Christine is a lovely and lyrical professional Ballroom dancer, and it was my pleasure to help her create her new competition look for Twin Cities Open. I ask my clients to tell me how they want to present themselves on the floor in a few words, and then we use those words to check our decision making on all aspects of a gown design. Christine has a new partner (Martin Pickering) and is doing beautifully with him. She wanted her new look to be "fierce." As in, a fierce competitor; strong, determined, giving 110%, and uncompromising. So, we worked on creating an image of power and strength. She chose Hematite satin chiffon and Swarovski embellishment in many different colors and sizes for her shirt, and the bodice is hematite stretch mesh, encrusted with Crystal AB stones, with an undecorated, softly expressive over drape, through which you can see the paved stones on the fitted bodice.
I think she looks fierce here, waiting to begin her Tango. I'm really pleased with the jewelry I created for her. The choker, earrings, bangles and cuff seem to support her look nicely. She made a few bangles of her own as well, with me creating the bases, and Christine selecting and applying the stones. She also did a great job with much of the pave on the bodice. The hematite color is deep, rich and very "I mean business" on the floor, and I'm so glad I got to see her dance. They did very well at Twin Cities Open, placing 2nd in the Rising Star Professional Smooth and 5th in the Open Professional Smooth. My photography is not great in the low, theatrical lighting of the competition floor, and someday, I hope to have more and better images of this beautiful woman in her new gown.
