Neo-Queen Serenity

Model: Stephanie Luther

For many fans, Sailor Moon was a first taste of anime. While I was in high school when the series first aired in the US, I was still an instant fan. So I was thrilled when I was asked to take on the challenge of Neo-Queen Serenity, who Sailor Moon ultimately grows up to be!

The base dress was pretty simple and modified from a strapless wedding gown pattern. The dress is constructed from bridal satin and a shimmery sparkly organza overlay. The seams for the midriff created the perfect guidelines for the double row of beads the Neo-Queen sports. I could not find any gold beads in the right shade, but I did find a string of white "half-beads", which I painted a lovely antique gold.

For the circles on top, I sewed together the pattern pieces for the bodice and sketched the circles on it. I used an antique gold satin. The lining inside is a combination of white muslin and gold broadcloth, covering the boning for the bodice.

When Princess Serenity becomes Neo-Queen Serenity, her back bow turns into a lovely set of butterfly-like wings. So, through several rounds of trial-and-error, I tried to emulate that. The wings, made from white pearlized sheer, are draped over a length of malleable 12-guage wire and stabilized in the center with a few strips of boning. They are attached to the dress with a series of snaps on the back of the dress and the clear straps.