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Gingham Ballgown

alexandra king gingham ballgown sketch

The Gingham ballgown sketch. This was to be a Victorian, Southern Belle style gown taking inspiration from the photographs of this era. This is the main piece of the gingham collection and carried the most important message. 

I looked at those Victorian 19th Century images of women in huge gingham crinolines, ultra feminine but encumbered. Enslaved in their own dresses. Black and white together but disturbingly unequal, even the great Princess Sara Forbes Bonetta.
The nature of the fabric both represents and contradicts their Victorian world. The cotton picked by enslaved people but woven into gingham, a pattern shared in all cultures throughout history and place. 
The very fabric that today can represent a world of togetherness and striving for equality. 
Make it fair and make it equal. 
The dress bodice is draped with a knot inspired by the Gullah Gee Chee people, (decedents of enslaved people of the southern states of the USA originating from Africa) and the women picking cotton today in Mali in fair trade cooperatives. 
Styled with a short sleeved shirt inspired by the skinhead two tone style mixed with Victorian tightness and featuring the crinoline full skirt. 

Around the skirt features the women of the world representing gingham and our togetherness. Each hand drawn and appliqued to the hem. Read more about each of these Gingham Girls here. 
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Making of the Gngham Ballgown in the studio. 
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The Final Dress. 
Styling the dress. Natural and as Gingham Girl. '' Gingham girl is my character created from all my research into gingham and how as a fabric it transcends, blends and weaves culture together. Its dark, light and every shade inbetween, so I wanted to become gingham. Its representative of us all, complex woven creatures.''
alexandra king gingham ballgownalexandra king gingham ballgown
alexandra king gingham ballgownalexandra king gingham ballgown