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HISTORICAL RECREATION: DEGAS
The focus of my first semester sophomore studio was to create a historically accurate replica of a garment showcased in a painting. Based on the piece "Le Classe De Danse" by Edgar Degas, I recreated the every day uniform of a ballerina within the late nineteenth century.
INSPIRATION
I used the reference painting as a starting point for the overall silhouette of the look, and I specifically chose the figure in the center of the piece to be my main reference point. For the historically accurate undergarments, I utilized various other paintings from Degas, as well as researched the fit and look of the bloomers and the underskirt from this era.
IDEATION
Overall silhouette ideation started with historical paintings, mostly by Degas himself. I wanted to be able to capture the dreamy feel of paint strokes on canvas, especially within paintings of ballerinas moving and dancing. The voluminous, romantic style tutu was also a staple during this time period, and I knew I wanted to highlight both the tutu itself, and the typical bow and structured waistband that made this style of uniform so memorable.
The back of the look was made to fit looser, so that the gathering with the bow in the back would be more dramatic, and better reflect the look of the uniforms in the paintings. The ribbon on the back of the neck was also an element that I noticed a lot of dancers in these paintings wore, and it adds a sense of togetherness to the look, tying the white color scheme.
The top portion of this look was created using gathered cotton gauze, both to add visual texture, as well as to create a light and airy feel for the top. The waistband was created using a bone structured shaped corset, with an over layer of satin to conceal the intricately made base, as well as to add a different texture to the look, drawing the eye to the center.
FINE DETAILS
One requirement of this project was to create a monochromatic look, using only white textiles and materials. I wanted the elements of my piece to differentiate themselves from each other, while still maintaining the monochromatic color scheme, so I researched fabric compositions that I could include that vary dramatically in visual texture.
FINAL PRESENTATION
This look was part of a video shoot that took place at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The final photo shoot presentation I have of this look is set in a warm toned room with a large, intricately framed gold mirror. I felt that the light from this room highlighted the overall silhouette of the look, and the mirror allowed for multiple angles to be shown.
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