Costume Remix #11: Pretty Woman (1990)

As a baby costume designer, I’m so eager to learn and enhance my craft and I spend a lot of time studying other artists’ work.  I am always inspired by the costume pieces from some of my favorite films.  So, I decided to start trying to recreate, and in some cases, revamp or put my own spin on some famous and not so famous pieces from these films. 

When I started making this piece, I wasn’t originally trying to remix a costume piece from a film.  This dress began in the fall of 2019 in my pattern drafting class at LACC.  I found a vintage dress in our stock that I wanted to create a pattern for.  Because the dress had deteriorated and couldn’t be used in any productions, being able to create patterns for vintage pieces like this was important for the future of period productions.

So not only did I create a size 8 pattern that matched the dress exactly, I graded up the pattern to fit myself because #overachiever #extracredit.

I made the dress that winter in a lovely red velveteen.  I put the project aside before finishing it because I got busy with life.  Fast forward to 2021 when I decided to pick it up again and finish it.  But I’d lost and gained weight several times over the pandemic and although I was probably the same weight as when I originally started the dress, my body shape had changed.  So I had to deconstruct it, alter it and put it back together. While taking it apart I happened to be watching Pretty Woman and I couldn’t help thinking that they neckline of this dress reminded me of Vivian’s opera dress designed by the incomparable Marilyn Vance.  And so here we are…

Pattern: Pattern drafted by moi

Fabric: Red Velveteen purchased from LACC’s Costume Shop

Style: Sweetheart Neck/Short Sleeve/Tea Length Dress

Vintage/Contemporary: Vintage Reproduction

One of the most gratifying things about making this dress was the fact that I made it using a pattern drafted 100% by me.  Also, wearing this dress makes me feel like a hooker invited to the opera…high class.

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