Posted by Star Wars fans, have you ever fantasized about tying the knot wearing Padme Amidala’s wedding dress? If so, your moment has come. SixOn Clothing launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a replica of the lacy gown worn by Natalie Portman in one of science-fiction’s most iconic weddings. Even if you’re not planning on getting hitched, the dress is perfect for cosplay at conventions and Star Wars-themed events.
Created by seamstress and designer Nancy Lam, the Star Wars-inspired wedding ensemble includes an off-white, floor-length A-line dress, lace overlay, capelet, and veil. Made of polyester fabrics, the gown features a sweeping bell train. The elbow-length veil is covered in blossoms and handsewn, beaded flowers. The intricate design on the front of the dress matches Portman’s costume.
Lam first created a replica of Padme Amidala’s wedding dress after receiving a costume commission in the early days of her fashion brand, SixOn Clothing.
“This project always had a special spot in my heart,” she said in an Instagram post.
“It’s a throwback to when I made costumes, and it was the most intricate dress I had ever made. I spent weeks researching and sketching and sewing just to get it perfect. I kept the patterns upon completion, so much effort (and tears) went into it!”
Determined to replicate the dreamy dress as closely as possible, Lam began by creating an elaborate front design. She spent hours meticulously drafting and sewing everything by hand.
The result was “near perfection, crafted from love and endurance,” Lam said.
A few years ago, the designer attempted to revive the dress as a side project.
“It did not pan out, so I placed it back into storage,” she said. “I continued to receive requests for it, but it takes far too many resources for a single run.”
Now, with Star Wars receiving constant buzz thanks to multiple Disney Plus series, Lam thought it was time to give the project another chance.
The total Kickstarter goal needed to fund the project is $13,800. Each gown is priced at $249 (in a limited early bird special), $299 after the limit is reached. Dresses are available in sizes small to 2X. If the project is successful, backers will receive their dresses in December, just in time for the holidays. The Kickstarter must be fully funded by Sept. 1.
Lam said she wanted to offer the dress to fans at a reasonable price so the Kickstarter goal is high.
“Weddings are notoriously expensive and exploitative,” she said.
“We want to help fans save as much as possible while providing the best quality there is to offer. We ultimately decided to risk the higher goal for the chance for more fans to be able to share their love and geeky glory of the sci-fi genre.”
Lam said she is working with a trusted manufacturer to produce the gown, which is made of premium fabrics, matte satin, and lace. The dress is designed to stand up to wear and long-term storage, so it’s suitable for a wedding or cosplay.
For reference, the model pictured in the photos above is wearing a size small with a 34 bust, 26 waist, and 38 hips. Lam noted that because the model is tall, the final dress will likely be longer than pictured and fall a little past floor-length. There is a size chart on the Kickstarter page for further reference.
The gown in the photos is a prototype, so the dress backers receive may be slightly different, but the overall detail, design, look, and style will remain the same.
Immortalized in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Padme’s original wedding gown was created by costume designer Trisha Biggar. Fans fell hard for the dress worn by senator-turned-queen Amidala as she secretly married Anakin Skywalker, played by Hayden Christensen. The cinematic ceremony was filmed at Lake Como, Italy. Though the scene was short, the wedding gown likely cost around $60,000, according to Lu Bailey from theweddingsecret.co.uk.
Bailey noted Padme’s dress is similar to Edwardian-era — or Gilded Age – styles. It features princess seams, complex embroidery, and a tulle underdress decorated in Battenburg lace. Biggar reportedly sourced the lace from a vintage bedsheet.
The original costume features chiffon sleeves, yards of French knit braid, and hundreds of seed pearls sewn on by hand. The veil is made of Maltese lace, festooned with flowers and beaded seed pearls, Bailey said.
Biggar created a total of 68 outfits for Portman to wear throughout the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. Fans and fashion fanatics are still obsessing over her designs.
Founded by Lam in 2008, SixOn Clothing is a California-based, gaming culture-driven brand. Lam got her start in college, designing punk and goth-style clothing before moving on to cosplay commissions. She later branched out to other cosplay fashions.
Lam draws inspiration for her original designs from anime characters and video games, including Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, and Overwatch. For more details about the Star Wars Padme Wedding Dress, visit the Kickstarter page.
For more Temple of Geek posts about SixOn Clothing:
SixOn video game-themed suits makes it cool to cosplay by the pool
Level up your winter wardrobe with SixOn’s video game-inspired apparel
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