The Elf, The Star, The Fairy
This look was inspired by the contrast between elements of my childhood and adulthood. I wanted to represent the restriction of my childhood by my adulthood, and later elements of this childhood ‘breaking’ back through via beading, embroidery, felting, and corsetry. This was combined with an intended elegance, stemming from inspirations from effortlessly and etherially free creatures from storybooks and tales, such as elves and fairies, which lended a greater contrast through the silhouette of the dress.
Shape & Silhouette:
The shapes of the dress and corset were meant to contrast with eachother, this loose and flowing dress, almost falling off the shoulders, with gathered sleeves spilling out of a restrictive, but abnormally shaped corset. The corsetry element was used as a physical manifestation of the restrictions of adulthood, due to the shaping element, the corset litrerally fits the fantasy of my childhood, the free form dress, into my adult body.
The corset itself is constructed of 8 asymetrical pannels, in order to mimic the ‘illusion’ of symmetry while taking into account the off center lacing. The shape of the corset was meant to not move, making it necesary to reinforce with additional steel boning hidden inside of the lining not a part of the visible structural framework.
Dyeing + Embellishment :
The dress -
This dress is a black-walnut dyed cotton-rayon blend, painted overtop with logwood and buckthorn berry dye paints. These paints were used to place cotton scrim and wool yarn dyed with the same three materials, which were then felted into the fabric and beaded on top of with a mixture of opaque white and shell beads. The intention of these many techniques being used as one was to create a build up of depth and texture that would ‘spill’ out from underneath the corset.
The corset -
The corset is fully logwood dyed cotton, with iron shifting around the visible steel boning chanels. The corset was then beaded with a combination of plastic, wooden, and customized cement beads. Hand-rusted metal washers were also used to reflect back on the iron shifting around the boning. These washers were later used in a chainmail necklace and bracelet to compliment the piece. The corset is beaded and embroidered in many circular motifs, building off of the overarching childhood theme of the circle.