Merveilleuse

This year, since September my life has changed. It's something totally different as I'm used to. I'm realizing my dream as a designer; "Be like Cinderella: start each day with a dose of dreaming. And someday your dream will come true." That's the reason why I'm studying fashion.
For this schoolyear I need to design a collection based on a historical period, I've chosen for the French Revolution, better said "Le Directoire, 1790-1799".
We need to design a historical costume what the people wore and a collection what people can wear nowadays based on the history, you can compare it with famous designers collections like Alexander McQueen, Dior, John Galliano, who has token inspiration and ideas based on a historical period.
It's really exciting for me to start this project but scary at the same time. It demands a lot of work and energy, but for me it feels like a hobby so I do like spending my free time on creating clothes (:
Before I can start my collection, it's easier to make a board/collage where you can focus on while designing. So I made my collage with everything that inspired me, colors, architecture, ...
My collection will be finished in Spring 2013.

But let me tell why I've chosen the period "Le Directoire".

As you can see on the following pictures, the clothing are very simple, classy, chic and sexy. The time just before Le Directoire was, Rococo (ex. Marie Antoinette). 
Everybody knows Marie Antoinette and her clothing. It was extravagant, with a lot of hair and the dresses overwhelmed with sweet lovely colors and bows. So much fantasy. But then, when the French Revolution begun, the citizens didn't care anymore about the luxury and the clothing. They got back (even the rich) to basic. Women and fantasy was over! As for the men, they stayed in their costumes but kept it simple too.

The clothing for women was feeling free. For example, the ancient Greeks.

You see how the women were dressed. The dresses were flexible, and more comfortable then 1 year or less just before the French Revolution in 1790.

I wanted to make this kind of costume because for me it was the perfect period where I could mix 2 periods at the same time, the ancient Greek was to difficult to start with (because of the draping) and what I wanted to do first, begin 1900's was too late, we only could go till 1890. So it was searching which period I could take and then all at sudden I saw ancient Greek and begin 1910-1920's fashion mixed together in one style and I that moment I said; "This is what I will design".
I'm the first student in years that has chosen this period in history. So for me it's an extra challenge and motivation to make the best out of it.
The costume is the biggest assignment, exercise and the most important one for this schoolyear to succeed. So I really have to do my best and bring Le Directoire back to life. La Merveilleuse (the name of the women back then) will be designed by me!
I'll show some pictures so you'd have a particular idea of what the costume will look like.

It may look simple, but it isn't. It ask a lot of textile and precision. It has draping and corsage in it. I do not only make the dress, but headwear and accessory (scarf, gloves) too. All the pictures above will be put together in 1 dress. I wont copy, I'll must go back in time with my mind to act like I'm a designer back then and must create/design my own style.

So instead of writing this short post of what I'm doing currently, I'll go and start the design.

Wish me good luck and soon you'll see my creations!

xoxo.