Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Perks of Being a Milliner

This is my second atemp a a straw hat. The straw is a plain ol' sisal with cut out details. I opted for a super casual look by triming the hat with a basic quilters cotton in a nice plaid. While I thought it came out mediocre my professor was much less harsh on me. Only a few issues were brought up in her grading, but otherwise she felt it came out well. That was a relief for me as I am the world's greatest worrier. I like a good bit especially with the cracked back brim but sadly the hat is slightly to narrow for my large head.



Monday, May 24, 2010

I Don' Want to Grow Up



In my personal opinion, I think it is awesome that a group of 20 somethings can still be super excited about playing MASH. If you are dying to know, I will be living in my London Mansion, with my high school crush (who I married wearing Ivory and honeymooned in Greece) my pug, and my 8 children (I totally have a nanny). I ride to my job as a fashion designer, where I make billions, on my vintage cruiser bike with a big ol' basket on front. Pretty sweet.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

You're the One that I Want







These are all different tops I'm really into right now and if I was made of money I would get them! All tops are american apparel except the three vices shirt which is from urban outfitters.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Can a dog work contrapposto?



So in like ten years, I'm going to get a dog. That dog is going to be a pug. I am definetly going to have a portrait of us done. It is going to be awesome.

Friday, May 21, 2010

portfolio: the saga






The first illustration was a sketching test for FIT. The premise was to take a shoe and a bag and draw them in 30 minutes. This is what my efforts came up with and it only took about 15-20 minutes so I feel pretty good about that although, if the test isn't done in person how are they ever going to know if anyone actually ever stayed in the time frame? Any who, the next three images are a collection I was asked to design inspired by a favorite designer. This was perhaps my most difficult challenge in preparing my portfolio. For one, it's hard to draw something correctly in terms of proportions etc... when the item only exists in your mind and secondly, I was unsure what designer to chose. I have many favorites but I ended up going with Chris Benz. As many of you know I worked for him in the spring for fashion week. I already had plenty of pictures to reference, I was familiar with the collection and felt confident I could design something that would work. The assignment also called for swatches which I was fortunate enough to have, let alone have the colors match the fall collection. This was the final accessory related part of the portfolio and luckily I was able to get it done in a few hours.

P.S. Today is my final millinery class which means I will be getting the rest of my projects back and will be posting them here shortly.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Tights are not pants, you are dismissed







All tights are bebaroque, more reasons to head to London.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Thrilling Fashion

I am getting into the Hitchcock filled section in my Netflix Queue, having just rewatched Vertigo and Dial M for Murder. As a child and teen, I had no real interest in Hitchcock. It was only in college when I had to watch Dial M in my costume in film class that I really grew to appreciate his work at the very least from an aesthetics point of view (I really enjoyed the movie). For me what is so appealing is his use of color, a splash of bold color standing out from the subtler more neutral background. There are many beautiful still shots, great composition, surreal lighting, and often very beautiful subjects. I, of course, love the clothing. The 1950's was a beautiful time for women's wear and it never looked better than on the likes of Grace Kelly, Kim Novak and Hitchcock's other beauties. The red dress with the red lace bolero from Dial M is a work of art not only in terms of its own construction but for its use in the movie, what better way to introduce Grace Kelly's character as the cheating wife. The grey suit that Novak wears in Vertigo should get a mention for it mirroring her character's stoicism and steely exterior hiding a sad interior. Then when Stewart's character forces Novak's Judy back into it, it becomes like a prison. The classic style and grey and white palette remind me of statues and that Novak's character has become this time completely stone. Something in Hitchcock's work is effortlessly timeless, it still feels modern and is still inspiring people today. Many of my most beloved and quite current shows reference Hitchcock regularly. Regular readers know that I have done some designing based on Hitchcock's work and I would love to do more. So hopefully as I get the rest of his films in the mail, I will be able to draw from the inspiration he has been giving for years now.





