As I am completing more pieces from my collection, I am coming to the realization that I have just under three weeks left in my internship. I will be setting my own goals for what I would like to accomplish by the time I finish; however, I would like to hear from everyone else on their input. What are things you guys want to see these next couple weeks? Anything you want to know, etc?
Feel free to send me comments/suggestions via Facebook or E-mail (sydnieelizabeth21@hotmail.com)
Again, thank you everyone for the support this summer! It has been absolutely phenomenal!
Sincerely,
Sydnie
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 43
After leaving Friday, I was determined over the weekend to continue working on this collection I had designed. The dress was nearly finished aside from side seams and trim. Yesterday I got right to work with the serger and completed both the "mod" style dress and a top as well. The top is a new addition to my collection that I thought was necessary for making it look complete. Christopher taught me that it is very important to make separate pieces so that they can be versatile for various occasions. I will show you exactly how to make pieces versatile as I get to the pieces I made.
I would first like to start out with this new additional piece.
The focus is going to be on the undershirt which is made of the swatch of material up in the right hand corner of the photo. It has a sense of elegance to it that really blended well with the rest of the collection. I portrayed it being worn under a black blazer with a pair of denim jeans. The top itself is boat neck with a three quarter length sleeve.
So if you were to just wear this casually with jeans and a belt, it looks like so. This would be appropriate for a casual lunch or just a day out on the town.
However, when you add a blazer, another level of chic-ness is added.
This dresses it up quite a bit more and could be used for more classy occasions.
If we take it up another notch by pairing it with a dress pant/crop, it could easily be used for business wear as shown below.
Essentially, the blazer could be added for this business wear look depending on the place of occupation.
I wanted to save the best for last with this next look. This is a piece I am very proud of and cannot believe I created after the little experience I have had until this summer.
Sketched out, my piece looked like this:
I had found a very similar style in print that I used on the fabric and the reverse side for the trim.
Since fall is approaching, doing a legging with a boot would be a great and cozy look to pull off!
In the mean time, the bare leg is definitely appropriate as well as sassy! :)
I would first like to start out with this new additional piece.
The focus is going to be on the undershirt which is made of the swatch of material up in the right hand corner of the photo. It has a sense of elegance to it that really blended well with the rest of the collection. I portrayed it being worn under a black blazer with a pair of denim jeans. The top itself is boat neck with a three quarter length sleeve.
So if you were to just wear this casually with jeans and a belt, it looks like so. This would be appropriate for a casual lunch or just a day out on the town.
However, when you add a blazer, another level of chic-ness is added.
This dresses it up quite a bit more and could be used for more classy occasions.
If we take it up another notch by pairing it with a dress pant/crop, it could easily be used for business wear as shown below.
Essentially, the blazer could be added for this business wear look depending on the place of occupation.
I wanted to save the best for last with this next look. This is a piece I am very proud of and cannot believe I created after the little experience I have had until this summer.
Sketched out, my piece looked like this:
I had found a very similar style in print that I used on the fabric and the reverse side for the trim.
Since fall is approaching, doing a legging with a boot would be a great and cozy look to pull off!
In the mean time, the bare leg is definitely appropriate as well as sassy! :)
Friday, July 26, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 42
HAPPY FRIDAY! I was very excited about getting into sewing today! Earlier this week I had sketched out a new pattern for the "mod" style dress. Rather than hugging the body all the way down, it simply goes straight down from the arm hole. The two are compared side by side below.
I had my pieces cut and I was ready and raring to go once I arrived at the studio this morning.
The focus project today would be solely working on my "mod" style dress. In my sketch I had wanted to do welt pockets on the front portion. A welt looks like a slanted pocket basically. However, my skills are not quite ready to surmount a real pocket quite yet, so for now I am going to fake it! The thing is, it is impossible for a person to tell unless they physically tried to come up and stick their hand in to find out...which would be totally weird and WOULD NOT happen!
