My Major Project is a four piece fairy costume set, comprising a corset top, skirt, elastic waist belt and wings. The corset top laces up at the back and has boning in each vertical seam. It has panels with reverse pleating, make your own fabric and flower smocking, as well as crochet flowers on the cups and tie up straps for the shoulder straps. The skirt has a knee-high slit up the side with a ruffle going along the hem and the edge of the slit. The skirt has an invisible zipper to allow for it to be easily put on. Construction techniques include french seams and a rolled hem on the ruffle. The elastic waist belt sits over the skirt and the chains of 3D flowers and crochet spirals are attached to this belt, so they fall down the back of the skirt. The wings are attached together and sit behind the corset top to hold the wings in place. The costume was inspired by Claude Monet paintings, Greek goddesses clothing, and the flower fairy books by Cicely Mary Barker. These inspirations help to give the costume very whimsical, and fanciful aesthetic.

My Major Project was inspired by the ethereal aesthetics of the natural world. The two-piece costume is intended to be worn at a red carpet event. The design reflects the fluidity and timelessness of florals, and floral motifs are used in both the corset and skirt. The corset structure allowed me to experiment with texture, incorporating hand-crocheted lace in the side panels in place of satin. I embroidered florals on the centre-front panel to highlight the theme. Using the laser-cutter, I cut flower shapes from various coloured organza fabrics and shaped them into 3D flowers, which became the dominant feature of my design. The harmonious colour scheme of pinks, purples, and greens reflects the natural theme and is inspired by Alexander McQueen’s 2007 collection. I was heavily inspired by McQueen’s fusion of industrial structure and natural organics.

My Major Project is a formal dress intended to be worn at award shows. It is, inspired by the flow of lava down a volcano, Indian jewellery and 1920’s wedding dresses. The dress is strapless with boning and interfacing in the bodice to ensure the dress is secure on the body and isn’t weighed down by the heavy skirt and beading. There is a piece of orange chiffon which uses press studs, ensuring it can be detached so the dress can be unzipped via the invisible zipper, allowing the dress to be easily put on.

I inserted leaf smocking pieces using reverse applique and traced the boarder of the smocking with a satin stitch to reflect the uneven texture of lava. Additionally, I dyed a white piece of chiffon to create a lava colour and attached it to the back of the dress to convey the uncontrolled flow of lava down a volcano. I used a marble steaming technique on the fabric to form bubble shapes as seen in lava and secured these shapes with cotton balls. Red and orange beads, inspired by Indian jewellery are clustered along the neckline and gradate down the bodice. The red beads are symbolic of the Kshatriyas class which is the second highest class in the Indian class system, reflecting love and purity. Finally, the overall shape of the dress is fitted to the body then drapes out to a long train, to accentuate the natural hourglass shape of the body as did 1920’s wedding dresses.

My Major Project is a two piece theatrical dance costume inspired by cancan dresses, the contemporary work of designer Marina Eerrie and elements from the Indian culture. The costume features a corset and a skirt, both in red and gold, reflecting the symbolic colours of the goddess Durga. The corset uses construction techniques and design details like cording and fan lacing, influenced by Marina Eerrie’s designs. To enhance security and support, the corset has a thick strap over one shoulder and a chiffon sari-inspired design on the other, blending Indian cultural elements.

The skirt, inspired by traditional cancan dresses, includes a gathered petticoat with five layers of contrasting ruffles in red and gold. A gathered overlay skirt adds volume and movement, reflecting the dynamic nature of the cancan dance. Durga’s weapons are embroidered on the waistband, symbolizing feminine empowerment. The entire costume is designed to be both visually striking and comfortable, embodying the overall theme of female empowerment through the inspirations and design.

My Major Project is a formal red carpet costume designed capture a Disney princess fantasy by bringing the fictional character to life. I also drew inspiration from Sandy Powell’s Cinderella costume design from the 2011 Cinderella film. This combines feminine Victorian era attire and cultural Indian bridal wear.

This is a two-piece garment with a distinctive blue monochromatic colour palette. It is a full length, three tiered levelled, gathered skirt and a structured, decorative boned corset, designed as an outer garment. The design is constructed with satin fabric and overlays of sheer chiffon and boucle netted sheer fabric. The corset features graduated beading, scattered with blue, clear crystal and pearl beads. The beading is scattered from the centre of the cups and at the top of the panels to the bottom edge of the bodice, giving tactile and visual texture. Various Pannels on the corset consist of different ripple and wave smocking techniques. The fabric is manipulated to give the fabric a sense of movement by mimicking flow properties of water and the sheer overlay gives elegance to the garment. The corset is also embedded with floral machine embroidery, adding an element of intricate detail to the garment. The panels on the edge of the corset have ten eyelets on each panel and is fastened with a white ribbon tie. The bodice edges are finished with a white bias tape to enclose all the raw seam finishes of the garment. The skirt is designed with blue satin lining and the layers consist of blue fabric overlayed with sheer. The inclusion of an invisible zipper allows the garment to be taken on and off.

My Major Project is a red carpet/performance dress. The inspirations behind my dress include Jessica Rabbit (from the movie Who framed Roger Rabbit), gambling, casinos and opulent luxury environments. The dress is designed specifically for minimal movement. It includes some hidden features like embroidery in the lining of the skirt and on the back of the bodice. The bow hides a pouch to store excess ribbon so it will not have to be cut off.

There were many challenges with the creation of this garment. The velvet had a lot of stretch which was challenging to work with, especially attaching the skirt to the lining. I learned how to use an wonders of an invisible zipper foot, and the embroidery machine, which made construction of my garment much easier. Time management, like all projects I've done, was also a challenge. There are some areas where I see improvements could be made but I am very happy with the finished garment.