Some of the hardest working, yet least-known women of the Australian film and television industry are those in wardrobe. Traditionally a female domain, it’s an area of production that, for the most part, if done well, goes unnoticed. Cappi Ireland, who has dressed the stars of local drama from Love My Way to Gallipoli, and more recently Nicole Kidman in Lion, was thrilled to hear of the chapter of Australian history being opened up in the final season of Glitch.

The Victorian Goldfields provided a welcome reprieve from the dust-smeared denim required for much of the shoot. And, with many visual effects such as bullet hits now achieved post-production, the creative challenges for costume designers in general can be diminished.

“Contemporary is underrated,” Ireland says. “People think it’s easy, but it can be harder to make a mark and design clothes for contemporary drama, whereas with period you have to go by the book.”

Original silk gowns preserved at a museum in Bendigo provided inspiration.

“It’s quite hard to find visual references for the era. It’s all black and white. For this season we got to design for a whole Chinese opera from the 1850s. Doing a period job, from the research point of view and the authenticity, the challenge is such a buzz.”