Placing these mock pockets would be the first task of sewing today and since I have not worked with this yet, it took me a bit to learn the mechanisms. I needed to figure out the size I wanted them to be before I could move forth.
I then had to go through and pre-finish each pocket before attaching.
Next, I had to figure out the placement of these pockets on the garment. What I did to figure this out, was pin the front of the dress to a mannequin and then experiment with pocket arrangements.
Once I found an area that seemed flatter the silhouette, I could remove the dress front from the mannequin, mark off with tape and measure out the exact inches on either side.
It was time to start getting in with the sewing machine which could go really bad or really good. I needed to make sure these were exactly in place before making puncture marks with the needle. I would hate to start from scratch on a new piece of material after the progress made!
Fortunately for me, this turned out successful! After this I made the usual stitches at the top of the shoulder and neck facings. Then sleeves were added on.
I had my pieces cut and I was ready and raring to go once I arrived at the studio this morning.
The focus project today would be solely working on my "mod" style dress. In my sketch I had wanted to do welt pockets on the front portion. A welt looks like a slanted pocket basically. However, my skills are not quite ready to surmount a real pocket quite yet, so for now I am going to fake it! The thing is, it is impossible for a person to tell unless they physically tried to come up and stick their hand in to find out...which would be totally weird and WOULD NOT happen!
Placing these mock pockets would be the first task of sewing today and since I have not worked with this yet, it took me a bit to learn the mechanisms. I needed to figure out the size I wanted them to be before I could move forth.
I then had to go through and pre-finish each pocket before attaching.
Next, I had to figure out the placement of these pockets on the garment. What I did to figure this out, was pin the front of the dress to a mannequin and then experiment with pocket arrangements.
Once I found an area that seemed flatter the silhouette, I could remove the dress front from the mannequin, mark off with tape and measure out the exact inches on either side.
It was time to start getting in with the sewing machine which could go really bad or really good. I needed to make sure these were exactly in place before making puncture marks with the needle. I would hate to start from scratch on a new piece of material after the progress made!
Fortunately for me, this turned out successful! After this I made the usual stitches at the top of the shoulder and neck facings. Then sleeves were added on.
After those tasks were complete, this is what I had! It does not look like much now but once I get the side seams done, it will really start looking like a dress. Tomorrow I plan on spending a good amount of time sewing so this should be all finished:) Come back to check out the results!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 40 & 41
After running errands Wednesday, yesterday was a quiet day in the studio! Although, it did not mean we were not busy working by any means! Christopher has obviously been preparing his collection throughout the summer and the due date is coming closer and closer. He presents his collection during the Minnesota Fashion Week. The fashion show is September 25th and I am hoping to make a trip back here to see the end results; especially knowing I was factored into the process.
Yesterday was spent putting together the garments on the mannequins and photographing so he could send to those running the fashion show. This gives them an idea of what to expect ahead of time and how to prepare. I was in charge of dressing the mannequin, and surprisingly enough it probably took nearly 4 hours just doing that. When I was little I always dressed my barbies so I guess it only makes sense that I am now dressing mannequins as an adult:) Needless to say, I got to know the mannequin VERY well; maybe too well. But the job was eventually accomplished after tossing around legs and arms for awhile.
We finished up in the studio for the afternoon and planned for today to be my independent study day. We discussed which goals I wanted to accomplish on my own. Knowing I had just bought material from S.R. Harris, we figured getting fabric cut and ready for sewing would be a great task.
So that is exactly what I did today.
This material here was cut to make the top on the garment below:
I will actually be using this material above to make a simple boat neck, three-quarter sleeve shirt. The boat neck is a common theme presented in the collection so it is important to stay consistent.
I cut this material for both the "mod" style dress and the legging as shown below:
Tomorrow will be the start to sewing!!! I have now gone from sketching an idea on paper to physically creating the garment...ALMOST! This is a goal I would have never imagined meeting already this summer.
