Did you ever toss and turn through the dark of night  trying to figure how to make a gown out of an old black leather coat and studded leather pants?

If your answer is “yes”, I feel your stress!

Lady Anne is inspired by Norman who donated the coat & pants to my “Art Gowns” supplies stash.

Norman is a musician & composer. He works in film & television, and is an amazing guitar player.

Black leather and studs made me think “Hard Rock” and “Metal”.

However, this is a gown, so I thought “Rock Ballads” and bought 9 meters of very inexpensive cotton gauze and Chantilly lace.

I removed the coat’s sleeves, and each sleeve became half of the bodice.

The pant legs became the skirt’s front panels. I cut scallops around the raw edges, and used glue to attach the fabric.

I surgically removed  the lower half of the coat’s fronts and the entire back in one piece.

This became the back of the gown. I split this up the center to add a flouncing bustle with  skirt of gauze.

I over-layered the skirt of gauze with a triangle of lace.

I needed something to pull Lady Jane together so I pulled a grommet laden S&M harness from my pile of leftover production stock, and chopped that up.

Lady Anne is, Medieval, Elizabethan and Renaissance all rolled into today.

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Her name, Lady Anne, came to me as I was shooting her.

Soon after I was humming Lady Jane, an old Rolling Stones tune. In the song, Lady Anne is being left for Lady Jane. There is only one color to describe that feeling …. blue.

Norman, Lady Anne is like the music you make, a romance of many eras, places and feelings. Thank you for the inspiration!

Norman Orenstein Music

“Art Gown” Lady Anne designed by Resa McConaghy – November, 2013

All photos of Lady Anne taken by Resa McConaghy – November, 2013