My Final Project for College

I knew I wanted to do a costume project for the final project, as previously I had been doing print and illustration, and I'm not quite sure that it makes me feel all warm and passionate, as fashion and costume design do. In a previous project, we had been doing a period of research/self-study and I had looked through my inspiration journal and found that a lot of my research and print-outs tended to be centered around fashion of the 20th Century, from the 1920's-60's.
I researched a vintage fashion exhibition in my hometown, and an exhibit at the Lady Lever gallery of 1930's fashion, but it was a visit to the Walker gallery in Liverpool that made me realise that I had my heart set on the 1950's.
In there I saw an extant Dior dress, which you can see below. I've always been a big fan of Christian Dior, and especially after reading his book The Little Fashion Dictionary I began to crave the New Look of the 1950's. It really inspired me, and I was so excited to see a Dior dress in person. This was what made me narrow down my choices of the whole 20th Century to the 1950's.

My photo of the Dior dress at the Walker Gallery

But then my tutors suggested I make my costumes for a production of something specific. Obviously I don't have the time/funds to produce a movie for my costumes, but then I thought back to my writing of my novels When the Summer Ends and Mansions of Glass - WtSE is set in the late 1950's and also has a character that likes historical clothing and costume design! I got the idea to produce and design costumes based on what my characters of When the Summer Ends would wear - specifically Aika and her mother Celeste Fleuri, as both have styles as different as night and day.
Aika is fascinated by the past and wears clothing to reflect that despite standing out. She wears Victorian dresses and 18th Century clothing based on fashion plates that she collects. Her mother Celeste is an extremely fashionable model, wearing the latest trends of the 1950's, and often has designer clothing.

For my final project at college, I'm planning on making a small collection of garments fit for use in film or theater performances based on the middle of the 20th Century, and what my characters would have worn. I'm going to base the clothes on their personal tastes, personality, and fashions of the time and past eras. Expect to see a lot of my progress on here in the upcoming weeks!

Plaid Honoria Knickerbockers and Waistcoat

A while ago I started this project, but have only just recently finished it! It started with looking at Ouji/boystyle in Lolita, and I decided that I wanted some long-ish knickerbockers to experiment with the style, but it soon started looking more like a historical sewing project, like the cycling shorts that Angela made for her 1890's cycling ensemble. So I went with that instead, and made a matching waistcoat with a men's pattern by Simplicity.

It all went together relatively easily, and even the waistcoat wasn't much of a challenge! It was the first time I had lined something, and made a welt pocket. And they actually work as pockets! 

Even the button holes worked out okay, done by machine. Usually buttonholes are my nemesis.

Cuff of the bloomers, which reach around the top of my calves. They fit really nicely.

I feel rather spiffing wearing it! I think in the future I'll make a matching Edwardian jacket and a blouse/shirtwaist, so that it can become a cycling outfit a bit like Angela's and I can take a photo for my portfolio, but for now, expect lots of 1950's dresses!

Romantic Mourning OP at the Graveyard

Finally, I've got some finished photographs so that I can put this dress in my portfolio! It's taken a while, but I've finally got round to it, inspired by the purchase of my headdress from Pina Sweetcollection and platform shoes (from Montreal) on the EGL UK Sales. I was really going for an Old School look here, to match the old school look that I love so much and designed with the dress. I really miss those early Gothic Lolita Bible trends, so I wanted to express that with the dress and styling. You can see it in my portfolio here.

The graveyard has always fascinated and inspired me, it's such a magical place with abandoned, bricked-up Victorian buildings, overgrown tombstones and brilliant architecture with angels and crosses.