contemporary approaches to the corset/petticoat paradigm which will be adapted to generate the form of the glamorous church

 

This Alexander McQueen dress has a pleated leather shell with a thickened chiffon lining. I think this dress is a good model for me to draw from formally. In many ways it is the glam form that I have been describing. It has the double structure with a simply pleated exterior and a voluminous inner structure which deals with a more dense and complicated fabric manipulation.  

 

In the following examples we can regard the bodice as the exterior structure and the skirt as the voluminous interior structure.

This McQueen dress has a darted, bias-cut bodice with spiral semi-transparent chiffon flounces, attached intermittently along the irregular diagonal seams of the bodice. The skirt continues this method of construction, but with a greater intensity of voluminous fabric. What interests me about this garment is how the flounces are attached to the structural seams and how the bodice showcases both the structure and volume. I am interested in modelling elements of my building (the facade in particular) in this manner, a highly structured form with areas of dramatic volume.

 

Building on the discussion of pleated/darted/structured bodices/exteriors, this Versace gown shows how pleats can be combined with seams to provide a rigid shell which is detailed to describe the curvature it is navigating at a given point. 

 

Finally, the last example from McQueen showcases much of what has been dicsussed above.Interestingly, a bias-cut lattice is used to allow the bodice to fit the body. The cascading effect of the skirt is also critical. It trails onto the floor, which begins to obscure the transition from vertical to horizontal.