We can make a coat look like it has been hanging in a hall for a hundred years, or make a fur coat look like it has been through fire and ice, like the costume we produced for Death in Sky TV's The Wanderer (above).

The way a fabric is dyed or printed can contribute to the illusion that helps to create a character. You can break up a regular pattern, overlap it, or vary the density of the pigment.

But most distressing happens after fabrics have been put into their final form. Fabrics are dyed, printed, sewn into costumes or drapes and then broken down to fit the setting of the production. If the design calls for the ruin of a costume to fit a certain character, then there is no quarter given. We rip, shred, burn and tear. We can apply grease, blood, vomit or sweat - all of the things that make a newly-produced piece of fabric look true to life.

Our experience with a vast range of different productions allows us to judge the different levels of breaking down that are needed for each project. A TV production calls for a much more subtle hand than a production in a large opera house, a beggar's jacket will be in a worse state than a lord's.

If you have a set of uniforms that must look like they've seen some action, but don't have the time to start a battle, or if there's anything else you'd like to discuss about how we can get your fabrics looking right for your production, then email us at info@schultz-wiremufabricfx.co.uk or call us on +44 (0) 20 8469 0151.