How do you make a skeleton look elegant? You make it out of pearls.

The Edwardian Ball, which originated in San Francisco, has a style that merges the macabre poetry of Edward Gorey with the turn-of-the-century elegance of the Edwardian period. I wanted to create a piece for the Edwardian Ball that would be welcomed into either style.

I hand-knotted artificial pearls onto silk cording and hid hook and eye clasps to make it easy to take on and off. This piece features an anatomically-accurate number of ribs, lace scapulae, and an embroidered spine.