inspired by Elizabeth

For this task, I wanted to do something that really interests me, I have ideas to design a dress, incorporate elegance and edginess in one. I also want the product to scream out my name so I grabbed some of the topics which interested me and looked even deeper, one of them is the 1500's style over the top dresses.

 

[English Renaissance Gown, Early-to- mid 1500's.] n.d. [image online] Available at: <

http://pinterest.com/pin/85849936618605759/> [Accessed 12 January 2013].

[Alessandro Allori 003.jpg] n.d. [image online] Available at: < http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alessandro_Allori_003.jpg> [Accessed 12 January 2013].

But I wanted to concentrate on one icon of the 1500's, which is Queen Elizabeth the first.

[Darnley stage 3] n.d. [image online] Available at: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Darnley_stage_3.jpg> [Accessed 12 January 2013].

Elizabeth was queen over England and Ireland for 45 years (17th November 1559 - 24th March 1603). She was born in Greenwich as daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. She was later officially crowned as queen in 1559 at age 26, Elizabeth was also known as ''The Virgin Queen'' and ''Gloriana''.

Wikipedia, 2001. Elizabeth I of England. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_England> [Accessed 12 January 2013 ].

Wanting to do this dress inspired by the Elizabethan era, I had to research the Fabrics and styles used at the times.

 

Colour, Fabric and Material of clothing ranked on Elizabethan according to English law. These laws were called sumptuary laws.
Upper class people wore clothing made out of velvets, fur, silks, lace, cotton and taffeta.
Other lower class people wore clothing made of wool, linen and sheepskin.

Elizabethan Era, (no date specified). Material and Fabrics used in Elizabethan Era Clothing. [online] Available at: <http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/material-fabric-elizabethan-clothing.htm> [Accessed 12 January 2013 ].

The particular painting I will be reffering to in this task is the one done by
Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger.

[Queen Elizabeth I ('The Ditchley portrait')] n.d. [image online] Available at: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_Elizabeth_I_(%27The_Ditchley_portrait%27)_by_Marcus_Gheeraerts_the_Younger.jpg> [Accessed 12 January 2013].

 

Marcus was a very well known artist at his time. He was described as  "the most important artist of quality to work in England in large-scale between Eworth and Van Dyck"^{[1]  (caption taken from Wikipedia article named '}Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger'). His father was also a painter known as Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder. When he painted this painting of the Queen he became much more popular with the royal court.

Wikipedia, 2001. Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Gheeraerts_the_Younger#Elizabethan_success> [Accessed 12 January 2013 ].

 

 

 

I chose this painting over the rest because it is very well known and I also look at the colours, I wanted to show a contrast, the dress is very white and grand and I'd like to change that and make it darker.