[London_Mungojerrie]

I am currently making Elphaba's act II, and Defying Gravity costumes. I really need some help though! Do any of you have any good reference pictures? Or have any of you previously made an Elphie costume and could give me some advice or pictures.

~London_Mungo

[what_the_heck013]

Have you tried http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en ? Just type in "Elphaba" and press Search Images.

[London_Mungojerrie]

Yep......But i need really large close up pictures showing all the wonderful details of the dress.

[swmustang878]

That's a really cool idea! If you don't mind my asking, why are you making it? I mean, after all, it is a multi-thousand dollar dress.

[born to perform]

I haven't seen any really up close pictures except pictures that people have taken themselves, because since this is a tony winning dress, they wouldn't want too close of pictures to let just anyone copy it.

[what_the_heck013]

How's this:

[CYTthespian]

they're not very good, i apologize. but look! three different actresses. one good one. [/img]

[London_Mungojerrie]

[actor]

[Misto]

http://unexamined-life.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=659

http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b343/Linzy08453/NYC%20Trip/
They should help.

[wickedeast2102]

[London_Mungojerrie]

[xani]

I don't know if this is still needed, but here's a close up picture of the top of the Act II dress...

[Fantine]

I think it's rather ugly

[DramaRobin2002]

[Baker]

[Fantine]

[redshoesrock]

It's supposed to look ugly, so they did their job.

dramarobin was correct, Elphaba's been on the run for however long the time gap is between acts, so the solid black dress from Act I now has holes, faded cloth, rips, etc . If you take a look at that last picture on the thread of the closeup of the Act II dress, the middle belly part has so many holes you can see the white lace corset or whatever you care to think is under Elphaba's dress. So like I said, it's suppose to look distressed and ugly, so if you thought the dress was ugly, the costume designer did their job properly.

[happyguava]

I think it's gorgeous. Am I just odd maybe?!

[DramaRobin2002]

[happyguava]

Haha, sadly I would. Not that we have proms.

[Elphaba_Gelphie_Glinda]

I would SO wear that dress to the prom.

And I can so I'm happy

[pinkandgreen]

The dress is absolutely gorgeous viewed up close. I had a backstage tour before a show in Minneapolis last week, and was taken into Julia Murney's dressing room. (Alas, she was not there.) The fabric for the Act II dress is so beautiful - richly textured and a wonderful combination of subtle colors - it would make a fabulous cropped jacket for the fall season, LOL.

My backstage host let me hold some of the costumes, and I was amazed at how heavy they are! One of the male Ozzian's costumes weighed 40 lb.

[swmustang878]

Those costumes are crazy heavy and even more expensive! It's pretty crazy. I saw a video saying how much money in costumes and sets the tour cast brings along from city to city, and I have one thing to say. I would NEVER be the person who has to fly/drive the trailer carrying all of that stuff!!! (Wait a tick, you can't fly a trailer! lol)

[audreydarling]

that does sound awesome..I'm actually planning on being Elphie for halloween (one of my good friends is gonna be Glinda(she has a pink dress like the popular one) what outfit do you think I should make..I'm think the Defying Gravity,..because it is the most Iconic..and probably not entirely difficult..I LOVE the act two dress though..but it looks complicated..plus my hairstyle would probably look best with the DF one..and I would get the hat ..also does anyone have any idea how to make me GREEN! like makeup suggestions or something.

[swmustang878]

As for your costume choice, I LOVE the shiz university dress that Elphaba wears. Plus, that beanie is great. As far as going green, I'd try a local costume shop or something for green face paint and go that route. Unless you can find some green blush or something because that'd probably be lighter and easier to pull off.

[happyguava]

[SharpenedCrayons]

My friends and I are thinking of doing the same thing. I'm not the most talented dress maker, actually I can barely sew, so does anyone have the slightest idea of what to do? It doesn't have to be an exact replica at all!

[DramaRobin2002]

Just go for the dress she wears to the Ozdust. It's a simple, plain, sleeveless black dress that you could probably find at a store. Coupled with the hat and you're Elphaba. As for your green makeup, don't use the crappy stuff or it will be coming off all over the place and won't go on right. Here is a site that tells you exactly what they use for the show:

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/22252

For your arms, get green sheer pantyhose and cut out the feet so there is a little strip that will fit between your thumbs and pointer fingers. Then just put them on your arms. Your dress should cover the part behind your shoulders. Get another pair for your legs if you dress is short enough to show them. Then all you have to paint is your face, neck, collar bone and the rest of your hands.

