The Autumnal Queen — Domini Anne

This piece was different.

She came from a different place than the others.

I had been in the studio working on the Flamenco skirt, and began to dream of an Erte inspired jacket to go on top, with some deep pleats over the shoulders and skinny sleeves. I'd begun to draft up the pattern when Dawson arrived and we got in to brainstorming mode.

Later, once I was creating alone again, the Erte vision reappeared in a different incarnation, in the Rust Taffeta I'd just bought in LA. The skirt practically made itself in front of my eyes, and this jacket- the Semi-Circle, was the precursor to the Oval coat. Fashioned without wire, the pleated sleeves add shape and volume without weight, and the bottom hem billows gently just above the hip line.

She became complete when Dawson pulled out his Alexander McQueen inspired, bleeding corset. The perfect amount of fierce and raw to expose the truth beneath Summer's abundant existence.

Her crown was the second to last piece I made. I had thought long and hard about the right colors to offset that vast amount of Rust, and finally settled on the "Christmasy" colors of Deep red, Ivory and Silver, Deep green and some Orange. It's base is actually a baseball cap with the brim cut off, and a 3 inch fleece extender dropped down to give it more of a skullcap shape. From there, I used florists' foam to give the Princess Leia buns some volume, and composed the rose/chrysanthemum/poinsettia bouquets that adorned the ears.

The shoes are understated - simple gold boots with a reasonable heel, adorned with wings of feathers in the front.

Photogaphy: Charles Schoenberger

Photgrapher's Assistant: Armin Kramer

Clothing Design: Domini Anne

Leather: Dao Pow Industries

Accessories: Domini Anne

Model: Kierstyn Bachmann-Berlin