001 →COSTUME DESIGN

Writer: Tennessee Williams
Designer&maker: Beini Li
2023 Self-learning Project

I adapted the script "The Glass Menagerie". In the original play,（son） Tom was the narrator and told the story of their family many years ago. I replaced the narrator with （daughter） Laura, because I think Laura is this the heart of the story. Because she is obsessed with collecting glass animals, she thinks the world of glass is pure, like an ideal world. In reality, this family is dissatisfied with the life and immersed in their own fantasies. Glass animals reflect their ideal world, and also reveal that they are all struggling in the gap between reality and ideal world.
I did an experiment to design the clothes，distorting the real character's clothes under the deformation of the glass into many shapes， then I developed the final silhouette. They are designed as Laura's collection - glass dolls. Then, in order to simulate the texture of glass, I built a shelf by hand as the bottom, poured many kinds of transparent glue on it, and cut off the outer layer after air-drying, which is like a hollow sculpture
I designed the stage as a dollhouse where everyone has their own room. it's like Laura is using these glass dolls to tell a story

Writer: August Strindberg
Designer: Beini Li
2024 Design Project at RWCMD

Music: Daniel Messe
Book: Craig Lucas
Director: Anthony Lau
Costume Designer: Beini Li
Set Designer: Cerys Arrowsmith
Ligting Designer: Cadi Davage
2025 Bute theatre

Amelie is a story with very French characteristics. but In this show, more modern elements are added to make the character look more street and personalized. Because I want the character to be closer to reality, not only beautiful and elegant, but also dirty and chaotic. 
When I started designing, I thought that this story is not just a simple love story, but also includes Amelie's growth and her thinking. So this story looks at everyone and things from Amelie's perspective, and it should be more Amelie's style. Add some exaggerated elements to reality to remind everyone that this is the trace left by Amelie's mischief.

“THE WINTER’S TALE”

Writer: William Shakespeare
Director: Patricia Logue
Costume Designer: Beini Li
2024 Bridge Product at Bute Theatre

002 → COSTUME MAKING

“THE SWEET SCIENCE OF BRUISING”

Book: Joy Wilkinson
Director: Jonna Bowman
Costume Designer: Theo Wyatt
Costume Maker: Beini Li
2024 Bute Theatre

Book: Neil Simon
  Music: Cy Coleman
  Director: Hannah Noone
  Costume Designer: Morgan McDonald
  Costume Maker: Beini Li
  2024 Sherman Theatre

Writer:  Luigi Dallapiccola
Costume Designer/Maker: Beini Li
2024 Design Project at RWCMD

003 → FASHION DESIGN

Costume Designer/Maker: Beini Li
2022 Self Learning Project

The theme of the first project is irrelationship（= pseudosexual intimacy）, because I found that in China, when you reach the legal age of marriage, you will be arranged by the family to go on a blind date. People don't believe in true love and think marriage as a business. But many women do not find themselves in a predicament. I think it is because of the brainwashing of society and TV dating programs since childhood, which makes girls have unrealistic yearning for marriage, and they want to be a perfect woman considered by the public when they grow up. 
So I write a story. In the story, the girl who yearned for love saw her grown-up self in her sleep, and was forced to form a family with a man who couldn't get along. The two were entangled by the red thread that means blessing for marriage. Being entangled more and more tightly in an unhappy marriage that cannot be escaped.
Because the story takes place in the girl's sleep, the white skirt refers to the silhouette of the nightdress. In order to create a dreamy feeling of entering a dream, I used a fabric that can use the switch to control the fabric emit white light in a dim environment. 
I made a pannier who made of fishbone and wire, and wrapping red strips outside of it. In front of chest also wrapped with red cloth to make a 3d
overlooking. I mainly want to show the suffocation of women life after marriage. Red, which symbolizes beauty and allure, makes girls hopeful for married life, but after putting on the clothes, they discover the truth of marriage.
The man is an incompetent, often disappearing figure in marriage. Therefore, the male clothes mainly reflect the virtual feeling. I extracted mosaic elements and applied them to the suit, and the face was also covered

“NIANSHOU”

Costume Designer/Maker: Beini LI
2022 Self Learning Product

I think of the memories of the Spring Festival when I was a child, and I miss the festive atmosphere at that time. So I wanted to do this project to show the good memories of that time.
I reference the legend about the Nian Beast in Chinese mythology. The Nian Beast is a legendary beast that would harm the people during the New Year. Until a god beat the Nian Beast away, everyone found that the Nian Beast was afraid of loud noises, red and fire. So the customs of setting off firecrackers and pasting Spring Festival couplets have been preserved. From this, two images of the Nian Beast and the god were designed.
I extracted many traditional patterns for secondary creation. Then extracted the Chinese characters in the Spring Festival couplets, Then I did a profile experiment based on the shape of the characters. Then as the plot progresses, the clothes will change, so I divided the clothes into many detachable pieces, which can be pasted on the clothes randomly on every place. The headdress of the Nian beast uses the scraps of firecrackers, and pastes a large outline with a lot of colored paper, and then create the Nian image that I imagined Refer to the development process of the dragon dance image.

004ABOUT ME

BEINI LI (SHE/HER) COSTUME DESINGER/MAKER

I studied fashion design in China as an undergraduate, and costume design and making at RWCMD. I love theater and backstage, as well as movies and music.
Movies, music, and drama are a part of me, allowing me to freely express my imagination. Through drama, I connect with others, learn about the world, and give myself back to the art. I design bold, exaggerated clothing, match outfits, paint vibrant pictures, and sew unique pieces. The world constantly inspires me, and I cherish that creativity by bringing my visions to life through fashion, art, and storytelling.