Project: Female Tusken Raider

To begin with the costume I started with the helmet, as it is the most difficult to complete. I went out and bought a skaters helmet and am going to start structuring it with card stock and sytrofoam to get the shape of the mask/helmet.
I'll post some pictures when I get through the process.

Dissertation: Costume

Ok so the creation of the costume has started! I purchased all of my fabrics today and I washed and dyed them to match that of the female tusken raider. So far so good! However, I am having some problems getting into my schools sewing labs which could be pretty bad if I don't get in there soon.

I am still trying to figure out the mask. I was looking at the website instructables.com (which i am in love with) and found this tutorial

http://www.instructables.com/id/S74RFWLFT7PS981/

Which could be the best way to get the rounded shape (using a helmet) and would cut my time in half.

or this one

http://www.instructables.com/id/Iron-Man-Helmet/

which, i think, would take much longer. The clay would take a day to dry on its own.

So much work to be done and so little time!!!!!!!

Star Wars at H&M!!!!

So I was doing some shopping at the H&M at oxford circus and I ran across these shirts! I bought the one in blue. However what I found interesting was that the store was only selling Star Wars shirts, no other film or band shirt was to be found....kinda random.

Dissertation

The dissertation is almost done!!!!!!! Just some revisions and then I can get some sleep!!!!

As I am re-reading the paper though I am wondering what other people might think about the topic....

I am writing my dissertation on Costume and Community and using Star Wars and Fandom as my case studies, and stating whether dress and costume can create/enforce a community (I believe it can and does). However, within this discussion I am using the fundamentals of ethnic grouping as my definition of community. Stating that there are common visual/physical signifiers and features (which is the area I am focusing on mostly because of dress) as well as kinship and devotion (like religion or worship) that bring a community together.

What is your opinion on what brings a community or group together? Do you think it can be costume/fashion/dress?

Fun blog

Found this new blog today while researching my project. Ian Seniff, the blogger, is apparently drawing a character from star wars everyday for a year. His drawings are amazing!

Check them out!!

http://365daysofstarwars.blogspot.com/

The female tusekn raider and child are awesome: http://365daysofstarwars.blogspot.com/2009/03/day-67-iof-365-female-tusken-raider.html , http://365daysofstarwars.blogspot.com/2009/03/day-68-of-365-tusken-raider-child.html

Project: Female Tusken Raider

So in addition to my dissertation I am also creating a female tusken raider costume. I am going to use this blog as a diary to show my daily findings and post some photos of the work as I go along. Very exciting and very stressful seeing as my deadline is in a week!

Here are a photos below, any tips?

(Images were found at http://imageevent.com/kay_dee/fidm/sandpeople)

Look, the whole family! I am sure under those masks they are just thrilled to be together!

Maybe they are off to a picnic or just getting ready to attack a small village, whichever.

(Image taken from the FIDM gallery website)

Lady Gaga

Amazing new video from Lady Gaga for her latest single "Bad Romance".

The song was premiered at the Alexander McQueen show I wrote about in the last post.

Here is the video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACm9yECwSso

And most of the wardrobe seems to be McQueen pieces. Here are some stills of the video as well.

However this piece looks a lot like the bandage costume from the Fifth Element, which John Paul Gaultier designed. Check it out.

Leeloo's fifth element costume below: