I then looked at Mens fashion. I found mens fashion extremely interesting as it is so differnet to mens fashion today in its extravagance and costume like appearance. Below are images of George I and George II who wore very elaborate outfits showing wealth and status. They also become sightly feminie as they sit above the knee, accompanied by knee high socks.
Below are two images of mens fashion from my sketchbook which I find particulary inspiring. The high collar with the frilled edge and the large pointed collar are both very eye catching. The shape and edge detailing is very inspiring when thinking of embroidery techniques and edge finishes.
I then looked at our current Queen Elizabeth II. She hasn't been the most populuar queen, however she hasn't had much oppourtunity to shine, with the government having the majoriyy of control. I also looked at her relationship with Princess Diana.
The most inspiring aspect of my research so far is research I took whilst on Holiday in Corfu this year. I visited Achilleion Palace, which was built by Elizabeth Queen of Hungray and Empress of Austria in the late 1800's. Whilst there I learnt about her unusual Royal life of travel, her loss of two children and her obsession with beauty and dieting. She is described as being a free spirt, and is said to have had the symptons for what would now be diagnosed as Anorexia Nervosa.
Below is a postcard I purchased from the Palace with a image of the Palace when it was first built.
This is a photo of the Palace I took during my visit.
Belwo is a page from my sketchbok with images form inside the Palace. It had huge ceilings and doorways, and large windows, all making it extremely spacious and full of natural light. It had incrediblly detailed and elaboratly decorated ceilings and marble floors.
Following my visit I researched Elizabeth further. She adored travelling and spent most of her time doing so. Two of her three children died, one was her son at the age of thirty. Following his death she built Achilleion place and it became one of her favourite destinations.
Below is a page from my sketchbook with some embroidery samples inspired by the image of Elizabeth wearing a dress with flowers in her hair and embroidery detailing on the dress.
Belwo is a postcard with a image of Elizabeth purchased form the Palace. After her sons death she stayed in permanant mouring, very rarely being seen. She would wear a floor length black dress buttoned to the bottom. In the image her extremly thin frame is also visibe, being exaggerated even more with a corset.
Achilleion Palace was named in tribute to the Greek hero Achillies. The painting below was in Achilleion Palace as a tribute to Achilles, showing him dragging Hectors body back from Troy after killing him for revenge of the death of his friend ( you may recognise from the film 'troy'). There were several tributes to Achilles in the palace, one was a huge statue of Achilles in the Palace garden, with an arrow through his heel.
I will now develop my research further into Elizabeth, and look at her life of travel, her relationship with her husband and her claimed Anorexia. i will also lok at Greek trubutes thrugh iut the Palace. I have also been researchign fashion in England in the 1800s, which i will compare to Greek fashioninthe 1800s.
I also find Elizabeths death inspiring. She was stabbed in the death at the age of 60, whilst waiting to board a ship to embark on more travelling. She was stabbed in the heart by a man loking for a Prince to murder, who never showed up. To fullfill his desire to be famous he then stabbed Elizabeth instead. She didn't realise the extent of her injurys at first, as her corset was holding in the bleeding. When she removed her corset the extent of her injurys was revealed and she soon died. This is a pefect example of the extreme fitting corsets worn during this time period.
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