The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Title: The Prince and the Dressmaker
Author and Illustrator: Jen Wang
Publisher: First Second
Publication date: February 13, 2018
Pages: 277
Source/format: Paperback//Library

Rating: ☆☆☆☆1/2

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

The Prince and the Dressmaker starts off like any other fairytale but this fairytale is an unconventional one. Two young adults have high expectations to live up to but they delve into their passions with the support of one another. Frances is a seamstress who aspires to be a designer. Prince Sebastian is expected to betroth another on his 16th birthday and lead his family as a royal. However, Sebastian's passion is to wear the stunning pieces that Frances creates as the alter ego, Lady Crystallia. With Frances's stunning craftsmanship and Lady Crystallia's fantastic personality, the duo becomes a sensation in France.

Frances is accepting of Sebastian's desire to wear dresses, his self-expression and gender fluidity. Their friendship grows stronger every day as well as their character development. Although they had a minor falling out, they come to support each other during tough times. Sebastian becomes free while being Lady Crystallia while Frances enjoys designing pieces that are beyond the norm. The duo knows what each other needs in terms of what makes them happy.

Jen Wang's storytelling is alluring. This modern take on a fairytale is redefined. The sequential paneling with vibrant gorgeous dresses brings life to purposeful muted/monochromatic panels of daily life. The chapters breaks with the dress patterns is a nice detail and I adore the white space. Wang adds life to each character through their facial expressions and words.

With a mix of high fashion, living up to expectations, finding one's true self and friendship, The Prince and the Dressmaker is a charming stand-alone graphic novel to pick up and read.