FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Gold and Blooms
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
Photos- N. Cragun
Outline the story …
The design I made was inspired by one of my favorite poems- "Golden Dress Song" or "Robes Made of Golden Thread" (金縷衣) by the Tang dynasty Poet Du Qiuniang (杜秋娘). It's her only surviving poem and I have always loved its romantic, yet forlorn feel. I wanted the design to lift heavily from later Tang dynasty fashion because it just has the beautiful ethereal feel to it and is so whimsical. I also felt like it would honor Du Qiuniang in a way to be inspired not only by her poem but by the world of fashion she was influenced by in life. The design is a bit edited from the classic paintings to have a touch of modern style in the split open front layers and the undershirt carrying the big sleeves instead of an overcoat. East Asian, and especially Chinese/Taiwanese culture and history have always been a large part of my life (from living there and forging life long bonds and understanding) and I wanted to bring it to light for more people so they too could be inspired and fall in love with places close to my heart. Places that have grown me in my life and bettered me as a person.
link to poem and translation- https://28utscprojects.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/320/
Outline the construction…
I used mostly brocade for the base of the dress and the trimming on the under-blouse. the main body of the under-blouse, dress layers, and pibo (披帛) were made of chiffon. The sleeves of the under-blouse had a layer of embroidered/decorated tulle to add the flowering detail on them. The biggest challenge I came across was finding information on construction techniques and pattering for this time period influenced look. There were a few webblogs I found that helped me understand the ballpark of what I was going for ( https://fuwafuwanwan.wordpress.com/2017/02/22/qixiong-ruqun-construction-notes/ , http://easociety.weebly.com/tang-dynasty.html ). But mostly I stuck with what I could lift from paintings and modern pictures of it. It's basically a lot of rectangles pleated together with right angles at the corners.
This is breathtaking…those sleeves 😍😍 真的是太漂亮了
Oh my goodness, I dream of wearing these gowns! beautifully done!
Tang dynasty has one of the best costuming ever! And I find it very brave for you to go do something we have so little info avaiblable (at least in the western world).
It so beautifully executed !
Gorgeous silhouette. I’m not familiar with it, but I like the knotted detail (white) very much.
This is simply put. Beautiful. Wonderful job!
Your fabric choices are absolutely stunning. Beautiful job!!
Oh my actually goodness this is absolutely stunning! When I saw the pictures it took my breath away!
The vivid green against the pale and pastel tones is very striking! Such a lovely outfit.
This looks like an outfit from a painting. I love the colors, the flowing sleeves with their floral decoration…
I love this dress! The colours fit together so well and the sleeves are just wonderful! The pictures are really beautiful.
SO, so beautiful! I adore the cherry blossom sleeves, and as a fellow lover of East Asian culture, I really appreciate this piece! Well done for choosing a poem with such personal meaning to you, and for all your hard work, it is stunning!