A costume and set designer who migrated to Australia two decades ago from what was then Czechoslovakia is the brains behind the re-worked wardrobe of one of Australia's most iconic movie characters: Muriel Heslop.
Award-winning Gabriela Tylesova was tasked with restyling Muriel's Wedding for its musical adaptation, which makes its world premiere in Sydney this weekend.
Ms Tylesova remembers seeing the original at a film festival in Prague following its release in 1994.
"I think they were showing a few Australian films and Muriel's Wedding was one of them," she told SBS News.
The story of a social misfit from the fictional Porpoise Spit, played by Toni Collette, was something "completely different" for Tylesova. Muriel dreams of nothing but getting married and moving to Sydney.
One of Muriel's costumes, left, and a colourful bridesmaid. (Gabriela Tylesova) Source: Gabriela Tylesova
"We really loved it. It was a great story... an introduction to this different continent, different country, different culture."
Tylesova moved to Australia in 1996 to study at the National Institue of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). She has previously spoken about how she learned to use colour in Australia, after growing up in a grey communist country.
Dramatic colour is now one of her design trademarks and something that attracted her to the musical.
"They [the outfits in the film] were quite ridiculous, outrageous kinds of costumes, which are not terribly flattering, but funny," she said.
"Very bold, bright, colourful... whimsical."
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Tylesova was in charge of organising 15 different outfits for Muriel and almost 400 costumes for other characters in the production.
"I was just wanting to make sure I don't lose the Australian essence really because I'm a foreigner designing such a quintessential Australian musical," she said.
"The colours are very bright and they reflect the strong sunshine and the strong sense of colour in this country."
Naturally, the most high-anticipated outfit ahead of the show's opening is Muriel's wedding dress.
"The colours... reflect the strong sense of colour in this country." (Gabriela Tylesova) Source: Gabriela Tylesova
"It is larger than life," Tylesova said.
"It's a very big wedding dress. It's got a train and flowers. It's inspired by flowers."
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical opens at Sydney's Roslyn Packer Theatre on November 18.
