Inspiration, creativity, design, love!

George IV body belt for Dress for Excess

2011-02-03T04:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few months for me. Since my last post in September I have completed my MA dissertation and have been working on preparation for my MA show, which opened this week.

The project deadlines for the Brighton exhibition Dress for Excess were swapped and the replica of George IV's body belt became the first replica to go on display when the exhibition opens on Saturday, 5th February 2011.

The remaining projects will go on display in August 2011, so keep checking back for updates!

Correct materials in purely natural fibers can be hard to find these days, but I managed to find cotton twill for the base fabric, cotton thread, cotton twill tape and shell buttons to complete the belt. I was unable (thankfully) to use whalebone for the boning, so used standard metal corset boning.

The most difficult element of the construction was the laced slits in the center front and sides of the belt. Getting a consistent, clean finish in these areas was difficult but the result was well worth the effort.

The most confusing element of the project was the construction used to fasten the belt in the back. Martin found a chapter in Robert Doyle's Waisted Efforts on this specific belt and answered our questions regarding fastening, buttons and loops!

Here is a photo of the finished back with the loop detail.

Image of the finished belt, front view.

Image of finished belt before adding the buttons, back view.

The belt will be on display with three original garments worn by George IV.

Hopefully I will be able to get some photos of the display and object panel once it's installed.

When Martin showed me where the belt would be on display I was overwhelmed with excitement and so thankful to have had the opportunity to work on the project.

Knowing that I have something I made on display at the Royal Pavillion is so exciting!!

Here is the link to the press release for the exhibition:

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=b1149084&action=show_pr&id=251525

Sari dress for Carmel

2010-09-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Carmel recently went to India to attend a wedding and brought back a beautiful cotton sari. She asked me to make it up in the same style as her favorite summer shift dress.

Needless to say the dress looks better on Carmel than on my mannequin.

front view

back view

Costume Society Award!

2010-06-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

I have been very lucky to be one of two people chosen to receive an award for the work I'm doing with Martin and the Regency exhibition at Brighton.
I will receive £500 for the garments I'm making and I will write a paper reflecting on my experience to be published on the Costume Society website and in the journal.
It is a curator's choice to nominate volunteers they work with and I am very fortunate that Martin nominated me, and that the work I'm doing was thought of as valuable enough by the Costume Society to receive an award.

From the website:
'The Society promotes every aspect of the study of clothing and textiles: The society aims to encourage access to costume history,

including contemporary dress in various different ways, our appeal is wide-ranging and object-based. Our members include academics, collectors, curators, designers, re-enactors, students and informed enthusiasts across the world. What we have in common is our wish to provide the best and most varied opportunities to study this fascinating topic.'

Hopefully soon they will update their website to list the 2009 winners.

For more information visit the website at:
http://costumesociety.org.uk

Fashion Curation internship - Brighton

2010-06-30T15:20:00.001-07:00

My second garment for the Regency project is a shift for this dress in the collection.

The garment came to the museum without a shift and cannot be displayed without one.

The dress is a natural beige color, possibly Indian cotton due to the fine quality? The dress is in need of a cleaning to bring out the beauty of the fabric but otherwise is in good condition. The sleeves are double layer, the under layer opaque cotton, the top layer sheer with embroidery. The front bib buttons near the shoulders with two fabric covered metal buttons and the skirt wraps and ties under the bust in the traditional Regency style. The skirt is gathered along the empire line, is quite full and there is a considerable train.
There is embroidery all over the dress in floral patterns. There is a silk ribbon belt (not photographed) in a golden, mustard color and purple edging in what looks like a grosgrain ribbon weave.

To my knowledge, this dress could have been worn to less formal evening events and represents the wearer as well off enough to afford such a good quality dress but not vastly rich or royal.

Once we put this dress on the mannequin and lowered it so the hem touched the floor, the height of the owner could not have been more than 5ft 4". The dress looked quite small while I was standing next to it.

detail of front laying flat

front on a mannequin

back laying flat

back on the mannequin

We have decided to create the shift out of silk in a golden color that compliments the belt.
I am in the process of sourcing fabric and am finding matching the color to be particularly difficult, so that may change in the future.
I will use silk thread to sew the garment and cotton lacing at the neckline of the shift.
The shift will not be as full as the dress and will not have a train.

