ELKINS, W.Va. – Since 2001, Connie Linger has painstakingly handcrafted the gown worn by Queen Silvia at her royal coronation.
This year is no different, as Linger’s months of designing, sewing and fittings will be on display for all to see today at the 80th annual coronation.
Festivities are scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on the campus of Davis & Elkins College.
Linger describes this year’s dress as follows:
For the 80th year, we “Celebrate” the Mountain State Forest Festival.
In response to the “Celebrate” theme put forth by Scott Goddard, I have designed a gown for Maid Silvia Kara D’Ann Alvarez to reflect decades of royal stewardship to our forest.
The 80th anniversary is represented by the precious stone ruby; however, we chose to create Alvarez’ gown in a princess seamed, form-fitting, A-line style with a slight trumpet shape at the hem.
The key focal point of her gown has never been done before: A corseted waistline created from woven ribbons in purple, deep ruby and silver satin.
Extending from below the waistline is a peplum of fantasy oak-leaf shapes made from silver brocade as well as embossed purple and deep-ruby velvets.
Alvarez’ sleeves are simple-fitted velvet, but with an accent of more fantasy oak leaves dangling from a band at her elbow, made from silver silk binding sparkling with Swarovski crystals.
The skirt of the gown flares from beneath her leafy peplum and finishes with a spectacular new detail. I created a flounce of silver foiled cotton, which is edged in a ribbon binding of deep ruby taffeta. The flounce was created to be twisted up at several intervals into rosettes. A trio-color ribbon anchors the flounce in a meandering zig-zag. At the center front is an opening where the hem flounce is finished off with some silver silk embroidered oak leaves, accented with ruby and Swarovski crystal stones.
To further punctuate the ruby year, Alvarez’ deep V neckline is encrusted with ruby and crystal stones, the largest at the center front.
Atop Alvarez’ shoulders are some silver silk embroidered oak leaves. They serve to anchor her asymmetrical back drape of fantasy oak leaves and create the beginnings of her train.
The train for this royal gown peeks out from under Alvarez’ shoulder drape. It flows down with a center arrangement of details blown up in size from how they appeared on her gown. A V of woven ribbon points down at the tip of the train. From this ribbon accent, a large array of two-dimensional “trumpets” reach downward and become rosettes as they meader back and forth toward the bottom. The centers of the rosettes spill out rubies and crystals. Large fantasy oak leaves spray outward from the “trumpet rosettes” in purple and deep ruby embossed velvet and deep ruby matte satin. The train is finished off with a final V of wide ribbons woven at the center bottom and left draping off the sides to flow free.
I would like to say that this year’s gown was “Capt. Approved,” and that he always inspired me to strive harder to produce a quality piece, from the queen’s gown design, all the way through the Minor Court.
I also wish to thank Sheila Scott for her work on sewing up the flower girls and the finishing of crown and scepter bearers as well as headpieces for everyone. And, I thank Lola Collier for sewing up a fabulous Woodly and finishing off my trainbearers, too.
