Category Archives: Corsets and Waist Training

Custom Rock & Roll Tribute Dresses: The Cramps

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To celebrate its 28th anniversary, SLUG Magazine staged a fashion show featuring 28 designers, 28 models, plus hair and makeup by The Paul Mitchell School of Salt Lake City and Ogden as well as the Taylor Andrews Academy.

Jen McGrew was assigned the year 2009 and created a tribute dress to *The Cramps*. Their lead singer, Lux Interior, died in 2009, appearing on SLUG’s March cover of that year.  Rest in peace, LUX! Old rockers like us still miss you:(

 

 

The dress is a custom cincher with a basque and tutu of custom dye sublimation-printed fabric featuring The Cramps’ logo and artwork from their first album, “Bad Music for Bad People”. Custom, cute sequined bikini bottoms and removable veil are icing on this delightful cake. Modeled by the lovely Yazmine Tatiana @MermaidNymora , with makeup by @cakefacedeez , we are very proud of these show-stoppers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much to Angela Brown and everyone on the SLUG Magazine crew, all the designers, models, makeup and hair artists, DJ’s and Robert Hyrum Hirschi for the wonderful pics here.

 

Nice article with pics about SLUG’s 28th anniversary fashion show here: http://www.slugmag.com/…/slug-28th-anniversary-fashion-show/

 

Congratulations SLUG and here’s to 28 more!

“Butt Bumper” Commercial Costume and Props Design: FiftyFilms

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We built and installed the visual joke that sells The Advocates’ message in FiftyFilms’ hilarious 2015 commercial.

 

 

 

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McGrews’ production designer Hraefn Wulfson vacu-formed a real bumper several times, laminated all the pulls together, then attached them to a custom wooden frame.

After some choice rumpling, primer and some chrome paint, he treated the tail lights to some fun effects as well – – one broken and one flashing- akin to how your own car’s tail lights would be after an accident.

 

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Costume designer Jen with actress Cherie wearing a corset (underneath her blouse). Two specialty plastic gun holster clips sewn to the corset’s back hold the bumper’s strap in place, as Cherie does her grocery shopping, knocking merchandise off the shelves.

 

The commercial’s unmistakable message: Some accidents just follow you around and keep causing trouble unless your lawyers are The Advocates!

 

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Our thanks to everyone on the FiftyFilms production crew. This was a fun design challenge plus a most entertaining shoot that kept us constantly laughing:)

Custom Superhero Costume: Littlest Wonder Woman – Josh Rossi Photography

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Famous Photographer, Famous Daughter

 

 

A project that’s had 33 million views and counting as of January 2017.

 

When Jessica Alba, George Takei, plus even the new Wonder Woman film director Patty Jenkins are talking about your work, trust us, it’s pretty cool.

 

McGrew Studios and Josh Rossi Photography have wanted to work together on a project for several years, and at last we finally have!

 

10/20/2016

 

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The convergence of his daughter Nellee’s 3rd birthday,  the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman, Halloween 2016, plus the new Wonder Woman movie trailer all culminated in a personal project for Josh that hit viral status within just several days.  As Josh told KSL TV in an interview at our studio, “All the trending buttons have been hit with both the timing and subject matter of his project,” (not to mention Full Time Photographer‘s original click-bait article title that waves a design and labor rate in readers’ faces).

 

 

Josh’s project has generated a BIG range of discussion, contention, admiration and even scorn– throughout comment threads on all the websites that have reposted the project or created their own new features about it.

 

At McGrews, we are naturally just agog at all this activity and very proud to have played our role in this fantastic project.

 

Some of the videos, articles and links:

joshrossi.com

INSIDE EDITION’S Feature

Hanssie Ho’s *Full Time Photographer* article

KSL TV’s Feature

People Magazine’s Feature

 

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Nellee is one cool, three-year old superhero!

 

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Costume made by McGrews’ cartel members Jennifer McGrew with Diane Thompson, plus custom sword and shield by Randy Crit Killen. We love how great Josh’s photos make our work look:)

 

We made Nellee’s costume using several types of leathers along with worbla details, lacing, grommets and a variety of trimmings. We designed her leather bodice to be adjustable in the back as well as on the sides, because she will grow fast!

 

Her leather skirt pieces are sewn onto their own waistband which is attached under the bodice, and this whole element is alterable so it can also be adjused as she grows. Nelee’s armored spats lace up over her boots and should also endure two or more shoe-size increases. We made Nellee’s shoulder straps expandable, and for adjustability over time,  plus created her pauldrons to slide on her straps.

 

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Something Josh brought up after the KSL interview at our shop was the idea of creating and marketing patterns for kids’ costumes. Based on the overwhelming response to this project’s release on the web, it’s something we may seriously consider.

 

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We wanted this costume to be something that replicates the cinematic version and something that she’ll enjoy for a long time. We predict she may wear it until she is five or older!

 

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Would you like a pattern for this Wonder Woman costume that you could create for your own 2-4 year old? Tell us what you think.

 

Tags:

wonder woman toddler photography surreal kid photography child photography comic con photography comic con cosplay cosplay fashion wonder woman outfit marvel costume DC comics wonder woman costume dad spends $1500 on daughters costume josh rossi photography full time photographer

Props and effects wizard Crit Randy Killen’s process photos.
He made Nellee’s Wonder Woman sword and shield.

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Crit even made a cool bag for Nellee’s sword and shield.

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Johnny Killen helped his dad, Crit, with this project.

 

 

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Sword and shield delivered to Josh!

