I had quickly fallen in love with how Jeanne looked in Fate Apocrypha as the design was so well balanced and feminine. I had been hunting for a project that had those traits because I was still reeling from making my Lady Thor costume. Which was horrendously disproportionate and unflattering on my 5'2 self. I really needed a costume to make me feel badass and this was the one, that's for sure.

Jeanne/ Alter

Fate/Apocrypha

may 2018/2019

I knew immediately after finishing Jeanne that I wanted to make her Alter version. It gave me the opportunity to make the costume again-but this time armed with everything i had learned.

This costume felt like the first time I took creative liberties to make it suit me and my style and it really paid off. All the filigree details was just hot glue formed in silicone moulds which was a really quick and cheap option to decorate the armour. It made the armour look more realistic than the original anime references.

It was also the first time I chose more elaborate fabrics to enhance the overall look with guipure lace and velvet damask. The original dress design was plain and now I couldn't even think to not use something with more interesting textures as so much of it is visible to the eye.

I was really proud of how well the costume came together that I had to make it again for Jalter. This time the design required so much more fabric along with a cape. As this was to be worn in May at both MCM Expo and for the British Museum's Japanese culture exhibit in the may heat, I had to go for more breathable fabric choices but I had chosen much more dense foam for the armor which had a much nicer finish.

I also really loved making the flags for both the spears, it was a really nice break from making the costume and had such a high payoff when the wind blowed during photoshoots.

I loved the look of the armoured corset on Jeanne and knew that getting it to fit snug and still give the appearance of a waistline would be a challenge. What ended up being the best solution was to wear another corset underneath!

This meant that my waist was already appearing smaller before the foam armour was placed on top. This gave the appearance that the armour was super flush and cinched to my waist instead of sitting on top of it. The centre back of the foam was backed with felt before I punched eyelets through for a proper laced up closure. It felt like the best solution, slightly more period accurate and more decorative than a zip.