Welcome! So Glad You're Here.

I was at a party in San Francisco dressed as a giant carrot when a choreographer spotted me and was so taken with my getup that she asked me to design a full set of vegetable costumes for a piece that came to be called “Ratatouille.” In that moment Carol Farrell Apparel was born.

 

After earning a master’s degree in costume design, I joined the University of Maine Theater faculty, and subsequently founded Figures of Speech Theatre with my husband, John. What started as a dream evolved into a glorious reality, as we spent 30 adventure-filled years as Co-Artistic Directors, gaining international recognition as our puppet, movement, and acting group toured the world.

 

Further design and production challenges followed in the thirteen years I served as Costume Director for the Theater and Dance Department at Bates College, while also freelancing for various dance and theater companies. Over the years I've designed a truly wild range of garments, from elegant Japanese-inspired haori jackets, to armor made of pink feminine hygiene products, to a five-person caterpillar costume.

 

Now I have the pleasure of focusing on my own work, designing for individuals and theatrical enterprises, and pursuing my new passion of marbling on silk. Life is grand!

 

Everything you see on these pages is made with my own hands, here in our 250-year-old red farmhouse in the Maine woods.

 

I bring to each piece all the skills and eye for artistic detail I’ve developed over the years. And love of craft. Always. I hope you enjoy what you see.  Best wishes to you all.