 

Follow and see more from Crit on Facebook-

Custom Pageant Gowns: 16th Century Miss Italy

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Custom 16th century dress for the lovely Jami Solveig Cirone, Miss Italy/Miss Multiverse 2015.
http://missmultiverse.com/ 

 

The pageant’s historic/cultural segment showcases the contestants in costumes that pay homage to their national and cultural heritage. This dress we made helps Jami honor hers.

 

 

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The gown has more than 12 yards of burgundy velvet in it plus a number of silks and laces. We cartridge pleated five whole widths of velvet (more than 260″ total inches at the waist) onto Jami’s teeny 23″ waistband. We made two petticoats and a hip roll to develop her incredible silhouette and topped it with a hand embroidered bodice. She has hanging sleeves plus quilted sleeves that lace onto her bodice. Within her bodice we installed quite a number of steel stays, lacing stays and grommets. Our hand detailing on the outside includes numerous brass beads and jewels, freshwater pearls, fabric flowers, lace trimmings plus exquisite custom brooches by artist David Powell: @POWELLARTSWORKSHOP on Instagram.

 

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Together we looked at many examples of period dresses, hairstyles and ornamentation in museum costume books plus portraits of notable Italian women.

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David’s wax carvings, ready to be cast in bronze.

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Prepped to cast multiples at one time:

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Freshly cast bronze brooches before they are cleaned up and polished.

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Photography session with Simon Blundell:  http://simonfoto.com/
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Brilliant hair and makeup by Amber Pearson. http://amberpearson.net/

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On display for a time in the parlour of our Pierpont Avenue location.

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Weddings with Tradition

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Custom wedding attire for the wonderful Karl and Rebecca.

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We engineered Rebecca’s four-piece dress to match her illustrations (she is a very talented artist and author). We created a suit for Karl, too.  His is an elegant grey wool frock coat with matching trousers, plus colorful vest, period shirt and a custom hat we had JW Hats make for us, here in Salt Lake City.

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When it’s ungathered, the skirt we made for Rebecca is over 10 feet long! Eight seams with casing and cord inside her skirt gather it all up into the lovely Austrian folds, topped by an elegant bustle. She also wears a custom corset we built to go underneath her custom bodice. Everything is white satin with very little trimming or embroidery, as per guidelines for Temple weddings.  We stabilized both her corset and outer bodice with steels to create a smooth, hourglass silhouette. We love how Karl and Rebecca look and we adore them both:) Very proud of this custom tailoring/dressmaking project.

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Making History: Victorian Dress

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Historical anniversaries bring re-enactors and history buffs out of the woodwork, so we thought we’d add some youthful vigor to the Transcontinental Railroad Anniversary shenanigans by creating a lovely dress and sending our intern, the lovely Anna, to join in on the fun.

 

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The Union Pacific’s tracks joined the Central Pacific’s tracks on May 10, 1869, in Promontory, Utah.

 

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We took our pattern from a museum book featuring mid-1800’s dress patterns and created the outfit in a nice calico. We adore how bright and cheerful Anna looks, amidst all the dark, dour costumes around her. They look like they’re dressed for a funeral and she looks like she’s dressed for a party:)

 

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Tea dyed, linen frog closures adorn the front of her bodice plus tiny crochet lace trim on her collar and sleeves that are also finished with teeny burgundy piping. We created a straw hat for her with the matching fabric, too. Anna is wearing a corset and hoop underneath, plus a rounded ‘pillow’ to fill out her bodice, giving her the accurate monobosom silhouette of the period.

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Custom Tutus: Combat Ready

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Combat Tutus

Unusual project from the archives, one for which a script did not even exist prior to the costumes being built.

 

Jen built the combat tutus purely as an art-for-art’s-sake collection then produced a performance with choreographer extraordinaire, Julie McDaniel who directed a lovely group of dancers in 2007.

 

Fun fact for those who may not know: A ‘tutu’ is not a frilly skirt. A tutu is a two-piece garment that combines a fitted bodice with a frilled brief. Both are usually held together with hooks and are sometimes even sewn together.

 

The clever “Jewelry Massacres” are by artist Justina Parsons-Bernstein, who designed each to accompany a specific tutu.

 

The tutus and jewelry massacre ensembles have been presented in several gallery exhibits and are now part of the McGrews’ Permanent Collection.  We can make one just for you from whatever camo fabric or other fabric you wish. We can also make you a skirt instead of a tutu bottom with a frilled brief. Give us a call at 801-596-2210.

 

Steampunk Wedding Attire

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This ensemble is definitely all about “something old, something new.” Jessica wanted some of her existing items repurposed and integrated into this ensemble. We built the corset, blouse and bolero jacket as brand new pieces. Kyle’s vest is also a new item that we made, a double breasted black canvas waistcoat with silver buttons. Her white lace skirt was originally a full length dress and a family heirloom. She also owned a short black petticoat. I recut and made her lace dress into a full length skirt with a new waistband, and her black knee-length petticoat became a new ruffle of a new, full length underskirt.

 

This dress and vest are a lovely departure from steampunk’s usual sepia tones. Jessica and I discussed Cecil Beaton’s wonderful designs for the film, My Fair Lady, particularly the scenes at the racetrack. All the ladies and gentlemen wear black and white in these scenes, with fantastic dresses, hats and accessories.

 

All wedding attire becomes a piece of history, by definition. Wedding outfits are super satisfying to make whenever the couple wants to take their look out a slightly different door, say historic, fantasy, sci fi, steampunk, etc. So when we create suits and dresses that articulate an impossible world or replicate some earthly historic period, we’ve just doubled-down on the cool factor. We are helping people re-imagine, re-live or recreate history with clothing that’s used in new ceremonies and new contexts. It’s really fun. It’s also awesome to custom build for grooms. They’re often so overlooked.