Renaissance Costume – Costumes By Antonia

Hello Everyone!

It’s been ages since I’ve posted anything here, so please accept my apologies. But it’s for good reason because 1) I’m grateful to say that I have been very busy and have not had time to post or blog. 2) I have moved the costume studio to Las Vegas, Nevada and I am looking to set up two more satellite studios in Los Angeles and New York!

So Onward and Upwards! Let’s discuss my recent activities:

Henry VIII

God Save The King! A Henry VIII costume based on the portrait by Holbein. The client wore this to the Renaissance Festival so he wanted something that was comfortable, easy to put on and remove, but still looked authentic. Quite a challenge since renaissance garb (especially when worn by the aristocracy) is not exactly known for comfort or practicality. But with a little bit of creative rigging and ingenuity we were able to pull it off. The results were majestic!

Spirit Walker

This scary guy is a Spirit Walker Costume that I created for Unspeakable Media an entertainment and gaming studio streaming on YouTube. I will be dedicating an entire post describing the creation of this costume.

Cruella!

We all loved that whacky movie about the origins of the fashion victim, Cruella. Especially the Dumpster Dress, here shown. Kristin, my client, was a great person to work with. She donated a lot of her own fabric and clothing so that it could be repurposed for the costume. It also gave me a good opportunity to recycle a lot of my leftover fabric from my scrap bins.

Personally, I thought Kristin looked lovely and she did a great job with her hair and makeup too! In fact, Kristin liked her costume so much that she wound up having it heirloomed so that her daughters could wear it in the future.

Detail of Purell Costume bodice. The newsprint fabric was custom ordered. — Detail of Cruella Costume bodice. The newsprint fabric was custom ordered.

Frank the Rabbit

My friend, Morgan Roberts needed a costume for an upcoming cosplay convention. He asked me to create a costume based on the character “Frank” from the iconic film, “Donnie Darko”. At the convention, Morgan met James Duval, the actor who played Frank in the film.

According to Morgan, James said “one of the best costumes he had ever seen”!

Moulin Rouge Redux

Front view of Georgette in her costume partying with her friends in Aguascalientes.

This lovely confection was created for Georgette Fabré, a Mexican socialite who resides here in the US. Every year she attends a very posh, theme based Halloween party in Aguascalientes, Mexico. This years theme was “Moulin Rouge” and Georgette went all out with a gown inspired by the character “Satine” from the aforementioned film. I selected a rich burgundy palette that flattered Georgette’s lustrous brunette locks and flawless complexion.

Detail of Georgette's hat — Detail of Georgette’s hat

The costume caused a sensation at the party and garnered her the first prize at the costume contest. Her award being an all expense paid trip to Paris for she and her husband. Congratulations, Georgette! You looked beautiful.

Detail of Georgette's train. — Detail of Georgette’s train.

“The Crüe Part Deux”

Just when you thought it was safe to turn to the clubs. Right smack dab in the midst of the pandemic, I was contacted by my favorite Metal Heads with a request to recreate the “Theater of Pain” costumes for two of their performers. You may recall that a year earlier I had created their “Shout at the Devil” costumes to much success and accolades. You can read about this adventure by clicking here

Mick März wants YOU! For his Motley Army.

Recreating this one was quite the challenge since the original costume used very 80’s specific fabric. But we came close in our selection and the results were spectacular with just the right amount of bling.

Nikki Sixx costume from the "Theater of Pain" era. — Jump for Joy! Nikki Sixx costume from the “Theater of Pain” era.

Here was another challenge, due to the supply chain issues that were so typical of the pandemic, we had a long wait for this one. But the results were stunning if I may say so myself and I love how the guitar matched the rest of his outfit.

JLo & Travolta!

Yes, they’ve secretly been an item all this time, NOT! This was for a fundraiser in which the partygoers were encouraged to dress as their favorite stars.

Another interesting project, in particular the building of the JLo costume. The goal was to make the dress as modest as possible but still preserving the spirit of the original design worn by Jennifer Lopez.

Lysol and Purell

Now here’s a set of very pandemic specific themed costumes, meet “Lysol & Purell”. These were Halloween costumes for two little girls who were sadly in quarantine but thankfully their parents still wanted them to enjoy a nice holiday.

The costumes were created with a foam and wire foundation then covered with fabric. This lightweight confection slips easily over the head and there are cutouts for the face and arms for easy wearing and mobility.

Fairy Queen

Here’s a whimsical little number inspired by Froud’s Fairies. Corset with ombré chiffon fabric skirt and embellished with butterflies. The wings were sculpted with wire, covered with stretch chiffon then handprinted and studded with jewels. Her fairy crown is made from a beaded band base and covered with gold leaves.

