Megara
Midnight Masquerade Doll Design from Disney's Hercules
Why Megara?
Megara, or Meg to her friends (if she had any), is the female lead from Disney's Hercules. She is an independent, sassy, and strong woman who looks out for herself. She is however, begrudgingly working for the King of the Underworld himself, Hades.
The story behind this costume is one that I find rather humorous.
The main reason I wanted to make Meg was because she is one of the better female leads from the Disney films I grew up with. (IMO) I related to the women who were the "big tough girls who could tie their own sandals and everything." And after seeing the her Midnight Masquerade design, which was a collection I was already fond of to begin with, I opted to finally make this look.
The other side of the coin was I was held up sick for a month with Covid and happened to catch Hercules on television. And in my brain fog, I finally ordered fabric. So it was happening.
First Debuted: D23 Expo 2022
How It Was Made?
Materials Used: Peachskin, Satin, Chiffon, Crystal Organza, lace, Cricut vinyl, chain
Total Construction: 1.5 months
The dress itself is rather simple. The top and skirt are two separate pieces from two heavily altered patterns. The bodice is four layers with steel boning layered in for structure. I also opted for fabric loops in the back to create the lacing for a bit more of an elegant look.
I opted to lengthen the skirt to create a train in the back, but kept it a bit shorter in the front for purely walking purposes. The skirt is fully lined with the sheer layer over the peachskin base to add some shimmer that was present in her actual doll concept. The skirt is closed over with an invisible zipper.
The applique are bridal pieces used in illusion backs. I dyed them to the deep shade of gold and then hand placed crystals throughout to add a little additional sparkle. The trim was one I found on Amazon for budget reasons. Both the trim and applique added just a small bit of detail and texture to the dress that I thought would make the dress pop a bit more.
To add one more pop of detail, I opted to add some cricut work to the cape and the the side skirts. I had some files of flowers from a previous project and rescaled them to match what I was looking for. The just ironed it on and am so happy with little extra. I chose flowers that mimicked the flower she received from Hercules in the actual film for a little callback.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this whole build was a real joy. Playing around with the details and adding a few things to make this feel a bit more unique was really fun! I do have a very soft spot for anything Disney and to make one of the under-appreciated and fabulous women leads from one of their movies sparked so much joy.
I hope to do another Designer Doll design in the future.