Yesterday was spent putting together the garments on the mannequins and photographing so he could send to those running the fashion show. This gives them an idea of what to expect ahead of time and how to prepare. I was in charge of dressing the mannequin, and surprisingly enough it probably took nearly 4 hours just doing that. When I was little I always dressed my barbies so I guess it only makes sense that I am now dressing mannequins as an adult:) Needless to say, I got to know the mannequin VERY well; maybe too well. But the job was eventually accomplished after tossing around legs and arms for awhile.
We finished up in the studio for the afternoon and planned for today to be my independent study day. We discussed which goals I wanted to accomplish on my own. Knowing I had just bought material from S.R. Harris, we figured getting fabric cut and ready for sewing would be a great task.
So that is exactly what I did today.
This material here was cut to make the top on the garment below:
I will actually be using this material above to make a simple boat neck, three-quarter sleeve shirt. The boat neck is a common theme presented in the collection so it is important to stay consistent.
I cut this material for both the "mod" style dress and the legging as shown below:
Tomorrow will be the start to sewing!!! I have now gone from sketching an idea on paper to physically creating the garment...ALMOST! This is a goal I would have never imagined meeting already this summer.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 39
What exactly is part of the job of being a designer? I learned one of the aspects today as Christopher and I took a little field trip to meet with a client. This client had a special event to attend in the future and wanted Christopher to design a dress just for her. The dress incorporated a piece of jewelry she wanted to place on the front. Christopher had to take this into perspective, knowing that this was going to be the dress's focal point. He asked her for details such sleeve length, neck finish, hem length and any other desires. With him, he had carried his sketch book so that during her description, he could visualize for her what it would look like. She wanted boat neck, sleeve above elbow, hem above knee, and cinched in under the bust. Christopher literally created this beautiful sketch in a matter of minutes and the client immediately loved the results. He went through and took measurements: from the high-point shoulder to hem, sleeve length, bust and under bust. This client conciliation was over in a very short period of time. Christopher is very efficient in understanding what the customer wants and translating that to a illustration.
At this point, the first step is complete in the process. Our next venture was to, my favorite, S.R. Harris to source material for this dress. The client also requested that the dress was "stretchy". Christopher did not want to take away from the piece of jewelry that would be placed on the dress so he looked for black material that stretched but not to a point of transparency. We looked at several bolts of black fabric until we found one that fit the description.
The following step after purchasing material is to start construction with an appropriate pattern. Christopher does not completely finish the garment; instead, he gets to a certain point and then has the client come to his studio to finish fitting more elaborately. This gives the client and the designer an opportunity to make sure everything is looking and fitting correctly before finishing stitches are places and ready for wear.
This is just one of the many opportunities a designer has in the industry. I will discuss more in the future!
As far as my work, I created a new pattern to make the "mod" style dress I had sketched. My material is bought so I am sure you know what is coming next! Sewing:)
Monday, July 22, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 38
As of last night, I had finished my Avant Garde piece for the collection. This is supposed to be the finale or "show stopper" piece cuing the audience to clap and know the show is complete. However, I feel that the collection is not quite finished yet. There are some finishing touches as well as possible garments I would like to add; especially after having gone to S.R. Harris today on a little field trip. It was independent time for me to learn. This is good experience for me because eventually I will no longer have my incredible mentor to guide me. I will have to take what I learn and carry it forward the best I can. However, I still have four weeks to go in my internship and in that time, I know I have plenty more to learn before it is back to school!
Anyways, as I said before, I went to S.R. Harris today. I brought along with me my sketch book so I could refer to the different looks and prints I had created in the collection. I knew I was not going to find the exact print I had created but I at least wanted to come close or be inspired by something better. My key theme was obviously the black and white. I looked through nearly every aisle looking up and down the bolts of fabric.
I found plaids...
Small polka dots...
Big polka dots...
These just were not quite right for the collection; however. Plaid did not fit the theme and polka dots were too literal for my taste.
I kept looking and ended up finding a couple great, classic looking materials.
Now this one here I imagine being used for the "mod" style dress as well as the leggings.
