My original inspiration was to create a regency era garment inspired by the TV show ‘Bridgerton’. My figure was going to be female, roughly 20 years old, and she was going to be dancing. I wanted to create a relatively accurate portrayal of regency era fashion by creating layers and linings. I also wanted to show elegance and opulence as status and wealth was very important at this time.
This sculpture was by far the most challenging for me thus far. I was very excited about my idea but wire was something I had never worked with. Initially the thickness of the wire presented a great challenge as it was incredibly hard to work with. The second challenge was whilst fixing something to not then mess up something else. I had a big shut down where things felt overwhelmingly frustrating (Thank you ADHD and my struggle to push through things when they are frustrating and my lack of focus). However, after reimagining my form I was able to create a hoop skirt. This was my first deviation from my original plan however I was still making historical fashion to highlight opulence which felt like a win after my patch of feeling stuck.
I used thinner black wire to create the chemise layer which provided a covering over the hoop skirt. I then used chiffon fabric and sewed a ruched layer over a ruched layer of tulle. Thus the skirt was born, I sewed it together and fastened the crystal belt. Creating the top was much more challenging I started by attaching the two fabrics together and then draping it over the wire. After many attempts I was able to create this neckline. I added some embellishments with lace and jewels and felt happy with the dress.
The last section was focusing on the face, hair, and neck. I made hair out of coiling wire and attached it using thinner wire. I created a bow to cover up the thinner wire and made sure to tuck in all the edges. I made a necklace out of lace for the neck to tie in the flowers from the skirt. For the face I sculpted a wire for the forehead, eyes, nose, and chin and used rounded wires for the cheeks and side of face.
At last my final form and sculpture is done! I am really happy with how it turned out and am in love with the dress. I love the layers, and all of the fabrics, textures, and details go together. I like how I kept the lace cohesive throughout while highlighting the waist with a sparkly belt that draws your eyes to it. I think the hair was a really fun way to gently represent the curls without creating too much. I also really like the arms I like how you still have the strong centre line with playful coils adding energy throughout the arm. I think this energy and rhythm created by the coil adds to the effect of the figure dancing.