Entry #11: Marletta in Shady Lady by Brenda Giguere
“Shady Lady” is the actual name of an authentic, Prohibition-era cocktail comprised of melon liqueur, grapefruit juice, and tequila, garnished by a lovely red cherry. The year is 1926, and Marletta’s double-layer slip dress in the latest straight mode is the perfect green color match for her favorite exotic drink concoction. This chemise dress, of shimmering two-toned lime silk that catches the light, is given added depth with a soft green sparkling sheer chiffon overlay. The gold highlights of the imported silk are emphasized with rows of golden metallic Greek Key design embroidery, both on the hip bandeau and the jaunty neck scarf. The bodice is softly draped at the neckline and accented by an Art Deco rhinestone brooch. Her authentic T-strap shoes are shiny lime green with gold and white accents. On her wrist is a delicate crystal bracelet that catches the light as she listens to jazz with her friends. Her shining brunette hair is precision cut in the latest style, the carefree Shingle Bob, and her makeup is in the sultry style worn by film stars of her day. She carries a detailed little evening bag in the shape and color of the drink’s cherry garnish, and her chandelier earrings further suggest the cherry motif with their triad clusters of cherry red seed beads. I chose “Shady Lady” because of the drink’s lovely green color… and of course, the irresistible irony of not only the drink’s name, but also the concept of a drink ordered secretly during Prohibition.
Marletta was created with a whole new makeup and hairstyle starting with a “Hip to be Square” Barbie doll by Mattel. The dress and accessories are all completely removable.
Special Thanks to: Philip Collins for his book, “Classic Cocktails of the Prohibition Era”, General Publishing Group, Inc.
Of all my artistic interests, fashion doll makeovers is my unequivocal favorite. I make my living doing freelance work in the corporate film and video industry, usually in makeup / hair, costume design, and wardrobe styling. This is great fun, but nonetheless I have come to prefer working with 11 ½” vinyl women over the real thing. My background is in art, design, and journalism, and I live in San Diego, California with my husband, my cat, my mad-workshop, and more dolls awaiting makeovers than I can count. My one New Year’s resolution is to get a web site up and running. I’ve already registered my business name of atelier-des-reves, which means “workshop of dreams”. I chose this name because I love dreams, but also because through my artwork, I try to make all my most beautiful design-dreams come true.
