Behind the Scenes of Foix, Land of History: The Passionate Costume Lover

She never stops. If Sylvie Loubet is not in the workshop, she is stuffed in the shed, looking for a piece to complete the costume that one of the 75 extras will wear. And the rhythm is all the more sustained as the performances of Foix, land of history, which will take place from August 3 to 23 at the open-air theater of Espinet, approach. It is therefore difficult for the volunteer in charge of the costumes to find moments to breathe. “This year this time, I took a team of four volunteers to do the alterations after the costume designer’s creations. I was always asked before, it was no longer tenable”, confides the seamstress.

“I feel close to my costumes”

But these inconveniences aside, Sylvie couldn’t imagine herself without her costumes. “She talks about it all the time. She dreams about it at night, I think”, affectionately testifies Mélissa Loubet, her daughter and communication officer for Foix, land of history. “The costumes help me to escape from the current life. With them, there is our imagination, our dreams, the history of France…”, confides the person concerned, her eyes shining with emotion. “I am Norman, I have no connection with the Cathars. And yet, I feel close to them. The costumes have the same effect on me. It gives me well-being,” says the volunteer. And this visceral need to be among her costumes, she feels it all the more this year. “We are missing someone. A person I have always known when I arrived here, a pillar”, remembers the costume designer with emotion. The staging is also a source of change since this year is that of a new show, directed by Agathe Roumieu. “We have creations that we cannot miss. The costumes will not be highlighted in the same way”, warns Sylvie.

A design faithful to the customs of the time

She wanders between the rows of dresses and shirts. She knows exactly where every piece is and what to match it with if needed. For each extra, Sylvie thinks in depth about the different elements that will dress her. “We’re not going to wear lace if this texture didn’t exist or wasn’t fashionable at the time”, explains Sylvie with clarity. So that each outfit is best suited to its time, the costume designer carefully documents herself on the internet. “For a long time, a woman always had to go out with a headdress. So we’re here to make sure that the extras come on stage with all the necessary pieces.” Rigorous, Sylvie is also rigorous in her desire to put the actors at ease with their costume. “I’m going to pamper the outfits so that the person who will be in them forgets the hassles of life,” she laughs.

Despite her relentless investment, Sylvie does not consider herself a costume designer. “I am the costume lover. But I am the person who comes after the creation, I maintain them.” For her acolytes, she is one of the essentials of Foix, land of history. “I still reserve moments alone to be quiet,” she nuances. Sylvie Loubet will be behind the scenes but spectators will also be able to find her on stage, especially during a certain declaration for women’s rights…