I have made the first toile of muslin and have marked the corrections to the shape of the front and back neckline. We have decided to make the shift sleeveless since the dress already has a double sleeve and would add too much bulk.
The muslin needed to be longer and fuller in general. I'm now working on the revised pattern of the shift and will prepare a new toile to fit in the next month.

Fashion Curation internship - Brighton

2010-06-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have the great enjoyment and fortune to have an internship with the dress curator at Brighton Museum.
Martin Pel is working towards an exhibition in the Royal Pavillion at Brighton on George IV and his Regency. The exhibition opens in February and Martin has asked me to reproduce some Regency undergarments for items in the dress collection.

My first task was to visit the Museum of London and copy the pattern of a body belt worn by George IV. The pattern itself was stitched together with thick thread to create one long piece. There are two diagonal bone channels to the side of center front, slit openings with lacing marks at the center front and sides, and decorative stitch patterns at each end of the belt in a diamond wave pattern.

detail of center front, side openings, and holes to mark the placement of laces

wearer's right end with possible hook markings

wearer's left end with possible markings for lacing and modesty panel

Details of each end of the body belt. The configuration on the belt ends is confusing to everyone that I've shown it too. Wearer's right end seems to mark hooks, but on the wearer's left end the horizontal lines could represent a modesty panel under lacing? If so, what is the lacing secured to on that side? My research so far has not given me any answers so it is something I will be considering throughout this project.

There is stitching next to the hook marks on the wearer's right end that could mark a bone channel, but there are no corresponding marking on the wearer's left end next to the horizontal lines. Bone channels on either side of the corset lacing is a common construction in many corsets but I don't know if it was common in this period, and the intent of the construction is another question I need to find an answer for.

There are always debates about reconstructing period garments, whether it should be done at all or if done; how far do you go with correct materials and construction for a garment that will be in a museum collection?

I will be constructing this corset with period correct materials, exceptions being the metal bones and completing the sewing by machine. The period correct materials will be natural color cotton coutil for the shell, natural color linen for the lining, silk thread, natural color cotton twill tape to bind the edges, metal hooks and natural color cotton laces. The non- correct materials will be metal bones since whalebone is no longer in use (thank goodness), and sewing by machine since sewing by hand would simply be to much work for the size of the project.

I've sourced all the supplies except the center front and side lacing. The lacing holes were so small that I suspect finding the right size lacing, in cotton, and in the right color will be difficult.

I have made the first toile in muslin and will check the fit on the correct mannequin when it is ready.
This garment would have been worn under clothing, but in this exhibition it will be on display as a representation of men's Regency undergarments.
While at the Museum of London I was fortunate to see a women's corset of the same period in order to compare and inform my choices on construction and materials.

detail of women's corset from the same period, side opening with lacing

detail of front of women's corset and decorative stitching

Eye See Through - final exhibition - cell installations

2010-06-30T13:48:00.001-07:00

Mis en scene

image projection onto hanging dress

dress and mannequin installation by John Rocha

Eye See Through - final exhibition - Christopher Raeburn

2010-06-30T13:45:00.001-07:00

Eye See Through - final exhibition photoshoot

2010-06-30T13:31:00.001-07:00

Eye See Through: Photoshoot

Historically, fashion designers have rarely questioned the system in which they operate. In recent times, this tradition has been repeatedly challenged by a number of designers who choose candidness over concealment.
An atmosphere of openness permeates the air. Fashion no longer shies away from contentious issues.

Featured within the Eye See Through photo-shoot are two designers who have sought to integrate a heightened level of consciousness within their work. Both Dai Rees and Viktor & Rolf ask questions relating to fashion and consumption. Never afraid to highlight dubious practice within the industry, these designers ambivalent attitude towards fashion is communicated in no uncertain terms in the collections featured within this shoot.