The material is a medium weight knit that will wear well from fall into winter. I can add black leggings to the dress as the temps get cooler. Although, I would rather NOT even think about snow yet!!!!
The next material I found follows this kind of diamond shape of the last.
I love the sophistication of it but it also has the silver coloring I was hoping to pull through the collection as well. It does not have a place yet with a specific piece but I will be doing more sketching to find it a home!
I also bought a light knit black material for the cocoon sweater pictured above with the leggings.
All together the prints look like this (including the jacquard print from last week):
Of course these would not all be placed on a single garment together; rather spaced out to make a smooth transition from one look to the next. It should read well and make sense. I had also utilized actual black and white pearls for the finale piece so with if all prints were used, I really need to analyze how the pieces will all work. I am looking forward to work ahead. I am going to try to make three of the looks as of yet:)
Anyways, as I said before, I went to S.R. Harris today. I brought along with me my sketch book so I could refer to the different looks and prints I had created in the collection. I knew I was not going to find the exact print I had created but I at least wanted to come close or be inspired by something better. My key theme was obviously the black and white. I looked through nearly every aisle looking up and down the bolts of fabric.
I found plaids...
Small polka dots...
Big polka dots...
These just were not quite right for the collection; however. Plaid did not fit the theme and polka dots were too literal for my taste.
I kept looking and ended up finding a couple great, classic looking materials.
Now this one here I imagine being used for the "mod" style dress as well as the leggings.
The material is a medium weight knit that will wear well from fall into winter. I can add black leggings to the dress as the temps get cooler. Although, I would rather NOT even think about snow yet!!!!
The next material I found follows this kind of diamond shape of the last.
I love the sophistication of it but it also has the silver coloring I was hoping to pull through the collection as well. It does not have a place yet with a specific piece but I will be doing more sketching to find it a home!
I also bought a light knit black material for the cocoon sweater pictured above with the leggings.
All together the prints look like this (including the jacquard print from last week):
Of course these would not all be placed on a single garment together; rather spaced out to make a smooth transition from one look to the next. It should read well and make sense. I had also utilized actual black and white pearls for the finale piece so with if all prints were used, I really need to analyze how the pieces will all work. I am looking forward to work ahead. I am going to try to make three of the looks as of yet:)
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 37
Before I left the studio on Friday, Christopher suggested that I buy a couple fashion magazines. This was to assist with the other part of my homework, which was to come up with four total print ideas for the collection I am creating. I already had created one, which was the black and white randomized print. The other is the jacquard print that I had bought from JoAnn's.
This morning I went out to Target and picked up an issue of the August Harper's Bazaar.
Rather than looking at articles, I was mainly interested in the advertisements as well as fashion photos. There was texture everywhere!
Beading, lace, studs, leather, quilting, furs, and much more were included within the issue! Another concept Christopher wanted me to pay attention to was the placement as well as proportion and scale of the additives. Ideally, within the Avant Garde piece I needed to come up with for the finale, he wanted to see an evolution of the previous print I had come up with. That meant taking those scale-like shapes I had created and moving them, minimizing/maximizing or changing the figures themselves somehow.
I thought back to the original inspiration; my pearl ring. What if I used physical black and white pearls on the gown versus trying to re-concept the flat print itself? I brainstormed out my ideas, analyzing everything from trim, to silhouette. I needed to evolve this somehow so the whole collection would make sense and read well to an audience. This is what I came up with:
The dress is strapless, hugging down the body until around the knee where it flares out giving the same hem shape as the evening cocktail dress.
I wanted to stick with the theme of having a trim but rather than doing silver like the rest of the pieces, I wanted to use black lace to stick to the elegance and sophistication that pearls have.
The grouping at the top near the trim represent black and white pearls. They gradually drip down the gown fewer and fewer. We still have that black and white randomized concept but they are smaller and in a different pattern than the original; therefore creating the evolution. The gown itself would be done in a white pearl color, so a little more iridescent than what is displayed.
