow benches don't have any head or any feet.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I get the foam, I basically carve it,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37and then I always step back, I try to make it really cow-like.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41When it's carved I upholster her with one cowhide.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51I, um,
0:12:51 > 0:12:52took some bandages
0:12:52 > 0:12:57and put foam on the chair wherever I thought it was nice and comfortable,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and I wrapped it up into bandages so it was covered.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05You know, this is the kind of chair I could get quite attached to.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08It's comfortable, practical, and just quirky enough.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12It's quite easy to produce, especially for an upholstered chair,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16um, but as well, just the way it looks. It's a bit street, maybe,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19but it's also very accessible for most people.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25It's different but not to strange and too...
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Dangerous or too scary!
0:13:30 > 0:13:33So which will I choose to take home?
0:13:33 > 0:13:34The brash Brazilian?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36The '80s power dresser?
0:13:36 > 0:13:38The split personality from Hackney?
0:13:38 > 0:13:40The morbid cow?
0:13:40 > 0:13:41Or The Mummy?
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:13:50 > 0:13:53E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk