Interview with JB Silvan, LaLa Orange Costume-maker

1: Where are you from?

JB Silvan: I’m originally from a small city in Saskatchewan, Canada.

2: Growing up, what were some of your favorite animated programs?

JB Silvan: Almost everything! I loved My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake, Inspector Gadget, She-Ra, Samurai Pizza Cats, The Legend of Zelda, ReBoot, Sailor Moon, almost anything by Disney…

3: Do you think your childhood influenced a lot of who you are today and the choices that you make?

JB Silvan: Everyone’s childhoods influence them profoundly. I don’t think I ever grew up though. As a child, I loved cartoons, video games, and hanging out with my friends, and that hasn’t changed much.

4: Did you grow up watching Rainbow Brite, the TV show, or were you impressed by the movie?

JB Silvan: I watched the show whenever I could when I was little. I don’t think I knew there was a movie until a couple of years ago. My friends and I saw it on DVD and I bought it instantly.

5: Do you have Rainbow Brite Memorabilia from your childhood? If so, what is your favorite?

JB Silvan: My sister and I had most of the dolls, and a couple of the books. She even had a huge Patty O’Green doll. I loved all the dolls we had, and played with them non-stop. Today, I think my sister has them. Or else they’re in storage at my parents’ house. I’ll have to look into that…

6: You created a LaLa Orange Costume. Classically the most lady-like character in Rainbow Land. What made you decide to do this costume?

JB Silvan: Well, actually at the beginning of summer I was planning to be Rainbow herself this Halloween. I was talking with my sister and found out that she, too, was planning on being Rainbow Brite for Halloween. So, I decided that I’d go as a Color Kid instead. Since I didn’t have a lot of sewing experience, I was looking for the easiest costume. I thought that would be Canary, but it’s not exactly a pretty costume. I decided then that I would get in over my head and pick my childhood favorite – Lala.

7: Is it handmade? Or did you use store bought items, shoes, etc?

JB Silvan: Most of the costume is homemade. I bought the shirt that goes under the robe/dress, but I had to dye it myself. I also bought the shoes, but of course they had to be colored and painted. I’m pretty sure I’d be searching forever if I tried to find a pair of orange and yellow platform sandals. I also discovered that they do not make plain orange tights. So I had to buy a pair of white nylons and color them by hand, which was very time consuming.

8: You put a lot of details into your costume, what is your favorite part?

JB Silvan: My favorite part is probably the beret. It turned out really well considering I didn’t have a pattern. I only realized after all the pictures were taken that you cannot see the star on that hat. But trust me, it’s there.

9: What materials did you use to create your costume?

JB Silvan: The orange material is bridal satin, and the yellow is Halloween satin. It made for a very shiny costume, which made it hard to photograph…

10: Where did you wear this costume?

JB Silvan: I wore it for Halloween 2009. My sister’s best friend had her wedding on Halloween, and everyone wore costumes to the reception.

11: Were you recognized?

JB Silvan: I was, and everyone admired the work I put into my costume.

12: What is your favorite part of the costume?

JB Silvan: The fact that the whole thing turned out fairly well considering I didn’t know what I was doing. I started out by buying a housecoat pattern and made everything up from there.

13: What was the most difficult?

JB Silvan: The entire dress/robe.

14: How much would you say the costume cost in all?

JB Silvan: I only bought the material on sale, and the rest of the items from Value Village, so it didn’t cost me nearly as much as it could have. I’d guess maybe around $100.00.

15: Is it comfortable to wear?

JB Silvan: It’s fairly comfortable, at least compared to other costumes I’ve worn.

16: Is it difficult to clean?

JB Silvan: Yes. I don’t think I really can clean anything except for the shirt.

17: If you could make the costume again, what changes would you make?

JB Silvan: There are so many little flaws in it, it drives me crazy. I guess the biggest thing I would change is I’d make the skirt bigger so that it could poof out. I also need to dye the shirt a brighter orange if I ever decide to wear the costume again.

18: What is another character from Rainbow Brite you would consider dressing as?

JB Silvan: Rainbow Brite! Or any of the girls really. But only if I didn’t have to make the costume by myself.

19: If you could be a color kid, which color would you be, and what special power would you want to have?

JB Silvan: When I was a child, I loved Lala Orange the most, but I always thought if I were one of the kids, I’d be Shy Violet. What special powers could I have if I were Shy Violet? Other than making stuff violet. Ohh! Would I be able to have my own horse? A purple horse would be awesome!

I thank you for taking the time to answer these questions, and have a Rainbow Day.

Content © RainbowBrite.Co/Co.Uk/.Us 2009

JB Silvan’s Images used with permission