FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
The Lady from Charm
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
Photographer: Yves Koehl
Outline the story …
The Black Company series is set in a dark fantasy world without any machines, basically an early Game of Thrones from the soldier’s point of view. Inside it, we will follow the Black Company, famous and feared mercenaries who are recruited at the beginning of the first book by the Lady, our protagonist, to wipe out the Rebellion against her empire.
The Lady is a fascinating character. She was the ruler of much of the northern continent for generations: first, alongside her husband the Dominator for about a century and later, as empress in her own right. She is an extremely powerful sorceress, a brilliant tactician, and a natural evil leader.
Almost omniscient, nearly immortal, absolutely pragmatic, insanely beautiful and responsible for thousands of deaths, she is also a lonely woman without any friend, always confronted with the worst betrayals and decisions. During the first trilogy, we will see her torturing and enslaving people, worrying for her soldiers, destroying entire cities, developing a romantic relationship and sacrificing herself to avoid a worse future. Our regard of her will change from crush to fear, from hate to understanding, as Croaker, analyst of the Black Company and cynical narrator of the story, interacts with her and her world.
Outline the construction…
Apart from her dark hair, she is never really described except at the end of book one, when she arrived to command the Battle of Charm and defend her Tower against all the forces of the Rebellion. It is mentioned that she wore a very elegant outfit of red assorted with gold and silver jewels and a tricorne decorated with white feathers. A huge contrast with her guard of enslaved Taken in black leather and scary masks, but why not be elegant when you’re the most powerful person of the world ? I use part of this description to design her, incorporating via tooled details her symbols (a circled skull on black background) and some designs (geometrical pics to remind her Tower of Charm and a little bit of a gothic aesthetic for her evil side). I choose to match a red cashmere wool and veg tan leather, of course because I am basically a leather costumer but also because that’s coherent with the world and the context of a battlefield. I used TV291 pattern for the skirt and drafted myself patterns for the tricorn, the underbust corset, the top and the cape. I also used silver Rub&Buff on existing metallic closures and dyed all of the leather parts with water-based red and black dye.
I really love your costume. I’m very impressed by your leather corset and the hat, of course.
Thanks a lot !
The leather work is beautiful. The photos are great the setting really is stunning.
Thanks and I totally agree for the setting, it was a little bit strange but also such a pleasure to shoot in my city Strasbourg (in France). Really proud to live in this amasing environment ! 🙂
I always find leather work fascinating, and your piece is no exception! Love the colors and the details❤
Thanks !
Leatherwork is amazing, burt that dress alco deserves love because of it’s neetnes and good fitting. I am taking my hat off, my lady.
This looks amazing and what an amazing backdrop you have there! The red and the leather together look very luscious.
Your dress fits your description of the Lady very well and looks amazing!
Absolutely gorgeous leather work! I also really love colour choices and the fit of the sleeves and the cape! The photos are beautiful too! Well done!