White Regency Gown
A regency gown created to accompany a set of conceptual designs for The Marriage of Figaro, designed on the theme of neoclassical style.
The gown is made from a banana jacquard fabric, and features hand-embroidered designs. The bodice and skirt patterns were drafted on the stand, influenced by a dress in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashions 1. The sleeve pattern was drafted from Jean Hunnisett’s Period Costume for Stage and Screen.
Costume Designer and Maker
Isobel Blackburn
The Design
This dress was designed for the character ‘Countess Rosina Almaviva’ from The Marriage of Figaro. I used strong influences from the Regency era’s approach to neoclassicism, creating mood boards from my research, shown below. A design and a technical drawing were also created.
The Process
The gown was created using a light-weight banana jacquard fabric, used for all elements of the dress including the lining.
Fastenings used are covered buttons down the centre back, and a drawstring tie through a channel around the high waist.
The pattern for the main gown was drafted on the stand, with heavy influence from a dress in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion 1 and the sleeves were drafted from Jean Hunnisett’s Period Costume for Stage and Screen 1800-1909.
A lot of gathering has been used on the bodice front and the skirts, and the bodice back features structuring typical of the era.
Hand embroidery has been used to add the decorative motifs around the neckline, sleeve cuffs, waistline, and skirt hems.
The skirt seams are finished as small French seams for a neat and polished final look.
