Storm Pearls and Green Velvet

This was meant to be a zone front dress, based loosely on the Drunken Gown worn by Kiera Knightly in the film The Duchess. As evident in the photos, instead of "Tuscan red", it's made of a dark green silk velvet. The overdress had two layers of split skirt, the one underneath being of dark green stretch silk. The dress is also trimmed with black lace and the green stretch silk.

The zone front didn't quite turn out looking quite right (the angle looks wrong) and the skirts really require more arrangement in the pictures. I almost regret this due to the fact that it really doesn't stand up to close attention and certainly doesn't look as good as the silk velvet. It has been suggested that the edges of the green stretch silk be tucked under so as to mirror the trim around the neckline, what do you think?

The storm-coloured freshwater pearls (verging on a green) actually came first. I was assured that the colour is natural, but I have my doubts. It was to find a shade to match the pearls and a fabric strong enough to hold them that the dress ended up being of this silk velvet.  I've used one and a half string of the pearls and I'm thinking of adding some to the sleeves or perhaps to continue the line around the back, but that would obscure the pleating, which is really quite nice.

Wearing the red cloak with the dark green dress seems in reterospect to be a questionable idea, but at the time with the poinsettia in front of us and Christmas so recently gone by...

Like all the photos taken during this photoshoot, the gown could really do with being worn over a corset and a properly huge skirt.

The red cloak pictured was known throughout production as the "Firebird" due to the red birds on the trim. It's made of a thick angora-wool blend and lined with black polyester brocade (with a peacock feather pattern).

To commission a dress like this one (silk velvet, lace, freshwater pearls, underskirt and all) would cost in the region of £100-120. Contact the Mercenary for more details.

More photos under the cut.