Friday, May 14, 2010

Better Late than Never



Hi, there. I am geting this post in right under the wire. This is my first straw hat assignment for my millinery class. I'm going to preface my following statement by saying that I really hate working with straw. It is less malleable than felt and will lose its shape quickly without the appropriate amount of sizing (gel, brush on lacquer, spray on). Needless to say I have had a lot of trouble with both my straw hats for this reason. I was able to mostly sort out the distortion on this hat so that the untrained eye might still think it looks fine. To my professor, I am guessing, it will look like a hot mess and she wouldn't be wrong. I had a lot of trouble using the millinery sewing machine which works quite differently than a traditional one and straw is not a material I am accosumed to working with; plus the added bonus of the raw edges scratching my skin creating a rash like irritation that would bothter me for about half hour after I had concluded working on it. Technical issues aside, I am a fan of the color palette and the simpliciy of the decoraion. My teacher will probably find fault with it but I have realized to trust my own design instincts within reason and I know from sitting so close to the front, that my teacher doesn't often like the design that my fellow class mates have gone for. I realize this post consists primarily of rant so let me say this, while I don't think I will ever become a full time milliner unless fate throws some twists my way. BUT, as a costumer and possibly future accessories designer, I think knowing what goes into the hatmaking process will only help me. I think it is a fascinating and beautiful craft that brings a lot of joy to a certain kind of person and I can only hope that it doesn't ever become a lost art.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

blog tag team!

When I started this blog it was my goal to post every single day, which I have except once. Well, to be frank, it's hard for me to find relevant things to discuss here. I could daily borrow stories from other blogs or fashion news and post my take on them here but that doesn't really sit well with me. I may be a cop out but instead of try and come up with something half hearedly tonight, I will leave you with a link to a blog that I always find delightful and inspiring Color Me Katie

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Sick Sad World



I grew up in the 80-90's which was pretty awesome, though to be fair I really don't remember the 80's as I was only around for the last four years of that decade. I grew up with the emergence of boy bands, pop starlets, beanie babies, furbies, power rangers and digimon. I think I was too young and too mainstream to really get into any of the grrl movements or alternative or grunge lifestyles that were happening. So, as is the case with many things TV related, I came to Daria late in life. The first time I ever watched Daria was in college, long after the show had gone off the air. I took to it like a fish to water. Daria was just as sarcastic and apathetic towards high school and society in general as I was. I don' think I would have ever guessed that a show about a girl who was smart, witty, and living outside what was considered the norm could be a success. I think that is in part because I had no real idea of how many people felt that way, were like that at the time, certainly not many in my town. I also think it was successful because it was a cartoon. The normies wouldn't take it seriously and many of the people who loved the show probably wouldn't take as well to an actress playing that role, actors don't always nail a scene while a cartoon does.

Finally, after many years of hoping, Daria has come out on DVD. The entire series-all seasons, all movies are included and I am looking forward to getting mine in the mail and reconnecting with Daria, Jane and Trent Lane, the fashion club and all the rest of the gang. Also, I should probably warn you that I will be watching these shows all summer and will likely pull out some zingers to use on this here blog so watch out.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Shining, gleaming, streaming, braidied

I'm heading home in about two weeks to go to my cousin's wedding. While home, I'll be seeing doctors, picking up things I need and other similar things. One such event that is of the utmost importance will be getting my hair cut. My hair is in dire need of some lovin' and I am really jonesing to dye it. I haven't dyed my hair in about two years now because I had gone crazy with the dye and my tired, damaged hair needed a break. Also, I wanted to see what my natural hair color was because, frankly, I couldn't' remember. (For those who are curious, it is like an ashy, light brown/dark blond.) Any who, today I decided to play with Instyle.com's virtual makeover game? application? time killer? But instead of using the pre chosen models, I uploaded a photo of yours truly to get a real idea of how something would look with my bizarre features. What this means for you, dear reader, is that you get to see my top five favorite looks! Heck yes, is right. They let you save and email and print and do all kinds of fun things with your images. They also let you do make-up which was interesting to say the least. I tried on a bunch of celebrity make-up combos and pretty much looked c-c-c-crazy in all of them. I also tried on different eye colors and found that I would look delightful with green and brown eyes. I did not look quite as good with violet eyes as I would have liked. Bummer! Well, without further ado, here are the photos and do please tell me which is your favorite; it very well may influence my final decision! Bonus poins if you can guess the celeb! Provided the hair cut and color comes out well, I will post pics here for you to see.





