Japanese Gothic Glamour

Inspired by Karen O, lead singer of the "Yeah Yeah Yeahs," this look is straight off of my latest fall/winter 2007 collection. It has a fusion of gothic glamour and traditional oriental elegance.

The dress took about 45 hours to cut and sew, and about a few months of pattern making and prototype fitting. Materials include black and red oriental satin brocade, a black lining, chiffon and tulle for the ruffled collar, black tights, and silver chains. The umbrella and 7 inch red wedge heels finalize the look to runway-ready.

The makeup is a spin off of Kayako from the horror flick "The Grudge" series who the director conceptualized based off of an inspiration. I wanted the mood of a mysterious japanese ghost, so I gave my model Jen a pale face with elaborate use of thick liquid eyeliner.

This dress is a composite dress with draping above the waist, and very fitted from the waist down. The back is low-cut with pleats lining it and I also installed large gathered sleeves with tulle for more volume. I can see this outfit being worn to high-end cocktail parties, dinners and specific special events. The outfit can easily be scaled down to ready-to-wear and can be styled up or down.