My Big Fat Victorian Wedding – St. Audries Park, West Quantoxhead, Somerset. 17th October 2011.
Monthly Archives: October 2013
The Spirit of Autumn Dress Project
Autumn Spirit dress
Well, that was something different. One week I have an idea, next week the outfit is ready…. absolutely loving the result of the friendly/professional cooperation on this project – it looks like the other seasons will be represented by organic, ephemeral dresses as well.
But – the Autumn. A detailed article on how to make the outfit will soon appear on the Foundations Revealed website, but in the meantime a few pictures and a bare bones here…
The original sketch
A week on, the leaves and other autumnal bits were gathered…
conkers!!
naughty Merlin kept dive bombing the leaf pile…
the dress base was made up of cotton and the fun begins…
The leaves are first stapled on ( only the first layer/ and then glued with copious amount of glue… a few hours later, having run out of glue and the leaves, the skirt already looked rather splendid
Second leaf gathering mission took place on the next day, and at last the skirt was finished. all together it took roughly 350-400 different kind of leaves ( maple, oak, birch, copper beech, chestnut, hawthorn etc) and 4 packets of glue sticks…
Leaves preservation – well, since waxing or treating each and single leaf with glycerin was beyond the time scale allocated for this project, I did not preserve the leaves at all – I simply made care I collected freshly fallen leaves – and keeping the thing outside seemed to do the trick admirably – and almost a week on, the dress is still ok, though a few leaves look a bit tired. the idea is to do the skirt cheaply and discard it later – however, for a lasting garments artificial leaves can be used.
And since the corset to go with the skirt was to be a lasting creation, that;s what got stitched on it – artificial leaves, vines and beads pretending to be berries:-) then only a few real leaves were added on the day of the shoot. it is now available to purchase in out online shop, btw…. 🙂
The wig and contact lenses turned up on time, and Lucas even managed to make up some autumnal jewelry too….
On the day of the shoot the usual team turned up just in time for a cuppa and a breakfast muffin – and got to work. Lucas and Paul drove to the location – we decided to shoot in the sample place that inspired me – Harrold Odell Park. And so the boys went over early to look for a fitting spot and set up the light etc.
Sarah unpacked her goodies and started working on the make up – a very different look for me, but went well with the wig and the contact lenses – my first time as far as the lenses are concerned, but really liked the effect and will invest with more funky ones in the future…
Then it was time to get the wig on and drive over to the location. The boys were ready with their gear and special effect ( the ‘mist generators’ ) so i just needed to change and Sarah styled the wig and the crown on …
all ready!
and the work started – most of it was getting the light – both artificial and the fleeting sunshine, and the smoke right. so lots of waiting for the sun to appear for a few seconds, upon which the special effect team would get the mist sorted and Paul was shooting. Lucas took a few photos as well – and the result of the work below….
Autumn Spirit dress in its glory…
and a few ones from Lucas
and more piccies here
and the job done, team happy, things were packed and we drove back. I liked my look so much i wore it for a bit longer…
and the credits –
Photography – Paul from Mockford Photography – fb page:
Make up and wig styling Sarah Dunn – Sarahfrom Sarah’s Do Whoop Up does
costume: – Prior Attire the corset is now available on sale at a bargain price – get it here!
model – me! Izabela Pitcher:-)
wig from http://www.wonderlandwigs.co.uk
Steampunk Amazones Part 2 – Mockford Photography
As promised in my previous post, the present entry is to honour the awesomeness that is Paul Mockford. I felt the photos deserved a post on their own and they clearly do – very, very happy with them! Let me detain you no longer, simply relax and enjoy….
and a few shots of the location and the owners!
the cleanest livery EVER
Beth and Simon
more photos here:
and the credits…
Photography: Paul Mockford : http://www.shearsmockford,com;
facebook page: Mockford Photography
make up and hair – Sarah Dunn: http://www.sarahsdoowopdos.wordpress.com
own styling and modelling – Miss Lilian Love https://www.facebook.com/MissLillianLove?fref=ts
clothing – Prior Attire’s branch – https://www.facebook.com/OffTheRailsPriorAttireSteampunkBazaar?fref=ts
location – http://www.thurleighequestriancentre.co.uk/
models – Anett Novak and Adrienne Renarde
Many thanks to everybody involved – you rock guys!
and just to refresh – more info about the attire, designs and inspiration in the previous posts: Steampunk amazones part 1 and part 2
And I just cannot leave you without at least one of the outtakes – a cheeky photo of Miss Lilian Love at her lunch break…
Steampunk Amazones Collection, Part 2
And at last I can now share the second part of our collection ( first part here) – this time shot locally, bu Lucas and also by Paul, our regular pro – I will make a separate post with his pictures, they do deserve a moment of glory on their own!
