It's been a while...

And it most certainly has.

So today I'm going to give an update and an inside look on what I've been up to.

So I guess I should start with my drape project, not going to lie I haven't done anything like this before so I am struggling in some areas such as the construction and creating a pattern piece.
Although it doesn't entirely help that my designs aren't exactly simple to make or recreate on the stand for the matter. But I must say I am enjoying what I am doing so far.

Some of the designs that I've made on the mannequins do look quite complex due to the way the fabric falls. The fabric that I had used in these images was hard cotton, grey which was a thick fabric that didn't entirely fall like silk instead it kept it's shape and created a 3D like effect.

I did experiment with a softer and lighter fabric which I didn't really like the feel off. Simply because I thought it made my design ideas look cheap and tacky So I decided to scrap the fabric and stick to the hard cotton.

My main inspiration for my designs were Gareth Pugh and Tainted Wool because they use a lot of over sizing to their best ability so I decided to use them in my designs.

In further posting I will show progression on my sketchbook and the collection that had inspired me with my designs.

House Of Malakai

Instagram is probably one of my favorite places to find new and creative things like Malakia.

Looking at some of his work and his bio it is noted that he is a self taught artist who comes from Bali.
He started with hard jewelry and decor in 1999. Malakai started the lable 'House Of Malakai' in 2013 which allowed him to express his artistic style and develop them into dramatic styles. The brand focuses on accessories and head wear, which has been supported by celebrities such as Beyonce and Rihanna.

His work pays particular attention to detail and a combination of hand craft and modern digital craftsmanship.

It is said that his influences are from high fashion, science and underground movements.

"Ancient tribal culture weaves seamlessly with cutting edge technology in the hands of this multi media artist. His work transcends our time – a familiar memory of something we've never seen before."

His work in my point of view is sex, edgy, inspirational and dramatic. Some of his work can look alienated and very artistic. With the photographs he hasn't just thought about the presentation of the accessory but the placement and the story of the image would tell. It is this that shows the artistic flare in the designs as well as the designs themselves.
His work is very inspirational and will come in use for future research and design ideas.

 

 

Fox and Shriek

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to help out back stage of the Fox and Shriek show as well as seeing the show.
I can not describe how much fun and an honour it was for me to be able to see and do what I had experience that day. The whole day was very surreal and I couldn't come to grips that I was backstage running errands for Paul and Matt. There's nothing like running across the street in your platforms for a pair of tights.

My day started at 11am and I was greeted by Matt and Paul and then straight away I was put to work, making 150 gift bags and running errands. I learned very quickly that things needed to be done as quickly as possible and not to be hesitance to ask if there is anything else that needs to be done. I was pinning patches to the back of bright red professor coats, moving empty boxes to a hidden area away from the show, placing stickers on the bag making sure that they all were facing the right direction, looking for a bright red bracelet to go with one of the outfits and running across the street for a pair of tights.
The day went by so fast and the next thing I new it was show time!

Although I was there all day I did get to see the outfits throughout the day but seeing it all together with the music, the make-up and the attitude it made the look complete.
The show had a dark twist with a raven portrayed by a ballerina, opening the show, dancing in between models and showing off Fox and shriek to the audience.

The garments displayed had dark and bright patterns which was shown throughout each garment. The models who displayed them wore them with attitude and sex, showing the audience that they own that piece. The show featured wips, feathers and masks showing a slight bondage side to the clothes.

One thing I will say about my experience is that I would love to start as an assistant, I loved the idea of being busy all the time, having something to do right after another task and meeting a lot of new people. I was able to see what it was like back stage and to see all the effort at the end by watching the show.

One thing that is for sure is that I am ready to work in this field and I would love to experience something like this again!

Outfits for Italy.

If you wish to see the short vlog that I made whilst in Italy then feel free to check it out!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAVOo_x0izc

This outfit here was one of my favourite ones to wear and I think I wore this on the first day as well.

Here I'm wearing a maxi dress that I bought last minute on ebay for about £7.99, from buzy collection.

