In 1925, while chasing a dream of fame and fortune by turning a Kentucky cave into a tourist attraction, Floyd Collins himself became the attraction when he got trapped 200 feet underground. Alone but for sporadic contact with the outside world, Floyd fought for his sanity and ultimately his life as the rescue effort above exploded into the first genuine media circus. (via)

Design Brief: Floyd Collins is based on actual events in 1925 so it was important that the costumes lent a sense of reality and periodicity to the characters. Floyd, his family and the local townsfolk have distressed and worn clothing typical of the rural farming community the show is set in. I contrasted this with the sharp bottle shouldered suits of reporters and other “city” characters. The penultimate scene, The Great Sand Cave, has the whole ensemble (except for Floyd and Skeets)in shades of cream and white. They are in dressier clothes than we have seen them – it’s a vision of them at their best – still the same people, but at their highest potential; their heavenly best. ~KM

Photos by Michael Lamont