This costume was originally worn by Liv Tyler in the movie "The Lord of the Rings - The The Two Towers" during the flash forward scene in which Queen Arwen mourns the death of King Aragorn.

The original gown is made of navy blue silk velvet, navy blue habotai silk lining, and red charmeuse silk. It is embellished with 12 antique gold buttons and bullion embroidered red trim.

I was inspired to recreate this stunning gown after viewing it on display at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles as well as the Neiman Marcus holiday window display in Beverly Hills in 2003. Most of the materials were easy to obtain (a plus when you are recreating a costume), and the design did not appear to be overly complex.

A detailed costume description, research notes, and reference images (which I have helped contribute to) can be seen at Alley Cat Scratch and The Padawan's Guide. Special thanks to Maggie for all her help along the way.

- Kathy S. (Kay Dee)