When coming up with what I wanted to do for this project, I knew I wanted to do something that has affected my life and that I can share with others. I thought of different things that have changed me and my brain kept coming back to a bizarre adventure anime/manga about some people named JoJo. Though to some people, basing an art project around JoJo's Bizarre Adventure would seem ridiculous compared to deeper themes like disease or trauma, I think it is still important to shine a light of media that affects you and shapes what you do. And a writer that shows how the things he cares about affect his is Araki, the author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Supplies

For this project I used 3.5 yards of 100% cotton fabric in and Irish green color. I also used a small strip of Velcro and 4 golden buttons. To put the dress together, I used a sewing machine and green thread.

Step 1: Araki and Fashion

Araki is an incredible author. He really shows his inspirations in his work from his very obvious western music references overflowing from the entire series to his unique fashion he spews into the series. Araki is heavily influenced by fashion and you can see how he pays tribute to various designers in his JoJo poses and outfits. He has so much success in his fashion work that he has actually collaborated with Gucci twice along with other brands. He has been writing JJBA for nearly 35 years and he can see how fashions of the time period evolved along with Araki's own personal style. Not only has he influenced others with his unique work, he has majorly influenced me. JJBA has slowly been taking over my life and has inspired me to make a lot more projects and to embrace my life. Since I have gotten into JoJo's I have had a lot less anxiety and anxiety attacks, but that very well just be a coincidence with it lining up with me finding true friends that care abut me, getting to go to a new school, and finding myself more as a person, or it is just the magic of ZA WARUDO*.

During quarantine, I got into sewing a lot, but seeing Araki's unique creations inspired me to recreate some. I have made hats and simple accessories, but a dress was a big project I took on. I took what I knew and created something I am proud of.

*ZA WARUDO has nothing to do with my anxiety, it is actually just DIO's stand power to (spoiler) stop time.

Step 2: Pannacotta Fugo

When debating what character I would make a dress based on I originally wanted to choose Guido Mista since his my favorite character, but decided against it since I already had an outfit based on him and that is too much Mista for my wardrobe. After ruling him out, I thought about Pannacotta Fugo. I really liked Fugo and he has a really interesting story, personality, and character design that are often over looked since he (spoiler) leaves the group in the middle of the part.

Fugo was born into a well off house hold with an outstanding IQ of 152. Despite being in what seemed like an ideal situation, his parents were cold and he had a short temperature that was explosive. By the age of 13 he was already in university. However, being young he was taken advantage of by a professor who sexually abused him. One day in the library, the professor snuck up behind him and Fugo beat him half to death with an encyclopedia. Fugo was thrust into court, but his parent used their money to get all charges dropped. Despite this, Fugo was still disowned by his parents and wondered the streets stealing to keep him self afloat. One day, he was found by Bucciarati, who took him in to get him off the streets. Fugo would go on to become a voice of reason in the group and a beloved friend to the others.

(this entire paragraph is spoilers) However, Fugo has another side to his story, in the middle of the part, Fugo leaves the group after they decide to betray the boss. Most fans right this off as him being unloyal, but everyone else in the actual part of the series shows him respect in his decision. Fugo is very smart and he says no to risking his life for a girl he has known three or four days. I don't know if I would have made the same decision, but he has the courage to stand up to his closest friends and tell them that he isn't comfortable and doesn't want to be a part of what they are doing anymore. In the original plans for the series, Araki actually planned for Fugo to be a spy in the group who would betray them, but he couldn't bare to think of how much it would hurt if one of his close friends betrayed him, so he just wrote Fugo out of the part in a fitting send off.

One of the final aspects of Fugo that I adore is his stand. (A stand is a manifestation of one's soul that only certain people can develop.) Fugo's stand is named Purple Haze*. Purple Haze's power is that it contains a deadly virus in capsules on its knuckles. Whenever it punches, the capsules break and the virus will kill everything in a 3 meter radius, including Fugo if he is close enough. Fugo hates his stand because it represents the one thing he despise most about him self: his unbridled anger. Fugo never uses his stand because he can't STAND it. The only time it is even seen in the series is during the Pompeii battle and he almost (spoiler) kills the main JoJo, Giorno Giovanna, after punching a wall from a mirror world.

I respect Fugo and think he has an interesting character and can be a person to learn form. Sure, he stabs people with forks and dresses like a piece of Swiss cheese, but it just helps develop him and show Araki's unique writing and art. Fugo is developed whether you know it or not and he has a fascinating history on the page and off.

*Another thing that should be noted is that there is a non-canon spin off series called "Purple Haze Feedback" that follows Fugo as he learns to become more comfortable with himself and his stand as he works to regain Giorno's trust after the part. I would write about it, but it is non-canon and I have not read it yet.

Step 3: What the Dress Looks Like

Though the dress is simple enough, it was my first time making a full garment I tried challenging myself adding in French darts, an open back, and a hi-low skirt.