Varia's stunt double costume

 Probably one of my favorite costume of the whole series. I recently got the chance to acquire a complete Varia’s costume worn by Varia’s stunt double and body double actresses. 

Do you know that Tsianina Joelson did an audition for Brunhilda character and she didn’t get the role, but the Xena’s series directive liked her so much and decided to write an specific character for her that appeared in about 4 episodes, instead of Brunhilda that was only seen in one. 

Varia’s character finally appeared in the episode “Coming home”, “Dangerous prey”, “Path of vegeance” and “To Helicon and back” from season 6.

The costume includes a leather beaded top tagged as body double, amazing leather belt, two leather skirts (one stunt double and the other stunt double harness one), two leather undershorts, 2 pairs of deer skin gauntlets, bone spike armband, leg beaded band, deer skin shoulder piece, deer skin boot toppers, head band and a incredible Amazon queen shell necklace.

  

 

Amazon queen necklace close-up.

 

Varia's costume version without shoulder piece.

 

Two different suede skirts.

I already have some Varia’s costume set used pieces like the top, skirt or stunt double boots, so I can definitely complete my Varia’s costume and I almost have a second incomplete one. 

Undershorts and back part.

  

I guess that not more than 4 Varia’s costumes were made, the other 2 are the one worn by Tsianina Joelson herself and the one worn by Lucy Lawless, both are in known private collections.

Belt details and boots with boot toppers.

Varia's stunt double hanger named Sheree and Varia's Flashback double hanger.

The lot also includes an original tag with all the costume components.

Photos for reference:

Mum's wood showcase

I decided to pick up this vintage wooden showcase from my mum’s home and display my Xena’s collection differently. Xena is a vintage series, why not a vintage furniture to display it.

 

 

Here there is my set used hero resin chakram, Xena's hero boot, Xena's boot dagger, Xena's Creation whip, Xena's screen used swords (up, Xena's hero plated sword, down, Xena's hero resin sword signed by Lucy) and leather scabbard, Xena's hero metal Yin Yang chakram, Gabrielle's hero plated sai and Gabrielle's stunt foam sais. 

Here there is Callisto's metal Creation sword, Callisto's metal dagger from Todd's Costumes, Athena's stunt sword, Athena's style dagger, Gabrielle's Helicon Amazon Queen sword signed by Renée, Prometheus's metal hero sword, Hord Axe, Xena's Valkyrie stunt helmet, Livia's stunt sword and  Xena's Creation breast dagger.

Mix of props: Xena's sacred katana, Gabrielle's Higuchi Millitia sword, Morloch's sword, Skull style sword, Amazon swords and scabbard, some daggers and Hercules's gauntlets in the back.

Mix of props: Amazon turtle shield, Cleopatra's sword, Caesar's stunt sword, Brunhilda's sword, Indrajit's sword,Valkyrie's sword, Roman style dagger and other daggers.

One side of the showcase and mannequins.

Xena & Gabrielle display

Last weekend I took a few photos of my favorite costumes of my collection. 

In the right side is Xena's costume: the armour is set used stunt double piece, made of moduled fiber glass and leather, except of the copper shoulderguards pieces replicas that are screen accurate and were forged by @xenawarriorreplicas. Xena's leathers are a screen accurate replica with a copper medallion forged by the New Zealand blacksmiths from the series and a set used chakram hook. The gauntlets and armbands are made of copper and are Creation Entertainment replicas. Kneeguards are set used and the pair of boots are my lastest acquisition used in the series too.

In the middle, Gabrielle's  Amazon Queen costume worn by Renée O'Connor in season 5 and 6. The costume includes an Amazon Queen necklace too, iconic! It includes the leather bra, skirt, undershorts, belt, necklace, a pair of leather gauntlets, a pair of armbands and the shoulder piece.

In the left side, Gabrielle's hero signature costume from season 6 worn by Renée O'Connor. The costume includes the velvet bra, skirt, undershorts, boots, sai straps and the leaf pedant necklace. The silver cuffs were bought from the same company that provided them to the series.

Behind the costumes are three shadow boxes with: Xena's original chakram, yin yang chakram and a Gabrielle's sais from Creation Entertainment.

My costumes display

Some people asked me where I display all my costumes. Well, the real thing is that I only have a few of them displayed in one room and the others are just carefully stored. 

Xena's costume.

Gabrielle's hero costume from season 3&4.

Gabrielle's hero costume from season 6.

Gabrielle's Amazon Queen hero costume.

 

Brutus's costume from "When fates collide".

Gabrielle’s Amazon Queen costume

Recently I got my hands on this awesome costume, probably one of my favorite’s costumes of the whole series of Gabrielle. For me, the Amazon episodes were so iconic!!

After Gabrielle had received the “Right of cast” from Terreis, she inherited her status, so she became an Amazon Princess. During the series, Gabrielle returned frequently to the Amazon tribe and turned into an Amazon Queen. 

After Ngila Dickson left the series, the costume designer from the latest seasons, Jane Holland, decided to design a new wardrobe for Gabrielle Queen of Amazons with influences from the Northern amazons tribe of Yakut and the Greek Amazon tribes.

 

Gabrielle’s Amazon Queen costume worn by Renée O’Connor in the episodes of Lifeblood and Kindred Spirits from season 5, and after, in “Path of Vengeance” and “To Helicon and back” from season 6.

Gabrielle’s Amazon Queen costume includes several pieces. The suede leather top seen in “To Helicon and Back” and many other episodes , the top is over a real woman's bra and inside is written “Renee 2”. The leather undershorts, this particular version of Gabrielle pants without the braid and leather fringes was seen firstly in the episode “Lifeblood” during the moon dance and later on, was used under the deerskin skirt. The belt is made of leather with a braided edge, feathers, bull hair, plenty of beads, walnut slides, fish bone beads, chicken feet shaped painted resin pieces and a fossil shell shaped round piece in the middle. The skirt is made of real deer skin, brown leather and suede fringes sewn at the waist.

  

The gauntlets reminds me of the Northern Amazon style, they are made of real rabbit fur leather and leather braids, each gauntlet has a pair of velcro sewn into it. The armbands are made of leather, bone beads, walnut slides, fish bone beads, feathers and bull hair. The shoulder guard is made of interlocking leather strips and cotton cord mesh and it is attached to the left armband. The beaded necklace has plenty of natural seeds and wood beads and the Amazon Queen necklace is simply amazing. The head piece with deer antlers and boots worn in “Kindred Spirits” are missing, I would love to complete the outfit one day…

The costume has the “It’s a Wrap!” COA, it is written “Gabrielle’s Rustic Costume-Final  Episodes”. Definitely, people who wrote the description of the Certificates have never seen the series before.

Photos for references: