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Costume Design

Sabrina '54 Recreation

A faithful recreation of the iconic Bob Mackie halter dress worn by Cher, reimagined for the Sabrina Carpenter tour celebration. Features hand-cut ribbon strips with metallic disc embellishments, constructed from original flat pattern development. Demonstrates technical construction skills and attention to archival design details.

Sabrina '54 Recreation

The Challenge

Recreate an iconic Bob Mackie design with authenticity and wearability — a piece that honors the original while being functional for a concert celebration.

Mood board with original reference images

Inspiration

The legendary Bob Mackie halter dress worn by Cher became the starting point. Attending the Sabrina Carpenter tour provided the occasion — an opportunity to bring archival glamour into a contemporary concert setting.

Design Development

Research began with studying archival photographs and documentation of the original design. I developed original flat patterns to capture the authentic silhouette and construction approach, testing proportions against the historic references.

Design board with sketch and flat pattern

Construction

Hand-cut ribbon strips were assembled with metallic disc embellishments, carefully placed to capture the movement and sparkle of the original. Each element was constructed for both visual impact and real-world wearability.

The Result

Katherine wearing the finished garment

The finished recreation was worn to the Sabrina Carpenter concert — a piece that sparked conversations and demonstrated that archival design can live beyond the museum.

Skills

Archival Research Flat Pattern Development Hand Embellishment Costume Construction Performance Wear

Gallery

Design board with sketch and flat pattern
Katherine wearing the finished garment
Mood board with original reference images