~*~

Did you enjoy this post? Please consider making a contribution in order to keep this blog going. My Cashapp handle is $satorotas. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

This is your place for custom Costume Design in Las Vegas!

www.costumesbyantonia.com

costumesbyantonia@gmail.com

832-652-9180

The Enigma of Elizabeth I’s Rainbow Portrait.

Elizabeth I “Rainbow Portrait” ca 1600 Artist Unknown. Courtesy of Hatfield House, UK

She is one of the most ubiquitous Queens in our collective consciousness: Elizabeth Tudor has been portrayed in films, books, plays, television series and so on. Every actress worth her salt wants to play her. The whole concept of the modern day Renaissance Pleasure Faire revolves around her court. We are all familiar with her appearance from art history classes and museum visits. Our whole concept of who she was and what she represented has been inculcated into our heads by endless exposure from all intellectual angles. In her portraits we see her wearing beautiful gowns, gazing down on us with her enigmatic visage and none of these portraits is more mysterious than the quirky “Rainbow Portrait”.

Let’s start with a little bit of background here: I’m not going to get into details about her family history because all of that has been covered ad nauseam by Hollywood and historians alike. But what I want to focus on instead was her almost anal retentive obsession with her image and how she wanted to be seen by her public. According to her biographers, Elizabeth was surrounded by a public relations apparatchik that would put a Hollywood publicist to shame. This resulted in many representations of her that are heavily embedded with symbolisms. Portraits of her could only be commissioned by approved artists and they would be given an “authorized” stencil of her face which would be used a template in order for the artist to reproduce her face. This accounts for the almost identical visage in almost every single painting. Official portraits of the Queen where usually commissioned to commemorate an official event such as her coronation or the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The provenance of the Rainbow Portraits remains as much of a mystery as the cryptic symbols embedded within it.

For an art piece that has been so over analyzed, there is very little known about its aforementioned provenance. The artist is unknown and it’s not sure how it came into the possession of its first owners, the Cecils, father and son who where ministers to the Queen. It’s believed it may have been commissioned by the son to commemorate her visit to Hatfield House, the Cecil family seat. Another curious detail is that when this painting was believed to be created, she was already pushing 70, towards the end of her life. But she is represented as a young maiden with long, flowing auburn locks cascading down her shoulders. Again, the official face template being put to good use and for good effect. Nonetheless, it’s one of the last known portraits made of Queen Elizabeth before her death in 1603.

Let’s have a closer look, shall we?

Starting from the top and working our way down, she is wearing a crown toped off by a crescent moon believed to represent Diana, Virgin Goddess of the Hunt. Diana, also represented the warrior and steward of the land, two responsibilities that were shared by Elizabeth in her lifetime.

Detail: Crescent moon toping off her crown.

Moving our eyes down along her costume, we can appreciate that it is dripping with pearls, a symbol of purity and another subtle reference to her virginity as she was known to be “The Virgin Queen”.

Detail: Multitude of pearls on her stomacher and elsewhere.

To her right, next to her face, there is a bejeweled gauntlet attached to her gorget. This represents the loyalty of her male courtiers and their willingness to throw down their gauntlet in order to defend her honor.

Her back collar has been stiffened with starch and fashioned into the shape of wings resembling angel or fairy wings. “Glorianna” was one of her official titles and also the title character of an opera composed by her contemporary, Henry Purcell: “The Fairie Queene”.

Her left sleeve is embellished with a brocaded snake holding a ruby red heart in its mouth: The wisdom and temperance of the snake holds in check the compassion and emotion of her heart. Above the snake’s head is an Orb, representing the Monarchy. Balance is maintained between the two qualities that are so important to a successful Monarch.

In her right hand she holds a rainbow and above her in Latin the words: “Non Sine Sole Iris” which translates to “No Rainbow without the Sun”. Meaning that if one wants peace and prosperity, then compromises must be met.

Finally, and perhaps the most curious is the cloak with the multiple eyes and ears embroidered all over. What could this mean? “I am all knowing and all seeing?” For most of her reign she fought and won against all odds.

For Elizabeth, it was not how she was seen, but how she wished to be seen. And how she wished to be seen was as a ruler who consolidated authority, transcended time and defied the ravages of aging. As one historian explained, the imagery of “The Rainbow Portrait” represents the three pillars of her reign:

“Divinity, Virginity, Power”.

Did you enjoy this blog?

Please visit my website:

www.costumesbyantonia.com

Your place for custom made costumes for

Renfair, Fantasy, Corporate and Special Events.

Tag: Renaissance Costume

Latest Projects

She’s Like A Rainbow