John Bright OBE is an award-winning British costume designer and the founder of Cosprop, a world-leading company that provides historically accurate costumes for theatre, film and television. This costume for Maggie Smith as Charlotte Bartlett in A Room with a View was co-designed by John Bright and Jenny Beavan OBE.

The 1985 film A Room with a View, directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant, is based on the 1908 novel of the same name by E.M. Forster. The plot follows Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter), a young Englishwoman who navigates the restrictive, class-based society of the Edwardian era. While travelling around Italy with older cousin Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith), she meets the free-spirited George Emerson (Julian Sands) but after returning to England, she becomes engaged to Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis), an upper-class, arrogant gentleman. The supporting cast includes Simon Callow, Judi Dench and Rupert Graves.

This costume is worn by the character of Charlotte Bartlett while sightseeing in Florence. The blouse and belt are original Edwardian pieces. The raincoat was originally worn by Siân Philips in the 1974 BBC television series Shoulder to Shoulder. Bright then designed the skirt and smaller accessories to complete the costume. Through use of antique materials and historically informed design, Cosprop costumes are imbued with an authentic aesthetic. Part of the success of Bright’s work is in his innovative approach. He does not create design sketches, but rather works directly with the actors and garments, selecting historical pieces to ‘build’ the final costume. The costume fitting is a crucial first step in this methodology, as contemporary body shapes differ from their historical counterparts. As a result, garments must be tailored for contemporary comfort whilst also retaining their historic essence. Each costume was built with the character in mind. For example, Charlotte’s more rigid and structured outfits contrast with the light, romantic dresses of her younger cousin, Lucy.

A Room with a View was a critical and commercial success. The subtle humour, beautiful settings and detailed approach to British history changed the way period dramas were produced. The film won Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction and Best Screenplay Adaptation at the 1987 Academy Awards, as well as Best Film, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Maggie Smith), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Judi Dench) and Best Production Design at the 1987 BAFTAs.

A Room with a View was a breakthrough for many of the cast members, including the big-screen debut for Helena Bonham Carter. The film was also praised for Maggie Smith’s performance, whose character of an upright, serious British woman of the upper-social class would become a familiar trait in her later castings, such as her character in Downtown Abbey (2010 - 2015) or Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest (1993).

A Room with a View heralded a long-lasting creative collaboration between Merchant Ivory and Cosprop. Bright and Beavan became the film company’s in-house designers, working on films including Maurice (1987), Howard’s End (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993) and The Golden Bowl (2000).