Explaining the Creed

First of all, my process of getting a Tumblr was suddenly expedited upon the creation of this particular post. It was humbling enough to have had an article written about my work, let alone to suddenly see it all over Tumblr!
My Tumblr bears the same name as this blog, so if you're the Tumbling type you can find me over at Archadian Skies.


Now that my graduate show is over, I can take the time to explain my year-long project! There's no better way to explain this than by using the boards I made as part of my submission report. Let's begin!

My collection started off early in the year based primarily on Neil Gaiman's Stardust- both the graphic novel and the 2007 film.

My original designs were for the 3 main females and the 3 main males but as the year went on (and my teacher grew more and more concerned) I ended up with 3 main females and 1 male.

(Work by my ever talented friend Lilly Higgs)

The fabric/colour board

And they were no longer from Gaiman's world but archetypal characters.

 The Heroine & The Rascal

The Heroine (dubbed Stardusted Girl) was inspired by Yvaine and I wanted her to look as if she'd been dressed in a piece of the night sky. Her dress features 11 hand-beaded accurate constellations:

Andromeda, Ara, Columba, Corona Australis, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Libra, Monoceros, Phoenix & Virgo.

I chose constellations I thought reflected Yvaine's character and a general good female character- strength & a regal demeanour.

The Rascal (dubbed Tristran di Auditore of Mayfair) was an amalgamation of not only 3 Gaiman characters (Tristran, Septimus & Cpt. Shakespeare) but also Daniel of Mayfair (Amnesia: The Dark Descent) and Ezio di Auditore (Assassin's Creed).

He had to embody the good, the bad and the chaotic neutral all in one: the capacity for great good as well as frightening evil. A Devil-may-care, lackadaisical attitude with a hint of self-doubt and a burning hunger for adventure (and maybe trouble!)

Finished designs!

The Villainess & The Gypsy

The Villainess (dubbed Assassina) began as Gaiman's Lamia, the witch after Yvaine's heart. I wanted her to be just as seductive and glamorous as she was powerful and sleek. I thought of the assassinas in the Brotherhood game, whose beauty is hidden beneath a hood and a sharp array of weaponry.

The Gypsy (dubbed Alegria or 'Neither Here Nor There' as my teacher called her) based on Gaiman's Lady Una, she is the sassy yet regal gypsy-cum-lost-princess chained to her captor's caravan in the Faerie Market. She had to look carefree and passionate, with a bit of sass like the courtesans from the Assassin's Creed II & Brotherhood series.

Her additional nickname 'Alegria' came from my talented friend Siera lending me the heavy petticoat from her Cirque du Soleil 'Alegria' cosplay of The White Singer.

Finished designs!

I hope any of this post made actual sense and helped to explain the characters behind my collection. I still have yet to shoot this collection in a studio setting which will then capture the details worked into each garment.

Thank you for reading!