About Me
Hi! I'm Lee HLR
Currently studying in my final year on BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation for Theatre and Screen at Wimbledon College of Arts, my work focuses mostly on the development of tailored garments for a range of immersive experiences, themed entertainment, and film; currently working at Thorpe Park as part of their small team of costumiers. My skillset is predominately concentrated in the cut and construction of costumes, with an emphasis on high quality fabrication, and made with longevity in mind.
Tailoring is my major strength and something I feel deeply drawn to. The attention to detail, high quality handiwork, and focused skills of needlework and handsewing, is something that I reflect in all of my work. My current topic of exploration has been how we can incorporate tailoring into the immersive entertainment industry, both for humanoid characters and non-human/anthropomorphic creatures and characters; and how tailoring and the skillset of a tailor can work to develop a narrative from just a few feet from an audience. I have put this into practice in my work creating costumes for Fright Nights at Thorpe Park through the summer of 2025.
Sustainability is a major factor within my work, and I aim to be as zero waste as possible, which in tailoring is often a difficult feat. I combine zero waste ideas with traditional construction methods to achieve a garment that is both economical whilst maintaining the style that is required by the designer. I also produce clothing that is built to last, using materials that are better for our planet and therefore kinder to the performer. I believe strongly that a garment should never be as harmful to our Earth as it is, so I upkeep the costumes and aim to preserve and mend, and think of the long term life of a piece.
Raised in a small community in rural Norfolk, I grew up in a house that values craftsmanship, with a family who worked on farms and building houses. I had a keen interest in woodwork for most of my childhood and studied it at school, aiming to one day be a set designer for film. During the pandemic’s lockdown, I learnt to use a sewing machine to pass the time. Ever the overachiever, I set my first project to be a patchwork shirt made from old clothes. Since then, I have only grown as a maker: realising fashion doesn’t align with my interests but instead costume combined the film, fantasy and craft that inspired me in the beginning. This leads me to where I am now, having left college with an A in textiles and excellence award, and accepting a place at the highly regarded UAL: Wimbledon College of Arts, and achieving and maintaining high standards of work; I couldn’t be prouder of what I have accomplished, and look forward to continuing to creating costumes and build new stories!
Contact
@li_rocchi_costume
@li_rocchi
linkedin.com/in/li-rocchi
Based in London and Norwich