First Fitting

My first fitting was for the corset and the skirt and it went really well. I decided to make the skirt out of a lycra type fabric as this would be easy to construct along with the corset and the cloak, but also have a really great look and shape of a sexy tight pencil skirt. To make the skirt I just used my model's waist and hip measurement and also the 'outside leg to knee' to draft out a rough pattern and make the essential fitting to her body at the fitting. The skirt was too long and too big so I used safety pins to mark the new shape of the skirt. Making in top fabric was ok for the skirt as it lycra and could be shaped to the body without a toile first.

The corset fitted extremely well, and I was happily surprised by this. Having never made a corset before drafting the patterns was new to me and I was a little unsure of what I had drawn. However, I did everything correctly but was doubtful in my skills. This fitting really boosted my confidence as there were minor changes (at the back and over the bust) and I'm really happy with how it went.

Final Design

I wanted my own Final Design for this costume as I am using a variety of images of existing costumes as research that I want to combine for this particular Cruella De Vil outfit. I asked a costume designer on my course (Siu Ping Wan) to draw up my ideas in a Fina Design. This was extremely helpful as it allowed me to spend my time on pattern drafting and getting ready for my fitting.



However, at the fitting it became clear that some of my design decisions that I had made in my head were not clear on the Final Design. This is why I drew up my own Final Design with all the little details and the character shape and pose that I felt weren't quite right on the other design.

Self-Directed Project

'Self-Directed Project' is the current unit I am doing on my course at The Arts University College of Bournemouth. In this project we are free to choose the areas we wish to specify in and as a maker I have decided to go into female dress, specifically corsets and fantasy garments. I am fascinated by over-the-top designs and how they transform between a 2D design to a 3D form.

When thinking about the skills I wish to have when I leave university, knowing how to make a corset is definately one of them, so I had an idea of where I wanted to go when looking at designs I could make.

I decided to make a costume for Cruella De Vil, played by Glenn Close in the Live Action films '101 Dalmations' and '102 Dalmations'. Her costumes are completely crazy and over-the-top yet extremely feminine and luxurious. Her costumes include high collars, large shoulder pads and corsets, and almost always in extremely difficult fabrics. I am excited to work in these types of fabrics as it will push my skills further and also allow me to use the skills I learnt at my work placement at 'We Will Rock You' as I was working in leather and using studs.



I found it difficult finding designs for the films but could find lots and photographs of her costumes. I experimented designing a combination of her garments to create a design that included everything I wanted to make to progress in this course. I will use photoshop to look at different fabrics on my design to see what will look best, and once I am happy I will ask a designer on my course to draw out my Final Design. I will submit this along with my learning agreement and my work plan.