The theme of the thesis was to familiarize oneself with the stage costume design. The starting point of the work was to create a dance performance with the association of Kuopion Reippaan Voimistelijat ry. The work was representing the womanhood and the identity of women. The choreography of the performance will be presented on the Mother’s Day, the 13th of May 2012, in the Kuopio City Theatre.

The required characteristics of stage costumes were analyzed at the beginning of the process. The creation, the meaning and the interpretation of the dressing image were also internalized. The goal of the work was to design and produce the clothes for the performance titled “PMS all kinds of mothers, girls, dolls, women, chicks, grannies – Stories of the womanhood”.

The Information was collected by the observation, the inquiry and by reading the books which discuss women’s life. I watched several dance trainings and discussed with the choreographers Johanna Luomala and Minna Huuskonen. The aim of the inquiry was to strengthen my own plans of designing. The steps of my project are based on the model of the realistic evaluationprocess.

Professionally the project was very important. I got an opportunity to create the dance costumes which reflected women’s identities. The main themes are The Abnormality, The Princess dreams, The Youth, The Looking for the Identity, The Motherhood, The Old Age, The Woman Image by The Media, The Good Girl and The Occupations.

The author thought that she managed to find the main points of the themes and was satisfied with the result. It was rewarding to carry responsibility and to create every costume entirety according to my own personality.

The end of the project does not extend as far as the premiere of the performance but represents the designing of every costume and the choices which have affected at the process. All the acquired facts and the information can be applied to the designing stage costumes in general.