Project Details
THE LADY AMALTHEA FROM "THE LAST UNICORN"
My favorite movie as a child was “The Last Unicorn,” which told the story of a unicorn who goes on a quest to find others like her. During her journey she befriends a magician, and together they discover that a demonic Red Bull has driven all the unicorns into the sea. To protect the unicorn from the Red Bull, the magician turns her into a woman named Lady Amalthea.
I was always enchanted by this movie and wanted to make my own costume of Lady Amalthea. When I found a shimmering lavender cotton/Lurex fabric one day, I knew it was time to construct her iconic gown. The gown is a simple but elegant design. It is floor length, with puffed, off-the-shoulder long sleeves, and has a lace-up closure at the front.
Because the gown is essentially strapless, I knew it would need a substantial foundation to keep it properly positioned on the body, without slipping down. This is where the fun began! I love engineering a good foundation, so I created a boned interior bustier with a rubberized elastic band to grip the waist and support the upper portion of the gown. I was also careful to create this bustier in a manner that would be invisible from the outside and provide a smooth and effortless silhouette.
I also had fun constructing the sleeves. Again, these had to be carefully engineered to create a puff that would stay puffed and not slip down with the weight of the lower sleeve. This was accomplished by lining it with a shortened inner sleeve stay, adding a strip of gathered tulle between the sleeve and the stay, and flatlining the sleeve with silk organza to give the puff extra body. The lower sleeves were finished at the wrist with self button loops and sparkling crystal shank buttons, a detail I added to the design.
Other fun details I added were real, functioning welt pockets made up in dark purple silk/rayon velvet, and a grommeted lace-up closure in the front. For ease of wearing, I added an invisible zipper up the center back. The top edge of the gown is trimmed in lace, and the entire dress is lined in silk habotai.
Of course, I must also mention that I made the accompanying Red Bull costume for my boyfriend! His jacket was made from a very special red and black silk brocade that my grandparents purchased on a trip to Japan almost forty years ago… but that is a story for another time!
We wore these costumes the annual Labyrinth Ball in Los Angeles in 2019, and had an amazing evening, full of enchantment... and I crossed paths with another Lady Amalthea!
Scroll down to see a clip from the film!
