The Empress.
I won’t lie, I was a little confused when designing this. I wanted a modern look, but I also wanted it to give it the regality of royalty.
I’d looked back at art, photos, and physical gowns of royalty that we have and started to think, how could I add a modern look to this while still keeping the historical silhouette?
I figured a floor-length skirt with a stacked ruffle rim and a mock bustle would give the illusion of historical while still giving the brain enough to work with in the modern age.
The top of the gown is a basic Gigot sleeve with flared, ruffle trim on the edge of the sleeve while the neck has a stacked ruffle trim choker and a ruffle broach to keep things interesting. The corset gives the illusion of a smaller waist while still keeping with the theme. I wanted it to make the skirt look fuller than it really is and the top much puffier than it actually is.
The cropped suit vest was just for a more refined look.