Grace Casio

Colour: Resene Kaitoke Green

"My inspiration was based on Maya's story.

She finds herself welcomed inside by the mystical Gypsy Queen. She welcomed Maya with a smile as if the Gypsy Queen was expecting her. The forest took Maya's breath away as she looked around and laid eyes on creatures she thought would only exist in her wildest dreams and fantasies. She saw birds and butterflies in colour she thought never existed.

The Queen spoke 'Kaitoke'. Kaitoke is where you are right now. As she moves closer to Maya she said 'limits only exist in your head and myths are only unverified facts'. The queen reaches for Maya's arms with a gift and she says 'Do not open it until you reach the destination where your heart belongs. As quick as Maya blinks she is somewhere else with nothing but the enchanting box in her hand as she continues to search for the place where her heart will feel home.

My design is named after the mystical forest called 'Kaitoke'. My main inspiration of the dress is the colour of the mystical forest and the glamour that the gypsy queen maintains during Maya's encounter with her.

My dress is fitted close to the body with enough ease to glamorously move around with. The front contains the main features which are contrasted pleats and ruching. Pleats are inspired by magical birds from the enchanting forest and ruching is inspired like the point of view of the birds flying over the tree tops of the forest. The back neck is dropped with an inverted pleat finished on the centre back which represents the entrance of the mystical forest."

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