Firefly Path

The month of October 2012 I dedicated to help making Traci Hines’s dream of a music video come true. We were in my sewing room chatting about our dream projects, she had always wanted to make a music video to “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid. It was then that I introduced her to the work of Director Raiya Corsiglia, who I had recently worked with on Lime Crime Cosmetics Alchemy Campaign video featuring Lola Blanc. The two are both Disney fanatics, so they hit it off immediately!

It was fate that the three of us did not have too much happening in October, so we could take on the project. Instead of setting a date in the future, we all decided “lets just do it right now!”

After several creative meetings, we decided that we wanted to recreate some of the most iconic scenes from the movie, plus two separate looks for Traci singing while to camera. All together, five different looks for Traci.

The looks:

“Pink Ball Gown”
For the pink gown Traci stressed that she wanted it to look more like a period gown, so I pulled from all my favorite era’s of fashion. I designed the corset from the Edwardian era, with a pigeon chest and a small waist. The sleeves are slash and puff sleeves from the Renaissance and Tudor period. The skirt is more of the Rococo era with hip panniers and a bustled back. Traci chose her favorite fabric and trims to make it all happen! I wanted to make sure that this costume didn’t look like a “cosplay” costume. If you remember the scene where she gets the gown, she did not have someone make it for her, they most likely had it in one of the royal closets so she could borrow it. Perhaps it was one of Eric’s Mother’s dresses? Instead of using pure whites, I used antique colors like champagne to replace the whites.
Making the dress was truly magical! It came together in two days! I had the help of Katie Mitchell dying trims, finishing hems, and cutting fabric for me. Traci was on details, sewing pearls and gluing rhinestones. Even our director Raiya was making trips to the fabric district to pick up notions to finish the gown! We were like the little mice in Cinderella, working to make a princess gown! After it came together we were all relieved to see that it had turned out beautifully. (we were shooting it the next day)

For the Sail dress I tried to make it as sexy as possible, while keeping the look that it washed up from the sea. This costume is proof that you could put Traci in a sack and she can still look amazing! I distressed the fabric and dyed it to look like it had been rolling around the ocean. The knotted rope that ties around the hips is a slip knot, because it reminds me of a knot a sailor would use on his ship.

“The Little Mermaid”
We repurposed the same tail from the “Aquataenia Mermaid” and “Sirenia Mermaid“. Ben Wallace gave it a new paint job and I attached glittering rhinestones. I also made her a translucent hip fin that Traci later added rhinestone details to. Ben also sculpted Traci’s seashells. Traci painted and blinged out the shells, Katie Mitchell decorated the bra with beaded lace and I added purple fluffs to the side of the shells. Talk about a group effort!

“Dark Traci”
Dark Traci was inspired by Vanessa from the movie. I just happen to have a vintage dress in my wardrobe that looked similar to the dress she wears. The top is a dark purple velvet with matching peplums that hang over a lavender tulle skirt. Traci did a smokey eye worn with diamond circle lenses. For a finishing touch I added flecks of gold leif detail to her cheekbones, neck, and clavicle. The makeup for this look reminds me of the markings you would see on a sea creature. Hair artist Jessica Frieling gave her a elegant undo swept to one side with green and red ringlets falling from fishtail braids. It really stands apart from all the other looks and gives variety to the music video.

“Light Traci”
I used the skirt and corset from the “Queen Titania” photoshoot, then made a matching fantasy circlet to go with the iridescent gem that is placed on the heart at the center of the corset. Traci asked me to do her make-up for this look. I kept it sweet and airy with shimming pink cheeks and frosty peachy & plum eyes. Hair artist Jessica Frieling gave rainbow extensions and huge fantasy hair!!