Photos by Brendan Olley www.photographyandmash.com

Eye See Through - final exhibition

2010-06-30T13:18:00.001-07:00

Eye See Through: Transparent Vests

You are invited to embrace the concept of openness. At the end of each day, a selection of your comments will be attached to the vests for visitors to read and perhaps reflect upon.We ask that in the name of openness, you share with us just one moment of honesty. Perhaps pass comment upon a particular aspect of this exhibition, or even take the chance to unburden yourself of a secret. This is your opportunity to embrace transparency through anonymity.

MA Fashion Curation - raffle anyone?

2010-03-14T16:32:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, this is my first post about the exciting work I'm doing on my MA Fashion Curation course at London College of Fashion. It is not the last posting, but a full accounting will have to wait for summer, stay tuned....

This term my class is putting on a fashion exhibition, opening at the end of April. The theme is transparency in dress and will be held at the Old Police Station in Deptford, South London.

Our requests for sponsorship and donations from corporate types have not been successful, so

we are now holding a raffle for items kindly donated to us by local London designers.

Our first item is a gorgeous bronze metal necklace with amber crystals by Kirt Holmes.

http://www.kirtholmes.com/index.html

Tickets are £1 each and you don't have to be present to win. The drawing will be held on

April 30, 2010, the last night of our exhibition.

I will be adding items here as we aquire them so stay tuned!

Grab me in person for tickets or send an email to jenivere@gmail.com and we can work out the details.

Hipnotica Apparel

2009-08-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

Dance apparel designed by Troupe Hipnotica

For sale on Etsy, made in the USA

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6358176

Photos by Jackie Donnelly of Baisa Photograpy

Formal photos of Troupe Hipnotica new costuming

2009-08-02T12:27:00.001-07:00

June photoshoot with Jackie Donnelly of Baisa Photograpy

Gwynn & Nick Raimondi June 2006

2009-05-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

Dress is made of white silk dupioni with a white organza overlay with pink dots.

Veil is made of white bridal tulle with a pink ribbon

Detail of the buttons & pink organza ribbon in back.

Photos by Deb Gerth Photography.

Cat & Eric's Wedding June 2003

2009-05-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

Wedding attire for my dear friends...

photos by Sebastian

Eric and the gang looking dapper....

Cat, the beautiful bride. Dress is made of blue/purple iridescent taffeta, sleeves 1 layer blue chiffon, 1 layer purple. Custom leather corset by a California artist.

Paris October 2008

2009-05-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

my first trip to Paris, 70 degrees and sunny every day. Amazing architecture everywhere, sweet people, I used my high school french quite well, merci beaucoup!

Too bad I was alone, so I only have one pic of myself there....

Versailles and Petite Trianon were magical, in a way I never expected....

me in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles...

I could have spent days at Pere Lachaise cemetery. This was the most amazing (and only) Art Nouveau crypt I have ever seen. AMAZING!

someone was fond of bats and put them on the crypt doors....

yes, this is the toilet seat in my hotel room. LOVE IT!!! The top is the same...

the chair in my hotel room, I would have bought this and brought it home if I could have..

Notre Dame and the bluest, blue sky....

flying buttresses at Notre Dame...

Musee D'Orsay, the first thing I saw in Paris... beautiful, steam punk inspiration....

massive sculpture in The Musee D'Orsay. This is only the lower section of the lion. I'm super fond of lions.......

blue lit Eiffel Tower at night...

London Sept 2008

2009-05-02T13:12:00.001-07:00

I went to London for the first time as an exchange student when I was 16, the first place my host parents took me after picking me up at Heathrow was to see Big Ben. I still get teary every time I see it and have to see it every time I visit...

the second thing they took me to see were the lions in Trafalger Square.. I love them...

my favorite sculpture at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire..

a super cool key display at Chatsworth House...

High fashion at Burberry in London....

Statue in Hyde Park, London...

30's wedding gown

2009-05-02T11:33:00.001-07:00

.... for my beautiful friend Kris

Duchess satin, vintage brooch on the front bodice & vintage shoe clips on the back straps.

Photos by Jason Gover

Tribal Steam Punk

2009-05-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of Troupe Hipnotica and the new costuming we did for our Cues & Tattoos festival this year. Photo by James Drage

and a sketch of the original concept.

introduction

2009-01-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

this blog has been created to document my work, since i've been so bad about doing it in the past!

Hope you enjoy!