[swmustang878]

Here is a pic of the Shiz U. costume. That is GREAT!!! Someone made that too! Wow. LOVE IT!

[Jeenyus]

i'am as well making the elphaba dress.
i'm a fashion student and wants to be a costume designer.
i'm making it besides the fact that is a totally awsome dress, the challange (did i spell that corectly, don't mind i'm dutch). if you look at it the top is made of al kinds of differten fabricks and the skirt alone all those differt layers of fabrick.

i just started to make a basic and then from there it's i think some kind of patch work on the top.

i will keep a journal of it on my site, if anyone is intrested.
www.geocities.com/jeenyus_me

greets Nikki

[ALoneWanderer]

Your screen name isn't a mistake right? Cause I'd just about die if it were.

[Jeenyus]

Why?? Should it be??

It's a brand of Snowboards www.jeenyus.com
On forums or stuff like this my screen name is jeenyus or jeenyus_me

[ALoneWanderer]

Ooooh, good.

I thought perhaps you had just mispelled genius.

[Jeenyus]

nope when i saw the name i thought it was funny and decided to make it my internet name

[Jeenyus]

oke this is how i am so far
take a look http://www.geocities.com/jeenyus_me/Elphabadress.html

[Belle]

It looks fantastic so far! Will it be easier to make it one dress, not separate bodice and skirt as it is onstage? Also, is there a separate "corset" and lighter lace top, or is it all one piece?

I REALLY want to make that costume, and Glinda's Bubble dress... I study Theatrical Costume Construction, so making these things is going to be my career!

[Jeenyus]

mine to i'm a fashion student (there is nog theater costume education here)

i don't know i just figured this out as the easyest way for i wil attach the bodice onto the dress but is was easyer to make it sepperat because of all the stiching you have to do so when the bodice is stitch to the dress the sleeves will go in and then i put a 60 cm zipper in the back
and for the cape i has to be detachable so wil use uhm what's it cald press buttons in coper colour

[broadwayprincess]

thats great! xx

[Defies_Gravity]

[Jeenyus]

oke i'm almost done I hope I have it finished by thursday for the fashion show of our openings party of our new school building

here's the update:
http://www.geocities.com/jeenyus_me/Elphabadress

[Defies_Gravity]

Damn! That is great! How long did it take you to do that! God! Even if I could so-- which I can't-- I wouldn't have the patience to make that. Props!

[Defies_Gravity]

BTW:
Jenyus and broadwayprincess- I recognize your avatars. I have them saved on my computer!

[Jeenyus]

oke I have finished the dress only missing now are the strings on the sleeves, the cape and the hat wich will all come soon
Here are the pic's of the fashion show
(Again the colors are brighter on the pic's than in real life)

[Jeenyus]

sorry those pic's don't work here they are again

[ConverseSneaker]

they worked fine the first time. Awesome job there. That looks seriously complex.

[Little_Nell]

That is fabulous, I love it! Hey, you should take commissions...!

[Jeenyus]

[Little_Nell]

Well it's that good I reckon you'd easily find people who would pay you to make costumes like that to order.

[Jeenyus]

oh oke. well there was actually alreddy someone but i just don't had the time for it plus that persone lives in the US and I In The Netherlands

[Defies_Gravity]

That would be a problem...
*Stares at pictures of dress.* Good God! You're remarkable.
Heh. Okay, once Halloween's over, I'm gonna post pictures of me in costume (possibly with one of my friends as G(a)linda) just to show how lazy we are compared to you. Heheh.

[theatre_grl]

Jeenyus, that is awesome!!
how much would you charge for something like that (or a galinda's popular dress)?

[TR_Wolf]

[happyguava]

[TR_Wolf]

[SapphireNight]

Can I just say, WELL DONE, Jeenyus, that is bloody amazing!
I can not tell how impressed I am, I have never, ever, seen another fan made dress which is so accurate. That is bloody amazing, well done, girl, that is one hell of an acomplishment to be proud of!

