Ana Kuzmanic designed this costume for Mary Zimmerman’s 2023 production of FLorencia en el Amazonas at the Metropolitan Opera. The role of the hummingbird was performed en pointe by Dan- dara Veiga.
I began the patterning process by creating an initial drape of the shoulder pieces in brown paper, which I then cut apart to create flat pattern pieces. In the final product, these pieces were cut from seefar and reinforced with ridgeline. I mulled the structure with ice wool before attaching the lining. Then, I applied the feathers individually to the outer layer of fashion fabric before stitching this layer onto the foundation structure.
The bodice was constructed from eight panels in a ballet style with spiral steel boning. T. The design for the custom-printed, satin, fashion fabric was created in Photoshop by layering scans of individ- ual feathers in a color gradient. To blend the seams between the bodice and shoulder piece and skirt, I hand-stitched on additional three-dimensional feathers.
The center of the bustle was a ridgeline and seefar structure, similar to the shoulder pieces. The feathers on the bustle were created from organza using a variety of techniques used in millinery.
The lower portion of the garment was made of three pieces: the skirt, the bustle, and the tights. The skirt was a green silk satin with stitched-on feathers and attached to the bustle at the waist. Using the same technique as the fashion fabric, a feather pattern was created then printed onto jumbo Spandex.