Black Swan Costume

This costume was put on the back burner for such a long time.  But I felt I had to finish, if for no other reason, than to stash it in my etsy shop.  This is not an actuall tutu that a dancer would wear onstage--I created this as a costume, and wears quite like any little black dress (but you can still dance in it:).  It's two parts:  bodice and skirt.  They are both embellished with distressed tulle, coq feather trim, black and crystal gems, black trim, and more black tulle than I can keep up with.  The top layer of the skirt is black organza, and I put a sprinkling of gems on the left of the skirt like the film version.  I had to make this one long enough to cover my rear...but, I do have a 'pancake' style underskirt that can be worn underneath to raise the skirt and flatten it all out.
For the shoot I left my pink leather ballet slippers at home and opted for dressy combat boots.  This is a fun costume to make...any costume that involved feathers and gems is a sure winner!

Marie Antoinette's Black Masquerade Gown

Another costume based on the fantastic 'Marie Antoinette!'  I want to make all of them, of course, but one at a time; one at a time.....
I really love the black shimmery ballgown she wears to the Parisian Masked Ball.  It's so different---aside from her mourning gowns, it's the only time we see her in a dark color.  Plus, you gotta love a black dress;)  So I used my trusty Simplicity pattern, made the neccessary modifications, and concocted my version of the gown.  I had to be creative with the beaded embellishment on the bodice.  Luckily, I have a vintage silk beaded blouse that I wanted to use for parts, and the heavy beadwork was ripe for picking.  I cut symmetrical sections of the beadwork out and hand-stitiched them to the stomacher and sleeve caps.  The sleeves themselves are made of tulle, which make the dress sooooo much more comfy to move in (the tight curve of the 'normal' sleeve can be a little constrictive), and are trimmed out with some pretty sequined scalloped trim.  There is a black sparkle tulle overlay to the skirt as well.  I cannot wait to wear this one out!  Not too sure about the wig, though.  It really needs some work...looks like a giant cotton ball on my head.  I ended up just pulling it off my head during the shoot!

Lady Gaga: Just Dance Dress

I was stewing on a few Lady Gaga costumes some time ago; I wanted to make one that was wearable and that I could possibly commission, not necessarily for myself.  Since I don't really keep up with her video wardrobe (I have seen some of the highly publicized red carpet costumes), this one nearly slipped by me!  But I came across it online and thought it would be a fun costume to try.
So....I watched the video, then drafted myself a pattern.  It looks like a pretty simple but very cute batwing dress in a pseudo-zebra style print.  The collar is made with what looks like a black and white leopard print.  I actually found two fabrics that will work.  One (the one in the photos) looks more 'zebra' than the other.  As for the black/white leopard print...after some searcing, I found a similar fabric.  The collar stands pretty well in the video, so I added an extra layer to it and reinforced it with interfacing. 
It's actually very wearable--you can adjust the length by a few inches and move freely in it, which is more than I can say for a lot of costumes I've worn:).  I'll hopefully be putting this one in my etsy shop very soon!