Notting Hill Carnival 2023: Behind the scenes with the top costume makers

For more than 50 years the dazzling feather outfits, extravagant headdresses and sparkling masquerades of the Notting Hill Carnival have filled the streets of west London.

And for Clary Salandy and her family, carnival is bigger than Christmas.

Over eight weeks in the run-up to the event, the artists at her Harlesden studio, Mahogany Carnival, pour their hearts and souls into designing and constructing unique masquerades for 200 revellers.

When Ms Salandy arrived in London from Trinidad in the 1970s, she was disheartened to find that carnival was viewed as a negative thing, when for her it should be the heart of the community and the event of the year for all ages.

Therefore after finishing art school, she was determined to use her skills to help change that narrative in the capital.

"I wanted to be part of that message - that carnival is something to be respected, enjoyed and participated in. It's about freedom and about expressing ourselves," she says.

"It's to demonstrate that everyone has their own voice and everyone has a place. What's more, it's about bringing our children up in our culture.

"For us that's the focus of what we do, it's an integral part of their upbringing."

Since she started her studio in 1989, Ms Salandy has recruited numerous family members and friends to the production line to create a 25-person strong team.

The team of engineers, sculptors and designers primarily make the costumes families wear rather than dance troupes. The studio also offers opportunities for young artists in the community to get stuck in and grow their skills.

This year the theme is "legacy" to celebrate 75 years since passengers first arrived in the UK on the Empire Windrush to fill post-war labour shortages.

Showing off a blue headdress featuring London's skyline with the round dome of St Paul's Cathedral on the top, Ms Salandy explains how it takes many versions and experiments using different materials and colours to get to the final product.

"Everything we do needs ingenuity and originality. Budding artists come to us for work experience, and they have such a diverse skillset so we really encourage them to develop their skills and help make our designs stand out above the rest," she says.

"We end up with a lovely mix of different costumes that represent us and are a joy to show off in the parade."

For the first time ever BBC News will be live streaming from the Notting Hill Carnival, starting at 13:00 BST on Bank Holiday Monday. Watch it on the BBC iPlayer.

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