Tomorrow I am going to continue the process and source materials that I could possibly include in the collection. I would love to for sure physically make a couple of the pieces depending on the luck I have:)
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 36
Happy Saturday! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far!
Yesterday in my post I had talked about one of the pieces in my collection that I will for sure be physically making. I saw the pattern and knew it would fit into the theme with some minor modifications.
I would be creating the second look. I found a jacquard print material that reflected the colors within my ring.
The pattern required a zipper for the back of the tunic so I found one that matched well with this material.
I went back home with this idea to incorporate in the collection. This is where I came up with the sketch below as seen previously.
Because the pattern, which is gorgeous, is very fashion-forward/runway, I decided to tone it down with doing a neutral charcoal pant with silver trim.
I am really excited about this project because not only does it fit in with my collection, but it also reflects my own style; which is hopefully evolving with this experience!
I will be sharing more this weekend as I work on my Avant Garde piece Christopher requested! Also, hoping to make my way to S.R. Harris again to get more material inspiration for my collection:)
Yesterday in my post I had talked about one of the pieces in my collection that I will for sure be physically making. I saw the pattern and knew it would fit into the theme with some minor modifications.
I would be creating the second look. I found a jacquard print material that reflected the colors within my ring.
The pattern required a zipper for the back of the tunic so I found one that matched well with this material.
I went back home with this idea to incorporate in the collection. This is where I came up with the sketch below as seen previously.
Because the pattern, which is gorgeous, is very fashion-forward/runway, I decided to tone it down with doing a neutral charcoal pant with silver trim.
I am really excited about this project because not only does it fit in with my collection, but it also reflects my own style; which is hopefully evolving with this experience!
I will be sharing more this weekend as I work on my Avant Garde piece Christopher requested! Also, hoping to make my way to S.R. Harris again to get more material inspiration for my collection:)
Friday, July 19, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 34 & 35
It was another late night of sketching last night! Which explained my obsolete posting:) I got right to work on the new assignment when I got home yesterday. Christopher analyzed my works inspired by my black and white pearl ring. He liked the concept and could see it coming out of the clothing. The goal was to make a collection of pieces; more specifically, a group of garments that clearly belong together.
After having further conversation, Christopher and I decided that the first piece (cocktail dress) did not quite belong with the other three looks. Even though it brought out elements of the pearl ring, it was meeting a younger age range than the other pieces. What about this piece made it younger? The sweetheart neckline, the shorter length, and the volume in the bottom skirt. This would be easy to modify knowing these details.
However, we decided to go back to the drawing board and assess who our customer was. Stores do this research and analytical thinking all the time in order to figure out what they will carry as far as product goes. The main objective is to obviously be profitable, so by knowing exactly who your customer is and what he or she wants, will make for high and consistent sales.
Looking back at the three looks that fit together, the customer was clearly female. She is fashion forward as well as successful, so she is around 25 years of age (give or take a couple years). We saw her living in a metropolitan area working as well as having a social life. She is college educated and making a nice income.
We pulled all of this information by simply looking at what is being worn. With that being said, clothing is for the most part, an excellent indicator of who people are; where they are going, what and why they are doing what they are doing. There is a whole science of the socio-psychological aspects of dress, but I won't get into that today:)
Again, going back, we decided that the look below did not quite fit in with the element of the rest.
In fact, after looking at it, I feel like she looks a little like Tinker Bell! Live and learn! That is what this process is all about.
Christopher gave me my next homework assignment at the end of the day yesterday. I would re-do this look but do two different looks; one being afternoon cocktail party and the other being evening cocktail party. He was not finished yet; however! He also wanted me to design a swimwear look, outfit of my choice, and avant garde (finale piece). I was incredibly excited that I would be taking creative reins and coming up with a collection! Again, I never thought this would be something I would be getting to do this summer. I figured I would work and do side tasks for Christopher as he put together his collection. Instead, Christopher is carefully guiding me to grow in my confidence and skills so that I too, can someday be a designer. It feels surreal to say that. Before this was just a dream for me, and now I can see it becoming a reality.
