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 a Sambourne House Party Attendee 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 a partygoer in a scene filmed in Sambourne House. The embroidered and beaded collar is an original Edwardian piece. Bright then designed the dress around this feature. 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 or setting in mind. This costume was specifically inspired by the interior design of Sambourne House, responding to orange lampshades which light the piano in the party scene. The rich fabric and fashionable design of the dress was intended to contrast with Lucy’s simpler clothing.

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 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).