Monday, May 10, 2010

Dial P for Portfolios

In the continuing saga that is my effort to enroll in FIT's accessory program, I am awaiting the arrival of one final transcript. Here are four more images from the portfolio I completed for admissions. I hope the first two renderings you recognize as representations of the two felt hats I made in my millinery class. I used oil pastel because I felt tha medium would bes capture the rich velour texture of the hats. I was also a shout out o my past as oil pastel was one of my favorite mediums in high school and I really haven't used it since my freshman year in college. The second two are drawings of handbags that I designed after watching Hitchcock's classic "Vertigo". The circular designs are a common element to Hitchcocks work as are the blue, red, and green color palettes. I also designed the kisslock clasp to be shaped as a flower to recall the really beautiful scene of Kim Novak in he flower shop and the swee bouquet she buys. I wanted the bags to be structured to recall botht the bags of the time period as well as the steely femme fatales that was Hitchcock's signature. I went for a muted color combination for the main portion of the bags that played up he vibrancy of the piping detail but still remained in the same color family. I think the design details and the colors make the bags special; classic but also fresh and modern.




Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mom's Day!



I have this fabulous picture of my mom making one of those priceless faces that only can be described as charmingly hilarious. I would like to post it here today in her honor but in deference to her pride, I will not. I hope all of you do something for your mom to make her feel appreciated, even if your on the outs. Even if what you do is not do something that would probably embarrass her.


P.s. I had a dream about being a mom last night and it was alarming.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Why DON'T You Love Her?

These are a couple of Looks from Beyonce's new video for her song "Why Don't You Love Me". I love the vintage quality of the clothes, even though the black and floral one piece is from Dolce and Gabanna S/S 10. Also, the video was shot in the grainy style of old school home videos which adds to the vintage cool. And to be fair, can anyone really rock the retro underpinnings look better than Beyonce?




Friday, May 7, 2010

How's My Cobbling? Call 1-800-555-1234

This is the final shoe I made before my shoe making classes ended. It was inspired by Miu Miu's spring collection. Design wise I absolutely love it, construction wise, it may be be one of my worse pieces. I think the poor quality had to do with my rushing to get it done in a short amount of time. One of the things I'm learning is that I need to 1. be a better craftsman 2. be a better craftsman while meeting deadlines. Those are two super important qualities that I'm going to have to work on if I ever expect/hope/ to get/keep a job in the accessories field. Also, you can see that I included the rendering I did of the shoes for my portfolio as an added treat. you're welcome.



Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Blogenertion:Tavi

The world of fashion blogging has blown up in the last two or so years. Fashion Blogs are everywhere (I'm only sort of including myself in that collection). Several of these blogs and their creators are now finding themselves in the fast lane of fashion and fame. They are invited to top fashion shows, after parties and are sent gifts by the top designers. I think it goes with out saying that many of the non-famous or just starting out fashion bloggers (myself included) would love to be in these people's positions. I have never claimed to not be sort of shallow. BUT, there are reasons that these particular bloggers rise above the rest. Sometimes, it's through their unique personal style combined with their ability to get access to the latest fashion news and samples (i.e. Susie Bubble, Sea of Shoes). Sometimes, it's their unique photographic perspective like The Sartorialist and Tommy Ton. However, it is important to never rule out the power of someone who writes honestly, with unique insight, and a healthy dose of humor, because in a world as crazy as fashion, a little funny can go a long way. I get a lot of inspiration from these lads and lasses.

