When the V&A added this piece to its permanent display to mark the tenth year of Wicked in the West End, I was asked to add a mount to an existing mannequin to recreate the body shape of the original character. This involved some major alterations which I oversaw, including shortening the height and recreating the make-up.

My work for the V&A’s Korean Gallery has drawn on a number of different skills. I worked closely with the curator to conserve and install a traditional Korean dress and pair of shoes from the mid-19th century, for permanent display. And to help the museum improve storage conditions for its Korean headwear collection, I developed a bespoke packing solution of sculpted padded supports for a series of delicate 18th-century hats. Each hat’s support was tailor-made with extreme care and covered with unbleached calico to prevent direct contact and further deterioration in handling.

To support a sculptural dress made from natural cane, I created a one-off structure by moulding Fosshape, a plastic fabric with a low melting point, into a dress form. During long-term storage, this will help reduce the risk of damage.

Preparing this late 19th-century Indian rug segment for display demanded a range of conservation measures. The 100% cotton section had to be accurately measured for mounting, thoroughly vacuumed and restored to its original form using humidification treatment. Using a fine curved embroidery needle and thread that matched the original, I secured the frayed fibres at its edges with couch stitch and improved the rug’s strength and longevity.