Next project: the Fairy Godmother! Yes, the most matronly of the Fairy crowd, and usually represented as this dumpy old lady. She’s a mentor, giving Cinderella that little push out the door with a few bare essentials (coach, dress etc. ) to get her dreams going. But what kinda bugs me about the Fairy Godmother character is why, for the first time in her so called godchild’s life, she decides to show up then and there? What’s up with that? Sure, Cinderella’s parents have died, leaving her to a ruthless step mother and step siblings who make her life a living hell, but god forbid she misses out on a party?!
Bad timing aside, my inspiration on creating a new Fairy Godmother from how I’ve always pictured her as this seamstress. I think of her as the fashion designer of the Fairytale universe, and plan to make her the epitome of couture. Her gown will be an explosion of materials and a celebration of sewing techniques. Here is my mood board.
Considering color palette, my first choice of color was naturally the staple of any fashion house; black. Then, for that ethereal glamour I’ve chosen gold. But until it all comes together, I have this nagging feeling that she’s going to look a giant bumble bee...
The bodice was a real test. Staying true to the concept of couture, I wanted a basic corset shape, but to experiment with draping. I chose a rusty gold jersey base, with layers of black chiffon rippling in pleats on top. This was tricky, and I had to pay more attention to the edges, as well as sew the pleats onto the jersey base first THEN sew each panel together. Also, in case the bodice was too constricted or small, I left the back open, and will closed it with ribbon lacing to be sure the doll could get into the bodice. I’m disappointed that the black chiffon folds block the gold underneath, but for a first shot at this technique, it’s really got a real 50’s glamor to it.
Here's my final sketch. To be true to the history of ball gown making, I’ll be covering the wide skirt in gold gathered bustles. I’ve been experimented with different patterns lately (one reason why this post was so delayed), but think I’ve finally nailed a good pattern to attach over the skirt. I’ve got two practice pieces (one smaller bustle to attach to the beginning of the skirt, the second larger for more volume more at the hem). I can’t do more until I’m sure the patterns work.
It’s dawned on me that this collection is missing one key element of my design aesthetic; a cohesive detail. Take my Twisted Tales collection, the skull beads somehow featuring in each look to connect it to the rest of the collection. So, inspired by the wings on the Victoria’s Secret runway, I’ve thought of ways to make wings for each individual fairy!
For example, the dress worn by Lily Collins in the film Mirror Mirror with the massive looped yellow ribbons in the back I thought sort of looked like wings. Using some wired gold ribbon looped to resemble the shape of wings while staying true to the ‘seamstress’ concept my Fairy Godmother.
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