How to Make High-Fashion Costumes
For a sophisticated get-up at your next costume party, dress as a high-fashion icon. You don't need to invest in pricey brand-name clothes to make it look like you're fresh off the runway. So everybody can identify your costume, look to fashion-forward celebrities, over-the-top designs and iconic red carpet looks.
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Pick an Icon
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Instead of dressing up as "high fashion" in general, focus your costume around a particular fashion icon. If you're going out with a group, encourage your friends to pick their own icons so, together, you can represent the spread in some haute couture magazine. Madonna's many looks are easy to replicate, whether you go for her daring conical bustier or an outfit from one of her music videos. Another recognizable route is to emulate the dress of a starlet at a red carpet event. For a creative project, replicate the famous swan dress worn by Bjork to the 2001 Academy Awards or the safety-pin dress Liz Hurley wore in 1994.
Pick an Era
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If finding a specific garment is too limiting, dress yourself as a fashion "plate" from another era. Take advantage of the cyclical nature of fashion and pick a relatively recent era or one that's recently going through a resurgence. You can find appropriate vintage items at secondhand shops or scour trendy shops for updated versions of retro looks. Don't forget to attend to your hair, makeup and accessories for era-appropriate details. Even men dressing as 1980s fashion models should plan on wearing plenty of eye makeup.
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Straight From the Runway
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If you're looking for a more extensive sewing project, you can find plenty of inspiration for outlandish costumes right on the runway. Look to the designs of vanguard designers like Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, who presented models covered with multicolored plastic balls in a 2010 show. You aren't limited to contemporary designers. Page through a fashion history book for inspiration from the likes of Elsa Schiaparelli's 1937 hat in the shape of a high-heel shoe.
Whimsical Alternatives
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Instead of dressing up as a haute couture model, you can go for a more creative alternative that still fits within the world of fashion. For example, use muslin and straight pins to disguise yourself as a seamstess' dummy. For a youthful take on high fashion, dress as a paper doll. Use a large sheet of poster board in the shape of a life-size doll and cut a hole for your face. Create a few outfits out of construction paper so you can change your look during the evening.
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References
- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
