Recreating our own custom version of the Pennywise scare clown from IT for scare actor Cosplay artist Cliff Dorian

Being contacted to make a scare clown costume was not my idea of fun.

When first contacted I was in shock.

Thoughts ran through my brain like ‘perhaps I am being stalked by a scare clown’. This was when all the hype of scary clowns chasing people on back streets was all about. ‘Perhaps when he shows up for his appointment he will bring a large knife and stab me’ I know now how irrational these thoughts were but at the time I was incredibly intrigued. I have not met a more lovely celebrity than Cliff Dorian.

I didn’t realise that being a scare actor was actually a job let alone a money making enterprise. Which as much as it brings serious joy to the lives of those children and adults that see the Pennywise costume, it is also one of the many faces of Cliff Dorian notorious Australian scare actor.

Cliff arrived at our first appointment with no knives and seemed a rather gentle soul. As we sat and drank a cup of tea together we started discussing the design and how he really wanted to pay homage to Stephen King’s Pennywise and soon decided that we match enough to begin the design process together. I drew up a quick sketch with his measurements

Little did I know the long and extremely hard stitching journey I was being commissioned upon in producing the Pennywise costume. The days when your in the sewing room for several hours at a time are just a necessary function of my business to create whatever look I have been commissioned to make. Here I am with Cliff Dorian in one of several fittings over the creation process journey we went on together.

We had to think a hell of a lot about every facet of the design process as making each piece of the garment was totally different to anything else that I would make custom for the 21st century. Cliff was very particular about what he needed and was very easy to work with in discussing viable solutions to each part of the design process that we had. From the way the collar was frilled to how the pantaloons blew out. How to create something that will move with his body in a fabric that would be versatile enough to last wash after wash and performance after performance. With months of work in the sewing room we made something quite beautifully horrible.

We looked at everything that was being offered in the market and looked at how our costume would be different to other cosplayers doing the same thing. Cliff as a professional cosplayer wanted the best finish possible. We discussed even making the garment in silk but decided for functionality it would be better to use a cotton nylon stretch blend. we searched everywhere to find proper images of the original costume so we could make it as realistic as possible but different enough through fit and fabric that it is not an exact copy. As copying the actual design 100% would be breaching copyright on the Pennywise design. Which is both morally and legally wrong. So we continued the design process onwards for months back and forth determining every single detail to perfection. Pinning every piece in place and making multiple changes to the look to fit and to the style. Like the length of the jacket to get the right proportion to Cliffs body. Everything had to be just right. After I completed my part we sent the costume over to Amanda Smythe to do further customisation to get the costume to look like it’s come right out of a sewer and look like the alien monster that Stephen King wrote about. We had a blast working together and at the end Cliff and I attended one of Cliff’s multiple Halloween events. Halloween at Lithgow. Here’s the final result

Here we are having a cuddle at the end🤡

Professional photograph by Lighthouse Photography Sydney.

Professional scare actor Cliff Dorian

Custom Costume pattern making and sewing The Dressmaker Secret Culture.

Professional Costume further customisation added dying and special FX Amanda Smythe

Mask by Shattered FX

Authentic Creatives & designers a dying group

Designers and original makers are dying out. We are going extinct and being replaced with big machinery and cheap overseas labour. Not only that whenever we make something that is authentic it is copied. That I don’t mind. I just want to let people know that working with our hands and a sewing machine is an art form and the fact that you meet someone who can sketch an image, draw their own pattern, cut and sew from start to finish is rare nowadays and I’m amongst the youngest in this field in Australia that can make anything from the beginning.

When you look at a dress in a retail store that costs $350 it has went through so many hands for each piece and the fabric sourced all over the world but made in less than an hour. When an authentic creative makes you something for $350 +++ it would of taken many more hours or days to produce. The sewing of retail clothing is hardly done in Australia nowadays and is mostly done in India, Bali, China, Phillipines, Turkey etc where the dollar is cheaper. I don’t mind that but do not compare an authentic designer or creative who makes one off designs or capsule collections to the mass produced market or to something you buy from the retail store.

For 19 + years I have been slowly learning my craft. Just bits a pieces here and there picking up every piece of knowledge that I can from people, from books and just generally learning as much as I can of anything at all that I can apply to my field. It is my obsession and my dream. I am young to be running my own business as a Designer Dressmaker but I created my job because I saw a need in the market. Plus until I started calling myself The Designer Dressmaker nobody else had put those words together. The decline of dressmaking and especially dressmakers that make their own patterns is obvious in Australia adding further value to what is left. We are a dime a dozen. Help contribute to Australian dressmakers or local dressmakers if you aren’t Australian because otherwise we may just die out and who shall you buy an authentic designer dress from.

I’m going to rock this year. You should too. 🤘🏻

Alessandro Michelle

Italian born designer Alessandro Michelle is the creative director of Gucci since January 2015 and he is in charge of the global brand image of the label.

He was named on Time Magazines top 100 most influential people in the artist category for 2017 and so is really peaking in his career at this stage.

His latest collection was the 2018 cruise which was inspired by mythology and the renaissance. Although looking closely it was a mix of the ages. He’s drawn from all different eras and masterfully brought it together as a mish mash of culture and time.

Born in 1972 Alessandro studied at the Accademia di costume e Di Moda Rome. Beginning his early career designing for Fendi before being snapped up by Tom Ford in 2002 where he took on a variety of roles competing to the creative director role.

In 2015 he was awarded International fashion designer of the year (British Fashion Awards) and again in 2016.

With an international designer of the year award in 2016 from the CFDA Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Here is Alessandro being interviewed in the studio by the New York Times. Interview NYT

Here is the latest Gucci 2018 Cruise collection.

My latest custom designer formal gown for a year 10 formal

The dress is beautiful. Absolutely stunning! Embellished in gorgeous Swarovski crystals and fine lace. The silhouette is off the shoulder panelled with a gorgeous fishtail with lace and Swarovski detail. The bodice is covered in lace as well and embellished lightly in each flower with Swarovski crystals.

 

Hottest fitness costume in Southern Hemisphere. Mary poppins meets show girl sexy

So I was approached to make a custom fitness costume for gorgeous Kate who had such potential I just couldn’t resist helping design the hottest fitness costume this side of the Southern Hemisphere. She wanted bling and the bang de la boom show girl style with a Mary Poppins twist. Kate wanted something hot that will help her with her success as she really wants to win that fitness competition that she has worked so hard for. To start with I fully beaded a diamonte bralet. Then I made the diamonte costume bottom with fully manoeuvrable lace and satin bustle and white satin Coco Chanel collar with cute red satin double bow. Fabrics we all cannot resist. Then I designed and hand sewed a miniature top hat with a new fabric I have found called FosshapeR300 that you can blow dry and mould into a hardened shape. I love innovative fabrics and that is definitely a new one although expensive works fabulously. I then covered the hat in black satin with a red band and feather that is removable. I also made a pair of white gloves and shoe covers. Here are some pics. Please follow my blog or like my Facebook page on the right hand side to see more custom designs from designer dressmaker Ashleigh Patel of Secret Culture. Ashleigh is an Australian based designer and dressmaker living in Newcastle Australia. You can contact her via email at secretcultureshop@gmail.com if interested in custom made items.