Waist coat was a hand me down from my sister from a while back, from atmosphere.

Lace through over was from Newlook which was £10.99.

Shoes are from George for £8.

Clock necklace was from razzberry bazaar for £5.45

Glass were £4.50.

 This outfit I wore on my way to the leather school.

Dress was from H&M which was £10.99

Blazer was from a local charity shop in South Shields that went for roughly £8

Shoes were from George, £8.

Belt was from George as well, £3.99.

Fringed bag was from H&M as well that went for £19.

Wiccan choker necklace was £3.99 from ebay.

 

 This outfit was the last outfit that I wore on whilst in Italy.

Belt was from George for £3.99.

Long front cardigan as from H&M for about £12.

Black skirt and black tank top were all from H&M both costing roughly £4.99.

White top was from Zara costing £25.95.

Platform sandals were from Schuh which we £50.

 

Recent findings pt 2

This week I'm presenting to you more of my recent findings. Like the last post I will mention the prices and include a web link if you are interested.

I will note that what I'm doing is not a promotion, I'm not getting paid to do this. This is just an outlook of what I like and what I want to share with others.

So what's this weeks findings??

KILLSTAR

Killstar is bold store with busy patterns and also holds dark clothing.

They produce a wide range of things and some are unisex. 

What I do like about this store are the looks on their dresses, some are plain and others a bold like their tops. They can be long and detailed to short with a hippy like style.

 

The price range for this store can be between £14.99 to £300 at the most.

They do have sales regularly and they've recently came out with some new jumpers which are a mixture of bright bold colours and crazy patterns.

If you are interested in these items or interested in the store then feel free to check them out.

http://www.killstar.com/

VALLEY EYEWEAR

Valley Eyewear are a small company that create amazing sunglasses. They've recently been worn by the likes of Kat Von D and are quite popular for their wolf frames. I love these glasses, the frames and designs are always different, they're used amazingly as an accessory and they frame the face perfectly.
The frames are usually large and come in a variety of styles and shapes.

Valley's can cost up to $300. Also with them being from the US if you are wanting to order then you may need to pay more for shipping.

These collections are absolutely beautiful and they can run out very quickly, they do however release mew collections all the time and update regularly. For the size of the frames and the look of them it is worth the money, however they have upped their pricing so if you are wanting a pair I would strongly suggest buying them now!!

If you are interested then feel free to visit their site at...

http://www.valleyeyewear.com/

LIP SERVICE

Lip service are a multi store, they produce gothic and hippy like styles. They do use bright colours but they also use the dark side. They can produce all types products, from flared pants to harnesses, this store has a lot to offer and this is what I like about it.
The models that they use for the site do bring a slight expression to the garments.

 
 


This store does have both men and womens each with it's different price range.
Mens vary between 40 and 120 dollars.
Womens vary between between 20 and 260 dollars.
It is a US store so delivery to the UK will be more.
Looking at the styles you can see the difference between the looks from the mens to the womens, ALTHOUGH!!! There are some garments that are similar to each other.
They also do bright coloured garments so don't be put off by the darkness of these items, they are the ones that caught my eye.
If you are interested then check out their site at...

http://www.lip-service.com/


I will mention again that this is not a promotion! And I'm not getting paid for it, this id just for fun :)

I hope you've enjoyed this post and I will keep you posted!

This week/next week will be about my outfits that I wore in Italy. I will be posting the link to the video of Florence which will be included in the next post.

Catch up!

So I was supposed to be posting about the recent findings on stores that have taken my interest but I'm currently not at home and staying at friends flat for a few days. It just so happens at this very moment that I have managed to left all of my information at home... Oops! Clever me, eh?

So in the mean time it seems that it is only fair to mention what I have been up to recently.

Well since the last post...

On the 14th of may I went to Florence Italy, this was offered by the college. I was able to visit a leather school and a museum which contained a lot of shoes... SO MANY SHOES!

I also had the opportunity to visit a fashion university but I decided to stay back at the hotel because my feet were so swollen, but apparently it was phenomenal.

