Padme's Rainbow Dress

Character: Padme Amidala
Costume: Rainbow Dress/Lake Retreat Gown
From: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Completed: 2003
Awards: Honorable Mention for "Best Back" & Best First-Time Entry (2003 San Diego Comic-Con Masquerade)

This is the dress that started it all-- the first movie costume that made me say, "I have no idea how, but I must make that dress." The first planned, but not the first finished, this dress was a nine-month odyssey of draping, sewing, fitting, and dyeing.

After many years, I've finally finished documenting my construction of this dress, along with my notes on what I'd do differently if I were to make it again. I've also done a short costume study using the pictures that BenaeQuee took at the NYC fashion show in 2005.

Photoshoot, June 2010
(gorgeous photos by Rachel!)

Rebel Legion Photoshoot, Dragon*Con 2007

(thanks to Blue and Kathy for the pics!)

California Science Center Discovery Ball, February 2007

(thanks to Kathy for the pics!)

MIT Senior Ball, May 2003

Construction

Padme's Rainbow Dress: Costume Study

I had some time on my hands recently, so I started doing a more detailed analysis of Kristin's pictures of the rainbow dress from the NYC runway show back in 2005. My observations pertain mostly to the underdress, and I welcome comments, corrections, or thoughts. I would especially love to hear from people with good draping/construction knowledge-- the fabric is definitely hanging in some interesting ways near the seams, and I know it's saying something about the grain and angle, but I don't know enough to decipher it.