[Jeenyus]

Well thank you very much. i'm very proud of myself to hahahaha
Next mission: To get a picure of idina and me both wearing the dress LOL
(A girl can dream LOL)

[happyguava]

[SapphireNight]

And its mostly a story about friendship (well, at least the musical is).
I'm taking my best friend to see Wicked soon, shes very strongly religious, and opposed to Halloween. But shes agreed to see Wicked, because of what it means (when I have enough money to get tickets, of course).

[Defies_Gravity]

[Jeenyus]

[Defies_Gravity]

[Jeenyus]

jeej i got my first job as a costume designer TNX you

[Defies_Gravity]

Well, you're not officially our costume designer...yet. You are the first person on our list of crew members. Well...besides lyrics/music writer, and book-writer. (That's Kaida and me, respectively.)

[Jeenyus]

i know i was just zo excited

[Defies_Gravity]

That's okay...and completely understandable.
We're getting alot accomplished. We've got most of the songs down, and a decent portion of the boodk done.

[Jeenyus]

i took me long enough to finaly complete the whole costume except for the broom of course (don't look at the make up it was done for a fashion show at school and every body had to have the same make up) here it is:

[Timmy_Wishes he was Quast]

I WANT ONE!!!

[happyguava]

Me too!!! Very nice work, Jeenyus!

[Jeenyus]

(In a deep Elvis voice) Thank you, Thank you very much

[Belle]

Beautiful! Very neat job! But if there's one flaw, it is the neatness... her costume onstage is quite broken down. I know it's the toughest thing to do, break down a beautful costume that's taken months of toil, so I quite understand if you deliberately chose not to!

Turns out I'm making a bodice in class at the moment that bears a striking resemblance in shape to Elphaba's... I get to decorate it any way I like, hmmm, what COULD I do?

[Jeenyus]

i know what you mean belle and i'm acually still fussing about wheter to do it or not

[Belle]

how about adding black lace, and breaking down that? that way you'll keep the existing work intact?

[Jeenyus]

i was acctully thinkingmore to buy wool or cotton you know what you use for knitting and such and put that between the two layers from the chest and the sleeves cause those excisti out of some glitter fabrick and on top of that lace so i could attache it on the lace or something i don't know. anyway my next project is galindas ballgown incl. the corset she wears underneath it

[Jeenyus]

okey pics of teh fantasy fair in holland and yes i have broke down the costume like belle suggested

http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a12/nikki_liem/Fantasy%20Fair%20/2007/

the ozdust elphie is sapphirenight

[SapphireNight]

I'm just going to post one of those pics, just so you get a quick jist, if you dont want to look at the whole collection of pics.

[Jeenyus]

TNX Sapphirenight you just took the one i hate the most

[Mistress]

[SapphireNight]

[Crowfrost]

WOW!!! THAT IS GREAT I would never have the much patience


Yeah and for a prom i might actually wear elphies dress (OR Galindas)


Crowfrost

[Mistress]

I actually have a quick question for you costume experts here...I wasn't absoulutley sure but I think the act II dress for Elphie is actually different on tour than on Broadway. This is based on the Julia Murney pic and when I saw Shoshana in Toronto. I was 7th row from the front, which is actually a lot closer than it sounbds, so I got a pretty good lok at everything, and if I remember correctly, her act II dress wasn't shredded or frilly. I was more of a velevety-looking funeral gown, I think. Can anybody tell me if I have it right or am suffering from false-memory syndrome and the tour uses the same act II dress as Broadway.

Thanks in advance

[Jeenyus]

in an certain point you are right. all act two dresses are difrent they are made for each actres induviduel that's way i based mine on julia's because there was so much difrence in al of them.

for example kerry's and idina's london dress is difrent than shona and cj's because those are made in the USA and shona and cj's where made in London they are only small cahnges thought but still you can tell the diffrence

[Belle]

There's definitely two designs - the OBC dress, and older ones, are distinctly different to to London/newer ones. The main difference is the bodice, the older one is smoother and a deeper point, the newer one has a more defined "corset" shape and a more textured fabric.

[Jeenyus]

cj's and shona's have jeweld webs on the bodice instead of the normal beading and idina has a realy long zipper on the back (as in longer than it has to be)