Spotlight on Ros Little - Cosprop & Bristol Costumes
Originally from Wormit, Fife, Little studied costume design at Edinburgh College of Art. Moving on to work in theatre and Dundee Rep, Ros Little secured a job at the BBC in London and is now based there as a freelance costume designer.
Ros Little is known for her work in television, film, and theatre. She has designed costumes for various series, including Horrible Histories, All Creatures Great and Small, and The Thick of it.
Ros Little has extensive experience working in multiple countries, including the UK, Hungary, and France, and has set up costume workshops to create unique designs from scratch. She is recognized for her proficiency in French and has received various awards for her work in costume design.
She draws on original period clothing, patterns, photographs and portraits to make accurate recreations of different eras. As a costume assistant at the BBC,Ros Little worked on some of the last episodes of the All Creatures Great and Small. Now life comes full circle with her having worked on all six series of the current incarnation.
Ros Little has worked with a number of companies including Cosprop and Bristol Costumes, both companies who we have worked with for the Curtain Call to be able to display a selection of Ros’ designs.
Cosprop is one of the world’s leading costumiers for the film, television and theatre industries. Cosprop has been owned and managed by academy award winning costume designer and costumier John Bright since it was set up in 1965. The company has now expanded to employ fifty staff at their North London base. The service the offer to costume designers is to realise their creative brief on a production by providing authentic, high quality period costume for hire.
In addition to working with film, TV and Theatre productions, they also offer an exhibition service of their most iconic costumes for museums and historical houses to hire.
Bristol Costume Society Services is an established provider and maker of costumes to the theatre, film and television industry. They have over 90,000 items in stock and a workroom of experienced costumiers all available at competitive rates.
They have worked on a number of projects including but not limited to; BBC Sherlock, The Iron Lady, Poldark, Broadchurch and much more.
We are honoured to host a collection of those pieces within our Curtain Call Exhibition.
From Cosprop
- Helen Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small worn by Rachel Shenton (2020-present)
- Demelza, Poldark worn by Eleanor Tomlinson (2015-2019) (Series 2, episode 9)
- Caroline Penvenen, Poldark worn by Gabriella Wilde (2015-2019)
- Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach, Blackbeard: Terror at Sea worn by James Purefoy (2006) and features in Horrible Histories, Putrid Pirates worn by Matthew Baynton (Series 2, Episode 5, 2010)
From Bristol Costume Society Services
- Hetty Feather, Hetty Feather worn by Isabel Clifton (2015 – 2020)
- A boy's costume, Hetty Feather (2015-2020)
“I'm very honoured to be involved in the Curtain Call exhibition, a great introduction to the work of a costume designer for stage and screen. I'm a local girl, brought up in Wormit , with a keen interest in art and sewing from the age of four! As a teenager at Madras, in St Andrews, art was my favourite subject, and printed textiles formed a key part of my art school application portfolio. After 5 years at Edinburgh College of Art, where I specialised in costume design, I was lucky enough to find work with The Scottish Youth Theatre, Perth Theatre and Dundee Rep before joining the BBC in London. I love helping new graduates get started in their career in costume and have mentored many costume trainees over the years”
Ros Little
Costume Designer
“Ros Little’s career beautifully illustrates how local beginnings can lead to global impact. Her work, alongside pieces from Cosprop and Bristol Costume Society Services, highlights the collaborative nature of costume design.”
Gareth Jackson-Hunt
Museum Services Manager
Looking for find out more about Cosprop? Well, look no further as Dovecot Studios have just opened their ‘Costume Couture: Sixty Years of Cosprop’ Exhibition in Edinburgh, roughly an 8-minute walk from Waverley railway station.
This exhibition is a celebration of sixty years of Cosprop’s creativity and an opportunity to see behind the scenes of this celebrated costume house. Through stunning costumes, accessories and sketches, visitors will learn the design and making process from script-to screen. Featuring costumes from A Room with a View, Out of Africa, Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice and many more.
This exhibit is on until 9th January 2027 and tickets can be booked in advance via the Dovecot Studios website.
To find out more and to book your tickets today head to the following link - Costume Couture: Sixty Years of Cosprop
