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The woman who dressed Doctor Who and Kate Bush

Allen CookWest Midlands
News imageJoyce Hawkins/her estate A black-and-white archive photograph shows costume work taking place on location during a television production. In the foreground, Joyce Hawkins is pictured adjusting the costume of a performer wearing a long white wig and fur-trimmed outfit, while another member of the costume team makes alterations. The image captures the practical, behind-the-scenes nature of television costume design, showing Hawkins at work rather than the finished costumes seen on screen.Joyce Hawkins/her estate
News imageJoyce Hawkins/her estate A performer wearing a flowing crimson costume poses against a blue studio backdrop. The outfit features dramatic pleated fabric extending from the sleeves and body, creating a wing-like effect as the performer raises both arms.Joyce Hawkins/her estate
The exhibition highlights Joyce Hawkins' work behind the scenes on some of British TV's best-known productions such as here, on set for a 1974 Play for Today.
Kate Bush wears a costume designed by Hawkins for a BBC television special in 1979.

Standing behind some of British television's most memorable costumes, Joyce Hawkins helped shape the look of programmes watched by millions, yet her work was rarely seen beyond the screen itself.

Now, a new exhibition at Birmingham City University is bringing that work into the spotlight, showcasing original costume designs created during Hawkins' 30-year career with the BBC.

Costume Matters features sketches, artwork and production documents from dramas including Doctor Who, Anna of the Five Towns and Vanity Fair, which earned Hawkins a Bafta nomination.

Among the highlights are designs created for singer Kate Bush for a 1979 BBC television special.

Hawkins joined the BBC in 1958 and worked as a senior costume designer until 1988, contributing to an era many television historians regard as a golden age of British broadcasting.

She died earlier this year aged 95, but her influence continues to be felt through costume design across television and film, according to Birmingham City University (BCU).

News imageJoyce Hawkins/her estate An original costume design drawing shows a character in a red and pink historical gown, accompanied by fabric samples and a photograph of the finished costume.Joyce Hawkins/her estate
Joyce Hawkins' costume design for Miss Crawley in the BBC's 1987 adaptation of Vanity Fair

Curated by Dr Vanessa Jackson, associate professor at BCU, the exhibition aims to shine a light on an often overlooked part of television production and explore how the craft of costume design has evolved over the decades.

"The work of TV costume is under-researched and often misunderstood, so bringing items including designs for stars like Kate Bush, from 1979, to greater prominence is an exciting opportunity," she added.

Free to visit, Costume Matters is open at the university's Parkside building until 15 October.

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