We’ve been a bit out of touch lately with all the work on the film Billy the Kid by Michael Feifer– remote locations, no WiFi, 12-hour plus days, etc. have really been a major strain but we’ve finally been able to sort out some pictures and video from the production. To start things out, here’s a few views of our lead actress, Brianna Young:
In the West, an honest dusty hem makes everything right…
Leaving for our little Victorian house in Tombstone in the morning for a few days, so I can make new draperies and for the new parlor and bedroom…because what do most designers do on vacation? Oh yeah…sew. 🙂
It’s October and that means Helldorado Days in Tombstone! This year, Helldorado is scheduled on October 19 through October 21, 2018 and the high point of the event is the parade to he held on Sunday October 21. First started in 1928 to publicize the town, Helldorado is held on the third Sunday of October and commemorates the town’s early years and especially that 30-second gunfight that took place somewhere close by to the OK Corral. We’ll be meeting with clients and otherwise working on some projects and having a little fun. See you there! 🙂
Floral design motifs were a major element in dress styles throughout the late Nineteenth Century and especially during the 1880s and 1890s and came in many forms and were utilized both in the fashion fabric and trim to varying degrees. Here’s one interesting example from circa 1889 that was made by Maison Felix:
Felix, Day Dress, c. 1889; Albany Museum of History and Art (u1973.69ab)
Side Profile
The sheer expanse of the side panels utilizing the pattern is amazing and it definitely stands out.
Close-up of the fashion fabric.
Looking closely at the pictures, it appears that the fabric was most likely a silk brocade.
Style-wise, this dress is simple, sharply defined lines characteristic of the late 1880s and employs a pale green background fabric for the bodice back and sleeves as well as the front and back skirt that offsets the areas with the floral brocade with its various shades of green. The pleating and folds are used to create the effect of an overdress/robe but if you look closer, it’s actually one unit; the bodice and skirt appear to be joined at the waist but whether this is simply hooks and eyes or stitching, it’s hard to tell without a closer examination in person (Hmm..maybe a trip to Albany, New York is in order…). Finally, the total effect is enhanced by the lack of any extraneous trim- the fabric speaks for itself.
Below are a few fashion that show different uses of florals:
Just for comparison, here’s another dress from the same year thereabouts:
James McCreary & Co., Visiting Dress, c. 1889; Metropolitan Museum of Art
Side Profile
Detail of Cuff
This dress has a more elaborate construction in that we see the use of a rich silk brocade executed in several different colors set against a dark brown brown shades of velvet and silk, creating a multi-tonal color pattern. Also, the luster qualities vary between the fabrics with the silks having far more luster from reflected light versus the silk velvet which tends to absorb light. The above examples give only a small glimpse of the variety of design possibilities and we hope that they might provide some inspiration for people recreating historic fashions.