Modern Take on the 1940s Sketch

So for the next month I will be taking on a project for my Apparel Design class. It's suppose to be a modern take on a 1940s dress design of a designer of our choosing. Given my love for his classical silhouettes and the fact that he was a Chicago native that became a major fashion icon in Paris, I decided that I was going to do a modern take on Mainbocher.

This dress design was made in 1947 and was displayed at an exhibition in the Chicago History Museum in 2016. A classic sheath with gold embellishments and a draped panel in the front that resembles an apron.

Here is the sketch of a modern take on this beautiful dress

As part of the assignment, I had to choose a bolder color that would make the dress pop more. I knew that I wanted to do more dramatic version of the draped panel, so I made it longer and have it be draped on the side instead of in the front. And since I was modernizing the dress, I wanted to make it more sexy by making a deep V-neckline and make it more form fitting. The once floor length gown is now at mid-calf with an asymmetrical draped over panel. And to make sure that there is embellishment, I decided to place brooches near the shoulders that would add a bit of sparkle.