G A R N E T til A L E X A N D R O S . XVII

Final Fantasy IX

The Inspiration

Garnet had been one of my dream cosplays, basically since I started really getting into cosplay. My ultimate dream costume was her gown, but I got nudged into doing this one much sooner. You can't see the flaws in the photos though, thanks goodness. In the end, it barely lasted through one wear, and I bought all the supplies to re-make it the way I really want it. As time has gone on, that seems less and less likely.

I knew this was going to be a crazy project before I even started it.

The Build

Starting at the top: the wig was a New Look "Dutch Boy" in #4, with straightening and custom cutting. The choker was made from some leftover semi-shine polyester fabric I had lying around. The blouse was made using white casa satin, and an out of print pattern that I bought a couple of years prior. The bodysuit was made of marigold ponte, using two different patterns- a leggings pattern, and a short bodice piece from a renaissance pattern. I don't reccomend this fabric, as it didn't have nearly as much stretch as I really needed (it was a 2-way vs a 4-way stretch) which made tailoring the suit really difficult. I still hadn't truly learned the difference between the stretch of knits, and the stretch of a lycra/spandex. The belt buckles were made from buckles off some clearance belts and customized with craft foam and paper clay, colored with metallic spray paint and pewter rub-n-buff.

The gloves were a pair of red leather gloves that I bought at wal-mart, with the straps made from red vinyl. The same red vinyl was used to cover and customize the boots - I used super glue and stretched and held the vinyl in place. It took several layers of experimentation, and they were still really still not done.

The pendant was a complex job. The crystal was first sculpted in plaster, then I made a mold and cast it in resin. The crown topper was make from a combination of sculpy, craft foam, rhinestones (for the studs) and silver metallic spraypaint. The final touches were done with pewter rub-n-buff. It was all held together with good old super glue.

The rod was a surprise gift.