It's that time of year again....the first red carpet event of the year! The Golden Globes! My girls love these types of galas. It gives them an opportunity to rival, if not upstage the actresses present on the red carpet!
In covering these events over past few years, I've noticed how the fashions at these events have become increasingly simple in line. Emphasis is placed more on the fabric rather than the cut which presents a particular challenge for choosing what to make. There were a few gowns I passed on simply because I couldn't find a similar fabric or print. Still, I was able to make a few which I share with you here.
This dress, designed by Armani especially for Janelle Monae, really compliments the actress' personality. I was immediately attracted to it for its fancifulness and originality. But I wasn't sure if it was a dress I'd want after making it. However, Iman, pictured here in the dolly version, insisted on having this dress. The bodice is a simple bodice cut from a band of mini sequins (perfectly scaled to the 12" doll). The skirt is a bubble skirt gathered into a satin ribbon waistband. What is difficult to see in the initial photo is that atop the white bubble is a single layer of tulle, to which black disks are attached.
I love slinky gowns with a bit of draping. Of course, getting the look is tricky due to the weight of the fabric. The trick is to select a silk or, in this case, rayon 2-stretch jersey. It's thin enough get the folds (which are controlled by slip stitching them in strategic spots).
Sometimes simple is challenging! I assumed the criss-cross draped bodice of the yellow gown would be pretty easy. But alas...it took me a day to arrive at something I could live with. I decided to do this dress in two parts: a corset over a slim, high waist sarong skirt. I began with a waist length foundation piece (for structure), over which I draped softly pleated fabric which criss cross over the skirt. I could have used a China silk, but instead I wanted something with more body, so I used, instead a polyester. Silk would have produced finer drapes over the bodice but I feared the skirt would have been a bit flimsy. In any case, my dress is INSPIRED by the original Atelier Versace dress. so I am still happy with the result. Eva need something else...so I gave her a white boa in addition to her pearl necklace.
At this year's even, there were a number of women who appeared on the red carpet in a tuxedo. The jacket is the one from my post on
Yves Saint Laurent. The trousers are a standard pair of
pants, but with slightly wider legs. The blouse (cotton) was made with the
basic bodice sloper but with a front closure. The bottom front edges were cut diagonally away from the center front. A long, rectangular strip was added to the neckline which wraps around the neck twice and ties into the bow.
For another tux, Kathy wears a bra underneath a slightly shorter jacket and the same, wide trousers.
The focal point of this Armani Prive gown is the horizontal beading on the silver satin. I was able to recreate the look of this fabric using metallic ribbon with "ribbing" that resembled the beads. I sewed the horizontal edges of each band together. However, you don't see where I've sewn those bands together because I discovered that I could glue strips of ribbon over those seams and iron them in place. On the other hand, in my first attempt to duplicate the exact neckline, the ribbon frayed terribly and I discovered that with this very stiff material, it did nothing for the doll. So I decided to simply decided to "sculpt" the ribbon over the bust into a 3-dimensional form. Naomi still felt this dress was missing something, so I gave her a long shawl of silver lame to toss over her shoulders. Admittedly this dress is more of a "craft project" than a real dress. Nevertheless, Naomi has made me promise that she will get first dibs on this dress next holiday season.
I don't know what it is about velvet that makes me want to make a dress out it..especially at 1/6 scale where with tiny details, it is difficult to control. I liked this "Dowton Abbey" sort of gown with its draped cap sleeves and long train. For the doll, I decided to lower the neckline which made the sleeves fall slightly off Karen's shoulders. Personally, I think the dolly version looks less matronly than the original dress.
The dolly version of this Tom Ford dress is a simple strapless dress made from black sequins. If you can find stretch sequined fabric, you could make it by simply making a long, skinny tube the length of the doll. In any case, it still needs something else. So Lana brought her attitude as well as a whiff of bejeweled, black tulle.
Coming up next....part two of our last post...but this time we have a few more ideas on......Footwear!!!!
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