But anyways, now that I am becoming a sap, let's get back on subject of work! Below are the looks I came up with for the requested pieces:
This is for afternoon cocktail party. The dress is straight, hugging at the waist. The coloration is pearl with silver trim.
With evening cocktail, it needs to be spiced up a bit more! I added some volume in the skirt portion of the dress and used the same print as previous garments. I could see the top being structured in leather to give it some edge.
This was the "my choice" sketch. Christopher told me to take in consideration of my own life and what I am doing. I love pieces that transition well because I am always going from job to job or class to some other kind of outing. This outfit is a longer tunic top made out of a brocade metallic print going with a charcoal straight-leg ankle pant. Both top and bottom are trimmed in the same silver as other pieces. I actually went out and bought material and pattern for this look so keep your eyes open for when I make it soon:)
I wanted the swimwear look to be very sleek and sophisticated. I used the pearl color as the base and trim in silver. She is wearing a beach hat with some black pearls as accessories.
The last piece (Avant Garde) is yet in the works! I am doing some final brainstorming for the look, but I am going to goal myself to have it done and ready to show you all over the weekend!
Thank you everyone for your continuous support through my journey!
After having further conversation, Christopher and I decided that the first piece (cocktail dress) did not quite belong with the other three looks. Even though it brought out elements of the pearl ring, it was meeting a younger age range than the other pieces. What about this piece made it younger? The sweetheart neckline, the shorter length, and the volume in the bottom skirt. This would be easy to modify knowing these details.
However, we decided to go back to the drawing board and assess who our customer was. Stores do this research and analytical thinking all the time in order to figure out what they will carry as far as product goes. The main objective is to obviously be profitable, so by knowing exactly who your customer is and what he or she wants, will make for high and consistent sales.
Looking back at the three looks that fit together, the customer was clearly female. She is fashion forward as well as successful, so she is around 25 years of age (give or take a couple years). We saw her living in a metropolitan area working as well as having a social life. She is college educated and making a nice income.
We pulled all of this information by simply looking at what is being worn. With that being said, clothing is for the most part, an excellent indicator of who people are; where they are going, what and why they are doing what they are doing. There is a whole science of the socio-psychological aspects of dress, but I won't get into that today:)
Again, going back, we decided that the look below did not quite fit in with the element of the rest.
In fact, after looking at it, I feel like she looks a little like Tinker Bell! Live and learn! That is what this process is all about.
Christopher gave me my next homework assignment at the end of the day yesterday. I would re-do this look but do two different looks; one being afternoon cocktail party and the other being evening cocktail party. He was not finished yet; however! He also wanted me to design a swimwear look, outfit of my choice, and avant garde (finale piece). I was incredibly excited that I would be taking creative reins and coming up with a collection! Again, I never thought this would be something I would be getting to do this summer. I figured I would work and do side tasks for Christopher as he put together his collection. Instead, Christopher is carefully guiding me to grow in my confidence and skills so that I too, can someday be a designer. It feels surreal to say that. Before this was just a dream for me, and now I can see it becoming a reality.
But anyways, now that I am becoming a sap, let's get back on subject of work! Below are the looks I came up with for the requested pieces:
This is for afternoon cocktail party. The dress is straight, hugging at the waist. The coloration is pearl with silver trim.
With evening cocktail, it needs to be spiced up a bit more! I added some volume in the skirt portion of the dress and used the same print as previous garments. I could see the top being structured in leather to give it some edge.
This was the "my choice" sketch. Christopher told me to take in consideration of my own life and what I am doing. I love pieces that transition well because I am always going from job to job or class to some other kind of outing. This outfit is a longer tunic top made out of a brocade metallic print going with a charcoal straight-leg ankle pant. Both top and bottom are trimmed in the same silver as other pieces. I actually went out and bought material and pattern for this look so keep your eyes open for when I make it soon:)
I wanted the swimwear look to be very sleek and sophisticated. I used the pearl color as the base and trim in silver. She is wearing a beach hat with some black pearls as accessories.
