So the restriction on this Runway theme is Create a stunning art nouveau avatar WITHOUT using any version of Danse, Wormwood, or Fleur de Reve
I wanted to go a little further and also not use any of the other items that generally show up in themes like this: the Omen items, Graceful Repose, the Dormeuse items, etc. Basically anything tagged "nouveau" plus the usual adjacents.
So, reasons for some of my item choices:
Demon's Apprentice background -- I needed a "frame" and I liked the way the lines of the stone walls created a geometric pattern that contrasted against the other floral elements. I went back and forth on which color to use, originally starting out with the Stone recolor because the gray was neutral and the lines were the clearest. I ended up switching over to the original because the darker green provided better contrast and the roses carried the red from the foreground poppies further up the sides. I am still a bit torn on whether or not this was a mistake because I ended up losing the lines that I wanted the item for in the first place.
Among the Poppies foreground -- more framing; I like the way these fill the lower corners, although after I entered I did consider that it was an overused item and regretted not trying it without them or with something else.
Thé Mystique doily - an attempt to suggest one of the rosette patterns you often see in Mucha's backgrounds; this also is to add the circular framing element that I wasn't able to get otherwise since I'd eliminated most of the items that have those ready-made.
The various dress items -- I wanted flowing drapery that showed the figure's shape; most of the dresses I might otherwise use were in the forbidden items, so I had to build something out of separate pieces to get the look I wanted. It needed to be fairly plain since the framing had a lot going on as well so I stuck to ivory for the most part; the Luminata bustle provided both some concealment so the whole thing connected at the waist better as well as creating a high waistline to mimic the style of the original artworks.
Hair choice -- I tried brown and blonde as well but they were too dark/too light; actual red was too matchy with the roses and poppies, and this shade of orange was reminiscent of some of the hair colors in Mucha's artwork. This wig is pretty great in that it has detailed waves and some body but you can cut most of it that hangs over the shoulders with Agape to clean up the look and not obscure the clothes (Beach Wave wig).
Face combo -- I put together this face while looking at a few different pieces of artwork; it's not meant to be a perfect imitation of any particular one but I was trying to capture a certain look and didn't want the face to be too cartoonish or anime (a challenge with our item selection I'll just be honest) so I stuck to smaller eyes and a more subtle mouth along with the straight nose. I also wanted the complexion to be clear so not too much texture -- I avoided cleavage items for the same reason, to keep the decolletage area sort of flat and open and not distract from other elements.
Lighting overlays - two purposes: one, to get that sort of faded sepia look of the artwork, and secondly to blend all the various greens and reds a little bit so nothing clashed too badly since I wasn't trying super hard to be matchy but that can be important in the runway and it never hurts to sort of...smooth things out.
After I made this entry I was still kind of in the mood and wanted to play with item combos that I had come across during the process so I made a few more:
There is a wormwood frame on this one because I wanted to see how it looked and it works pretty well imo
This outfit is more of a rough draft and I'd want to work on it a little more before using it; Fleur dress I tossed on just to quickly finish the body.
The last one I made; after I finished this one I kinda wished I'd entered it instead so it may end up as an entry if this theme comes around again.
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