The Paradise...

The Paradise is a British television costume drama series, which premiered on BBC One on 25 September 2012. It is an adaptation of the novel Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola relocating the story to North East England. The series is filmed at Lambton Castle which has been converted into a 1870s bustling upmarket department store. Alongside a Victorian street with shops and a tavern has been constructed. Biddick Hall, also on the Lambton estate, is used as Lord Glendenning's house. Costumes designed by Joanna Eatwell. 

Denise...Denise is the newest and most outstanding member of The Paradise staff. Right from the off she shows an instinctive talent for retail and is a font of clever ideas - something which her employer, Moray, spots and finds himself drawn towards. She feels the frustration of being an ambitious woman in a man’s world but isn’t prepared to be held back by it. Her challenge is to work within the rules while subtly subverting them. 

The costumes of Denise, are subtlety beautiful, they ooze a youthful elegance but still evoke a sense of an ambitious woman trying to make a way for herself in a mans world. The plain colours and fabrics of her first costume and then the uniformity her work wear paint the picture of an everyday working girl, which of course she is. The blue gown her uncle makes for her when she returns to his drapery shop is much more flamboyant it reflects the business woman she becomes. It is a beautiful colour and the shaping over the bustle at the back are exquisite. 

The set is staggering, the detailing from each display is beautiful. Haberdashery (one of my all time favourite departments and indeed words!) looks amazing every real of ribbon, bolt of cloth and every button are so artfully displayed to entice and inspire- its just fantastic!! 

Mr Moray...He is industrious, self-made and utterly modern. Never content to stand still in business, he has driven The Paradise from success to success and is now desperate to expand the store further down the street. He is as intoxicating as the store itself and has one basic philosophy – to please women.

 

DetaiMiss Audrey..Miss Audrey...Miss Audrey rules the ladies wear department with an iron fist and sharp tongue. From a young age Audrey chose her career over a family life and The Paradise has become her world. Although she often feels out of step with the customers she serves and the demands of the modern world, she is brilliantly adept at masquerading as someone smarter and higher-bred than she naturally is.Miss Audrey...Miss Audrey rules the ladies wear department with an iron fist and sharp tongue. From a young age Audrey chose her career over a family life and The Paradise has become her world. Although she often feels out of step with the customers she serves and the demands of the modern world, she is brilliantly adept at masquerading as someone smarter and higher-bred than she naturally is.

Miss Audrey...Miss Audrey rules the ladies wear department with an iron fist and sharp tongue. From a young age Audrey chose her career over a family life and The Paradise has become her world. Although she often feels out of step with the customers she serves and the demands of the modern world, she is brilliantly adept at masquerading as someone smarter and higher-bred than she naturally is. 

Sam... He is known as a bit of a jack-the-lad. He loves to charm and flirt with the customers and go out dancing on a Saturday night. Sometimes his jokey nature can land him in trouble, though underneath the surface there’s also a serious side that wants to move on in his career and settle down with a girl. If only that girl could be Denise!

Edmund Lovett...Edmund's business has been decimated by the incredible rise of The Paradise right opposite. For this reason he has become filled with rage at Moray and his lack of consideration for the smaller shopkeepers on the street. He finds it very difficult to accept when Denise starts working for his rival. 

Pauline & Clara...Pauline quickly becomes Denise’s closest friend in the store. Pauline is brimming with enthusiasm and optimism but doesn’t suffer fools gladly. What she lacks in innate talent she makes up for in a willingness to try things out. She tends to be clumsy and speaks faster than she can think, causing all kinds of trouble around her.Clara takes an instant dislike to Denise whom she sees as a competitor for Moray’s attention. A few wrong turnings in life have made Clara into the self-protective creature she is. She’s instantly vengeful of anyone who crosses her and, as we discover, has many surprising secrets buried in her past.

Katherine Glendenning...Katherine Glendenning is remarkable for both her flouting of Victorian convention and her determination to win the heart of Moray, which has now evolved into an obsession. She is willing to use any means necessary to get her man. Since her mother died when she was young she’s been adored and indulged by her father and is used to getting her own way. A force to be reckoned with. The clothes of Lady Katherine Glendenning are almost ghastly in contrast to Denise's more subtler beauty.They reflect the wealth of her father Lord Glendenning and the exuberance of Katherine's character. Her personality is colourful and so are her clothes. 

The second series of The Paradise started filming in October!!