I was really looking forward to be able to work solely on one project and have the time to put the final piece together. I love researching and already had a few ideas of what I wanted to include but the idea developed as I went so it kept fairly fluid as I was putting it together although still included the main elements from my initial design.
I am a big fan of elaborate hair and headpieces and I knew I wanted to do something large from the offset. I was very lucky to receive such good quality wigs from the supplier - always a risk when ordering something from eBay - especially as there are so many fancy dress wigs out there to sift through. I did ponder for a while on how I was going to create the structure but it just seemed to come together quite easily once I started. I am very glad I didn't leave it until last minute as it took two and half full days to sew, prep, dress and decorate which may not sound like too much but I felt like this wasn't something I could slot in around work and required full attention from start to finish. I really enjoyed doing it and it's something I will do again. I wanted to pre-prep the hair as I do take a while to pull hair together so this was the perfect option to allow me to concentrate on the face and body design on the day. I enjoyed decorating it the most, I am always on the hunt for second hand jewelry and haberdashery and so I already had quite a lot of the decorative items. The feathers I ordered worked really nicely and I was really pleased with the overall look, I thought it was balanced and complimented the rest of the design. I was really lucky to find a resin flamingo skull to stick on the front - who thinks to make such items? I thought the feather arrangement at the front worked better on the day of the show but the overall shape was better on the shoot. The thing I would say I need to practice is fixing it in place on the model, I was fortunate to have help on the shoot and at the show so I think I'll keep practicing on friends until I've got that sewn-up.
After that I started on the skirt. I chose the feather hackle colours to add impact and compliment the hair and tutu underskirt. They were never sewn on to a high standard but held together for the shoot and the show. I added the pink netting to create a bustle effect, tore the ends into strips and scrunched up, finally adding a feather boa loop on top.
The rest of my design unfolded as I went, I knew I wanted to incorporate tribal paint to work with the feather headress and so stuck to the pink and orange flamingo colours with white and no black so the face design didn't compete with the hair but was still strong. I used pearls along bleached brows that complimented the pearl choker I used as part of the final styling. Janet made this look work so well - I was so fortunate that fate stepped in with her, she has amazing strong features and is fantastic with her poses, I think on anyone else the whole look may not have made sense.
I wanted to continue the colours and feather design on the body but where before I had thought to use Aztec patterns I liked the idea of couture better and so decided on the latex black jacket as a last minute option which I am glad I did because it worked well and gave colour balance to the design as a whole. I felt sorry for Janet being covered in latex but she's a pro and didn't moan about the smell of wet latex or the peeling off at the end!
I was glad to be able to put the look together on the day of the shoot, it wasn't perfectly finished but at least I could see it worked overall and noted what needed improving. A belt and shoulder pads finished off the ensemble better on the day of the show.
The run-up to the show wasn't without it's issues but Janet my model from the shoot found me a friend of hers to do it. The only problem was that her hair was extremely short and fine and so I was a bit worried about how secure I could make the wig. I hadn't fully confirmed with her as I was researching ways to secure it so when Janet got in touch to say she had become available that day it was a bit of a blessing.
I didn't enjoy the day of the show as much as the shoot but the design at least was improved and the costume finished off and I was really happy with the outcome and how Janet modeled it, it certainly makes all the difference to have a pro dancer/model to show off the work. The final images are great :)
Evaluation of Year Two:
I enjoyed year two as by this time I was able to organise my clients better and not be a slave to the appointments meaning I was able to book off the whole day when we were in class (90% of the time) rather than racing round and surviving on red bull as I had in year one. I discovered I like designing the whole character from top to bottom including the costume and it gave me the opportunity to do this more although I still felt as though I had taken on too much trying to balance the course and my business and some things did suffer but on the whole I was happier with what I was able to produce and it was great to take my skills up to the next level.
I am so much more confident with sfx, backdrops, costume, photographers and models after completing year two. It's a shame I didn't have any spare time to take on the work experience I would have liked to but my plan for the next year is to boost my portfolio of work and I am lucky that I have the business in place to support myself so I will be able to do low budget jobs and work experience so I am looking forward to getting out there a bit more. I have always enjoyed bodypaint events so I plan to enter some competitions over the coming year as well. I don't regret signing up for the course in the slightest, it's been such a fantastic all-round education but I look forward to having the time to relax into normal life again.
Future plans are to seriously explore the possibility of moving abroad again. The founder of the main company has expressed her desire to have me take it over to Ibiza which I am more than happy to try since I can combine it with bridal, event/fashion makeup and bodypaint out there. I love the island and so hopefully this is something I can make happen in the next couple of years but for now I will be happy just to find time to decorate! Looking forward to what the future may hold and very grateful to have been given the chance to study at West Thames, learn from some very talented and knowledgeable tutors and make some fantastic memories with great friends!
With the exception of my final piece which is my all-time favourite, here are a few of my other faves from my time at West Thames :)
