Cosplay · Costumes

Padme Amidala – Red Throne Gown | 2023

Kealy Ann

Padme Amidala – Red Throne Room Gown : Star Wars Episode One – The Phantom Menace

Made for : Auckland Armegeddon Expo – Spring 2023, All Stars competition

Background : This has been my DREAM costume ever since I saw the Phantom Menace in theatres in 1999. I first attempted to make it in 2014 before quickly realizing my skill level just wasn’t quite there yet. When Armageddon announced their All Stars contest earlier this year, a contest consisting of previous Best in Show winners, I knew this would be the perfect costume to attempt for it.

gallery

Kohika Creative 2023
Kohika Creative 2023
Kohika Creative 2023
Kohika Creative 2023
Kohika Creative 2023
Kohika Creative 2023
tadj0225 Photography – Auckland Armageddon Expo Spring 2023
tadj0225 Photography – Auckland Armageddon Expo Spring 2023
tadj0225 Photography – Auckland Armageddon Expo Spring 2023

Things used :

Dress, collar + tabard
  • 7m Reverie valentine red polyester Satin : Mood Fabrics
  • 7m Reverie valentine red polyester Bengaline : Mood Fabrics
  • 3m Fox faux fur fabric : Spotlight
  • 5m Red bemsilk lining fabric : Spotlight
  • 100m pipping cord : Arthur’s Emporium
  • 14 inch red dress zip : Spotlight
  • clear worbla : Lumin’s Workshop
  • 2m invisible hem tape 1m sticky back velcro
  • .5m plastic boning 4m
  • red cord : Arthur’s Emporium
  • .5m red velcro : Arthur’s Emporium
  • .5m red bias tape : Arthur’s Emporium
  • 1m batting : Arthur’s Emporium
  • Gold embroidery thread : Bernina Whangarei
  • 1m red tulle : Arthur’s Emporium
  • 1m water soluble stabiliser : Spotlight
Hoop Skirt
  • 6m red cotton canvas : Spotlight
  • 15m steel boning : Ali Express
  • Cotton twil tape
Helmet
  • Worbla : LumenLumin’ss Workshop
  • 2x lace doily’s : Thrifted
  • red rit dye
  • assorted pearls and crystals
  • gold spray paint
  • silver spray paint

construction

This took me six months to put together from draft to finish. It was made for a national cosplay competition that consisted entirely of previous best in show winners so I really had to bring my a-game to the contest. Hence attempting a dream costume like this.

The drafting itself required using a lot of math to get the shape of the dress and sleeves right. It hurt my brain to do but I really think I achieved a great replica.

The dress and outer sleeves are made from Bengaline, lined and trimmed with a faux fur. There are 16 panels in each sleeve and 24 in the dress. Each of the seams contain a self-made satin pipping too (around 100m total went in to the dress).

The inner sleeves are made from a red satin in the same shade of red as the bengaline and a faux fur.

The collar pieces and tabard are made from the same satin as the inner sleeve and pipping and trimmed in the faux fur. The top collar piece has a batting layer with boning in the shoulder points to help it keep its shape and has cording hand stitched on the top.

The gold design on the tabard was done using my embroidery machine onto tulle and hand- appliquéd to the satin.

This dress took a crazy amount of work and I’m so proud with how it turned out. 5 year-old me would be so proud!

progress photos

Paper template of the helmet
Helmet cut from thin Eva foam and glued together with contact cement.
Eva foam base. Some pieces glued, others pinned.
Starting to cover the foam in Worbla.
Side fin covered in Worbla
Both side fins covered in Worbla
Both side fins and helmet covered in Worbla.
It was at this point I was wondering how on earth I was going to attach the fins to the actual helmet.
All of the helmet pieces primed with around 5 layers of gesso.
Using puff paint to add the details on the helmet.
Puff paint details on the helmet.
Puff paint texture added to the rest of the helmet using a screwed up ball of tinfoil to apply it.
All textures added and ready for paint.
First layer of gold spray paint.
Second layer of gold spray paint.
Tapped off the pieces I wanted to remain gold and sprayed the rest of it with a silver paint.
The “lace” I got for the helmet. Just a couple of doilies.
The doilies after having been dyed red.
Using hair clips to hold the lace in place while the glue dries.
Using hair clips to hold the lace in place while the glue dries.
The side fin after the lace part had been glued to it.
Still trying to figure out how to attach the side fins. I ended up using contact cement.
Making bits of the helmet from polymer clay and painting them gold.
The top part of the helmet made from polymer clay and assorted beads, pearls and crystals.
All pieces complete and ready to add to the helmet.
How the hairpiece started – a bunch of upholstery foam blocks glued together.
The foam after carving it away with a craft knife.
The roll was then covered in a layer of brown velvet and then several layers of dark brown hair wefts were added over top.
Figuring out how to attach the hair piece to the helmet. I used a strong magnet at the top.
First helmet try on and makeup test.
The hoop skirt before the waistband was added.
All the self-drafted pattern pieces printed and taped together.
The paper pattern pieces taped together and checking the fit of.
The sleeve pattern pieces transferred to a bed sheet ready to become a mock up.
Sleeve mock up made from bed sheets
Collar and tabard mockup pieces made from a bed sheet.
All pieces made from bed sheets as a mockup.
Testing out non-metallic thread for the tabard embroidery.
Decided it needed to be metallic.
All of the tabard appliqué pieces ready to be sewn to the satin.
First tabard piece completed with embroidery and faux fur trim.
Both tabard pieces completed. It was at this point I decided the fur trim was too much and need to be scaled back.
Starting on the upper collar piece.
Sewing all the cord to the upper collar piece.
A look at all the layers.
Collar tabard pieces completed.
Collar tabard pieces completed.
Collar tabard pieces completed.
Collar tabard pieces completed.
Last WIP of the dress after the sleeves were added but before the fur trim and eggs were done.

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Published by Kealy Ann

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