The Golden Age

Design Name: The Golden Age

Kelly Ng draws inspiration from the film "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" to create a dress that embodies the ideals of a period characterized by peace, harmony, and prosperity. The dress features armor-style patterns on the top, symbolizing the fight for rights, and a balloon silhouette in golden silk, representing a period of affluence. Ng reflects upon the grandeur and elegance of noble women during the Golden Age.

This couture dress is a unique expression of the definition of "the golden age." The use of dyed textiles, including high-quality silk in a color gradient of gold, yellow, and orange-yellow, captures the essence of gold. The balloon silhouette conveys the meaning of affluence, while smocking details represent the abundance of food during this prosperous era.

The realization of this design involves curvy patterns that require high-end tailoring techniques, hand-dyed silk, smocking techniques, and tulle. The dress is designed for women attending balls and gala nights, exuding elegance and sophistication.

Measuring 83cm (32.7 inches) in the bust and 66cm (26 inches) in the waist, this dress is a size 36 in France, size 8 in the UK, and size 4 in the USA. The entire project was completed by Kelly Ng without the assistance of a design team.

The design project commenced in January 2012 and was completed in February 2012 in Tokyo, Japan. It was developed at Bunka Gakuen University. Ng conducted extensive research, including studying the film "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," photography, books on the definition of the golden age, and smocking techniques. The design presented several challenges, such as achieving the ideal color through numerous dyeing experiments and creating a balanced color tone across the patterns. The volume and shape of the skirt were achieved without using a hoop skirt, relying instead on calculated patterns, tucks, smocking techniques, and different tulles with varying stiffness.

Kelly Ng's "The Golden Age" dress is a testament to the designer's vision of women striving for their rights, fighting for future generations, and having the courage to stand up for themselves, their country, and their loved ones. The dress captures the essence of the Golden Age, where noble women dressed with grace and elegance in grand and lavish settings.

Image Credits: Kelly Ng

Awards and Accolades: This design was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Fashion, Apparel, and Garment Design category in 2017. The award recognizes outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that demonstrate technical and creative skills while contributing to quality of life improvements.