Florence was such a beautiful place, the culture, the high range stores and the streets. In our spare time I walked around with a few people and we walked all over from the hotel to the Dumo Cathedral to high range stores to little ice cream store with the most tastiest ice cream ever! Walking around we noticed that the stores changed all the time, at least twice a day. It is one of the places where I would be able to visit.

On this trip I was able to create a short Vlog which I will be posting soon...

I'll be sharing some pictures as well.

So what else has been happening???

I have now finished my first year on my fashion fDa course. Which means I only have one year left, I'm excited but nervous at the same time but I'm sure I'll manage. I've met some interesting people, learned so many many things and gain a lot of skills that I know will come in handy. But I don't entirely know what root I'm wanting to go down, which is unfortunate.

But I do have a few ideas on what I may be wanting to do...

I have plans to get back into drawing now that I have the time for it. I have so many ideas and I honestly can't wait to get them down on paper. I'm also going to build up my designing skills and try to get that to the best standards.

I am planning on doing a Vlog here and there to boost my confidence in this field, I have a few ideas waiting and more ideas are more than welcome.

But currently I'm working on a new CV and trying to get a job in retail, oh the joys.

In the mean time I'm still going to be posting on here at least once or twice a week, maybe even more now that I have the time. I'm still going to continue with the recent findings on the store and I will be posting the outfits that I wore whilst in Italy as well as the Vlog! 

But until then I'm going to enjoy my break and I will be back on track next monday.

So everyone, enjoy your day and I will be back in a few days.

Recent findings. (Click to enlarge images)

This post today is going to be about the stores that I've recently found.
I'll be posting them in three posts because this may be lengthy one.

And as usual I'll be sharing the websites are each one. So if you like what you see then go ahead and get buying!! I personally haven't simple because I'm saving my money for Florence but soon after I can guarantee you that I'll be getting my hands one something that I share tonight.

This will also show you what I'm interested in and what my style is like as it is always changing.



SO! First up on the many sites that I've found would be TOXIC VISION.
This is one is especially my favourite simple because of how much time has gone into each design. There's multiple materials and techniques that have been used on them and the detail is something to look out for. some are also quite complex as well.



The prices from this store are running between $200 -$1500

It may be much but baring in mind these design are being made by hand and looking at these garments you can see the time and preparation put in to them. It's also an american store so if you're ordering from the UK then it may be more.

http://www.toxicvision.bigcartel.com/



Next up is BLKLABLEX! This store isn't as complex as the previous one. HOWEVER!! The store does produce some lovely designs. There isn't much to be shown of the site but it does give an idea of what the style is. The designs I would say are quite airy and light and suitable for summer.



The prices for this store are cheaper running between $20 to $60.
Again it is an american store so it may cost more.
They also have a mens section as well.

Again if you like what you see then visit the store

http://blklabelx.storenvy.com/products



My third store is one of my favourite findings and it's DEANDRI!
Deandri is possible one of the few stores that'll produce multiple versions of the same design. Taking a classic dressing and changing it ever so slightly. Turning a dress into a two piece, suspender with zenon collar, to changing the fabric entirely from black to tartan to turning it into separate pieces. It's endless.
the same goes for it's harness and their shoes. Changing and altering them into a complete different outlook



 

The prices for this store are between $45 and $170
These designs are absolutely amazing and I love them to bits.
They also do a mens section where the designs are similar to the womens but with shirts.

Interested?? Then look at the store.

http://deandri.com/




These will be the end of the post for today as I will be posting another tomorrow.

Again if you like what you've seen then do check out the sites and share with others.

Hussien Chayalan - My historical designer for contextual studies

For contextual studies we have to choose a historical and contemporary design and compare the two together.

I first found Chayalan in a magazine that displayed his work over the years. Looking at the article and his work it made me realize that a lot of his work involve a lot of shapes and are demonstrated in a creative way.

There are many elements of Chayalan that I could use in my report and I'll explain in a further post.