Hail and Well Met y’all~! Merry Taako Tuesday~! If you read my previous post in this series, thank you!! I’ve been wanting to do this write-up for a long time and I’m glad to finally have a place to do it. Thank you for visiting!! For this post, I will be talking about a very crucial inspiration that contributed pretty much the catalyst to this design. Without this piece, the design would not have come out looking the way that it does.
I had actually run into a little rut when designing this costume. As I mentioned in my last post, when given so many options, it can be a little daunting. I felt a little overwhelmed with all the directions I could go with this outfit. I was feeling stuck because everything looked so cool and I just couldn’t settle (it’s the Libra in me I guess lol).
What ultimately did it for me was the color scheme. I had picked out a color scheme really early and while drawing, I couldn’t place my finger on it, but it had reminded me so much of something. I brushed off the feeling and continued to sketch out design options.
While feeling stuck, I decided to look online for more sources of reference or inspiration. My aesthetic direction made me remember Versailles Philharmonic Quintet, my favorite visual kei band back in the day.
I SWEAR, it was like a million fireworks went off in my brain. I KNEW WHY THAT COLOR SCHEME WAS SO FAMILIAR.
Once upon a time during college years, Java fell in love with a gorgeous and elaborate visual kei band. It felt like I had just discovered them when their bassist, Jasmine You, suddenly passed away. It’s been 10 years since then...
It was like a trigger was pulled. I knew what this costume was now. I decided at that very second to make this costume with Jasmine You as my main aesthetic direction. Everything literally fell into place and I was able to finalize the design very quickly after that.
✧Jasmine’s Influences✧
I will, of course, be talking more about each of the elements below in greater detail in their own posts in the future, but for now, here’s how Jasmine You influenced my final design for this look.
Sleeves
As seen in my very first sketch, I originally had a more full sleeve idea before this. That idea was promptly thrown out the window for poof sleeves that tapered into fitted lace, directly mimicking Jasmine’s here.
Original sketch
Finalized design.
Finished result. Photo by Ethereous Photography.
Train
I finally settled on making the garment itself a bodysuit, not just for ease and how quick it was to sew, but also because of the decision to make a long, ruffled waist train as an homage to Jasmine’s skirt.
Photo by Allison Stock.
Headpiece
I also decided to add a removable rose and feather decoration to Taako’s hat. It is directly referenced from Jasmine’s headpiece.
Photo by Clouds Cosplay Photography.
Feather Epaulettes
The feather epaulettes were actually an aesthetic choice I personally made, but it just so happened to turn out that Jasmine had them as well.
Photo by Allison Stock.
Makeup
My Wonderland Taako makeup. Photo by KJH Photography.
I didn’t really change my Taako makeup for this look, but I did add a few things to it, inspired by Jasmine’s makeup.
My usual Taako makeup.
Versailles doesn’t perform as much as they used to now. The band members are all off doing their own things now, though I do still follow their social media accounts. I’m happy to see that they do still greet Jasmine Happy Birthday and remember him on the day of his passing. They have long since found another bassist for the band. To this day, whenever they do perform, they honor their “Eternal Member” Jasmine You, announcing his name along with the other members and including his name on everything like CDs and merch. I don’t know if they still do it, but for a while after his death, the band would perform with an extra 6th mic stand on the stage adorned with roses.
Photo by Ethereous Photography.
I was really torn up when Jasmine passed away 10 years ago. It doesn’t sting as much anymore as it did back then. It wasn’t my intention going into this, but this costume wound up as a tribute to him. Without his, this costume probably wouldn’t exist, or at least, it would have looked very different.