One such lass is very smart, funny, and relatable, has a wonderfully individual take on style, and is perhaps one of the most famous and most picked on bloggers is Tavi of Style Rookie. Tavi is only 14 years old, from Chicago and writes about fashion far more articulately and with more wit than I could have hoped to muster when I was her age and better than many people who write who are twice or three times her age. She has the jaded sense of humor of any proper teen and a fresh eye for calling things as they are in the fashion world. While many speculate whether or nor she writes her own material or has help, I believe she is for real. I think one of Tavi's greatest appeals is when fashion and fashion journalism can sometimes be completely phony and about artifice, Tavi is genuine. When she began she was simply a passionate fashion devotee who appreciates the transformative qualities of fashion. Even now, she still can feel the pure wonder of fashion with out being tainted by having to consider if the garment or item is something that will sell or appeal to the consuming masses. She reminds me of myself at her age. While I can't pull it off, I certainly appreciate her madcap style and even though now she gets all kinds of free gifts, she still wears it in a way that only she would.

With this wave of blogger stardom, comes the backlash. Tavi personally gets a lot of heckling for her age and for her style, but isn’t the beauty of fashion that we all can form our own stylistic identity. Tavi got lots of heckling for wearing an oversized bow to a couture show, which people felt blocked their view. I’m only going to offer my advice to these people once. Grow up. When People lash out at others less than half their age, I have to wonder what’s going on with them because it seems like there are unresolved issues there. There are those in the industry feel that bloggers like Tavi don't have the right to do what they do. Questions have come up about the qualifications that Tavi has and what gives her the right to be at fashion shows in the front row. It is so strange a concept to me that some parts of fashion can be so forward thinking, ground breaking, and up to the minute, while some parts of it stay stuck in the past. The culture of fashion has spread so much farther and so much faster in the past decade or two than it ever has before, thanks to easier access to the internet, retailers like H&M and Forever 21 producing knockoffs, live streaming runway shows, and television programs like Project Runway. You can't shake a stick these days without hitting a would be fashion designer, model, blogger, or old fashioned devotee. Fashion has intertwined with our way of life in the same way that fast food, consumerism, and baseball are a part of American culture. While I am no expert, I say that editors are no more qualified than bloggers. Fashion editors are journalists, fashion students, writers, and others who just fell into their career. Many of these people only learned about fashion and style by studying design the same way that bloggers like Tavi study the collections online and at shows and form their opinions. Most bloggers also preach the individual style gospel while magazines show what they feel the public should wear, what will be most flattering, and how to get thighs to meet guys. If I never read another article on liposuction, the latest diet, or how some person I've never heard of cheated on their spouse, went to a dark place but came out a better person in the end, it will be too soon. Now, let me say that I don't hate all magazines, I love a good fashion spread as much as the next person and I like learning about new things but as we all know, the magazine industry is dying and bloggers like Tavi may be the next step in evolution. I believe whole heartedly that bloggers like Tavi are poised to become the next big purveyors of style. I, also, hope that if I'm wrong, and bloggers are just having their 15 minutes, that they are prepared for that as well. From what I can tell about Tavi, I think she'll be resilient and great at what ever future endeavors she takes on.
Illustration of Tavi by Serene Khan for Sketch Magazine.

Tavi with fellow blogger, Susie Bubble.

Tavi working the Yokoo Chain.

Tavi and the case of the dasterdly bow.

Tavi on the cover of POP magazine.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Oh Bert, all your fine drawings

As I posted earlier, I am in the process of applying to FIT's accessory program. All that's left to do is wait for various transcripts to come in. One of which was requested in MARCH online, confirmed over the phone and promptly forgotten by the institution. Boy, do I love my Alma mater. Sarcasm aside, I hope to hear maybe sometime next week. In the mean time, I thought it might be nice to share with you readers some of the work I've done for my portfolio. This way some one else will be able to see it besides FIT admin. in case I don't make the cut. For today's installment, I have chosen the illustrations of the three shoes that I have made and hat have been posted here. I used, water color, marker, and oil pastel. I think they turned out nicely. Let me know what you think.