We were fortunate enough to find a lovely location to shoot the last 3 amazones – about 10min drive from where we live:-) Beth from Thurleigh Equestrian Centre was more than happy to let us use the premises, and horses for the shoot. After a short visit to the Centre and a chat to Beth, all was settled… everybody was ready to go and shoot, and the weather was simply great. but, without further ado, let us present our last 3 Amazones.
1. South America – Ranchera. Here the image was to be of an independent and proud gaucha, incporporating the original Spanish elements and the vision of the Patagonian plains – a simple outfit with a few exotic touches.
original sketch:
I was making this outfit as the last – and since I foolishly made a shipping expedition to the local Leather warehouse, i ended up with some new fabrics – and changed the idea of a corset completely. Don’t worry if you wanted to see the original leather corset with side lacings – i made that too, in a bit different convention…
leather corset created later for a separate shoot
Nice, but since i happened to get some rather unusual materials at the warehouse, a different corset was created….
glittery stuff!!!
the back
Our Ranchera was modeled twice – first by Anett, in a more stationary shots…
Steampunk Amazone – South American Ranchera
And for more mobile shots I donned the gear, slightly adapted to provide a variety. My mount was a gentle creature, and it was my first time in a western type tack – loved it!
and at a rodeo pace too! It looks my steed enjoyed it too… 🙂
and since the whole theme wasn’t far from a Zorro image, we simply had to include one too..
2. Australia. Our Steampunk Sheila was
to combine style and elegance with practicality – essential in the outback. and so I decided to use some original Edwardian patterns – and to make the culottes/skirts, popular in the beginning of 20th century when ladies started to ride astride too. The only concession was shortening the length of the culottes to mid calf…
original sketch
and the realization – though I now see we forgot to shoot the culottes with the front panel closed…
the culottes and corset in soft tweed, the corset is decorated with leather and big buckle:-)
This is one of my favorite outfits and am keeping it for myself for everyday wear:-)
3. Central America. Here I wanted a bit of a tough cookie – a cross between a can can dancer, rodeo rider and a fast shooter 🙂 The Escaramuza ladies provided the inspiration for the outfit – escaramuza ( skirmish) is a highly skilled display of precision riding – all ladies, all side saddle, all at speed….
the sketch…
and Lizzie modeling it:-)
linen chemisette, corset with metallic braid and funky decoration, and lots of flounces in the skirt…
and that’s the Amazones!
and since we finished early and the weather was superb ad location fantastic – we kept on shooting… -we also revisited Mulan….
on lovely Blackie
and, having borrowed some weaponry from my martial arts club, Rising Crane, we played around with that too…
we shoot close up of Anett’s hair – a real masterpiece!
we also too some photos of the residents – the owners, their ponies and the livery inmates….
Beth Maloney with her Blackie
and that’s it – Amazones done! The whole collection was presented on the catwalk at the Steampunk Asylum in Lincoln, and them advertised for sale at the market. The Neonavajo outfit has gone on a bit of adventure – to be used in a shoot in Paris, supporting a campaign No Bounds – raising awareness of Scoliosis. The last few remaining bits are available on etsy…
Now, what shall be the theme of the next collection then, I wonder? some ideas are already brewing in my overactive head…
credits: Photography – Lucas Pitcher
make up and hair – Sarah Dunn: http://www.sarahsdoowopdos.wordpress.com
own styling and modelling – Miss Lilian Love https://www.facebook.com/MissLillianLove?fref=ts
clothing – Prior Attire;s branch – https://www.facebook.com/OffTheRailsPriorAttireSteampunkBazaar?fref=ts
location – http://www.thurleighequestriancentre.co.uk/
models – Anett Novak and Adrienne Renarde
A Damsel in This Dress 