KAFC Feature :: Hope's Island Fantasy Dress

Kristian's wardrobe as Hope is a topic of keen interest for all of her fans. After jewelry, it's probably the one thing we get more inquiries about than anything -- especially when it comes to formal wear. In some upcoming scenes on the show, Kristian wears two beautiful dresses, one black and one white. The dresses are part of a fantasy sequence and are intended to evoke the feeling of pirates and Spanish princesses. The fan club spoke with Richard about his creations, and what exactly goes in to designing custom couture.

Richard: The first would be script, the story of a shipwrecked explorer's wife. I researched books about the Inca period and Inca style. I then worked my research into the dress.

Richard: For the black dress, I used a silk brocade fabric and dolly chiffon with a black velvet trim. For the white dress, I tried to work in the feel of the tropics, a lightweight, cotton muslin material.

Richard: The design didn't take that long. Maybe a couple hours after doing the research. It took me one hour to shop for fabric and it took four days for wardrobe to actually make the dress.

KAFC: Did Kristian have any input into the creation of the dresses, and do you try to consider her personal likes and dislikes when designing something for Hope?

Richard: Kristian didn't have any input into these designs. But yes, there are always physical things to consider, depending on what it is. With a period dress, there are limited options. The era kind of makes the decisions for the dress. And with these dresses, the era called for no zippers and more lace.

KAFC: In the same vein, are there features of the dress that you deliberately included to play up Kristian's attributes and if so, what are they?

Richard: No, I was more concerned with the era and designing a dress that captured the style of that time.

KAFC: Even though you made these dresses, where are some of your favorite places to shop for Kristian's "Hope" wardrobe?