The last piece (Avant Garde) is yet in the works! I am doing some final brainstorming for the look, but I am going to goal myself to have it done and ready to show you all over the weekend!
Thank you everyone for your continuous support through my journey!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Summer Internship: Day 33
So I totally thought that I would have gotten this post up way earlier today, but I have been spending nearly the last ten hours on my assignment from Christopher! What was this crazy assignment you might ask? It actually has has to do with what I was learning yesterday with sketching like a designer as well as thinking like one. Christopher told me to pick an object that I am inspired by, write down its qualities, and then create a four look collection in which each would be used for a different occasion. Easier said than done! There is so much around us that could be inspiring. Where do I even begin? I went around to a couple stores today just looking around to see if anything would catch my eye. I just had not been captured by anything super spectacular. I went home empty handed and continued to rack my brain as I ate Taco Bell (one of my guilty pleasures). I looked down at my hand and was staring at one of my rings for a bit. This ring in particular had been given to me by one of my grandmas; therefore it had so sentimental meaning as well as beauty.
It contains both a white pearl and a black pearl and enclosed by a leaf on each side. My grandma received this ring around 1969 from her husband at the time who was in Vietnam. Amazing how such a small and unique item travels from one person to the next. Either way, I knew I could easily be inspired by this object.
I started out by making a list of the ring's characteristics:
-Smooth
-Shiny
-Symmetrical
-Black
-White/Ivory
-Silver
-Iridescent
I even did some research on the symbolism of the pearls. Black pearls are rare and represent royalty, success and prosperity while white pearls symbolize luxury, purity and innocence.
I had so many ideas I could really play off of with this one single item. I think that is a huge lesson Christopher is trying to teach me; a person can find inspiration from simply opening up their eyes to what is around them.
I wanted my color story to be exactly as what was found on the ring; black, white/ivory, and silver. I would play with silver as my accent color and blacks and whites as my dominant.
The first look I designed would be for a cocktail party occasion:
The dress is shorter and plays with a leaf design for the bottom skirt area of the dress. Above that area is a thin silver belt. Again, the ring also had leaves that enclosed the pearl which is where I pull that idea from.
The next look would be geared towards business wear. I imagine it being someone who works higher up in an office type atmosphere.
Trims such as cuffs, lapel, and pocket are in that silver while the base color is black. The undershirt is what I would prefer to be an iridescent white color.
My next look is for an occasion where you'd be going out for a casual afternoon with the girls; maybe grabbing drinks and lunch!
I love the idea of going for a mod look where the silhouette of the dress is straight. I added a fun black and white print for the base and the trim is again, silver. See a pattern that is fitting the collection???
My last look is for a completely different sort of occasion. Those of us who are college students love to be comfy but still look cute; especially during the winter season. So I came up with this little design:
I describe this as being "comfy-chic". First of all, there is a nice roomy cocoon sweater to pull over a basic tee. Then you add that printed legging with a boot and you are set!
At the end of the night...or should I say now morning (I guess it is like 3am!), I came up with four completely different looks that could fit into a collection based upon their similarities; color, pattern, material, etc. All of this was done simply by taking a look at an object (in my case my ring), finding its qualities, and distributing those same qualities to garments.
I am beginning to really wrap my head around this design process. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me but I am loving the journey it is taking me on!
It contains both a white pearl and a black pearl and enclosed by a leaf on each side. My grandma received this ring around 1969 from her husband at the time who was in Vietnam. Amazing how such a small and unique item travels from one person to the next. Either way, I knew I could easily be inspired by this object.
I started out by making a list of the ring's characteristics:
-Smooth
-Shiny
-Symmetrical
-Black
-White/Ivory
-Silver
-Iridescent
I even did some research on the symbolism of the pearls. Black pearls are rare and represent royalty, success and prosperity while white pearls symbolize luxury, purity and innocence.
I had so many ideas I could really play off of with this one single item. I think that is a huge lesson Christopher is trying to teach me; a person can find inspiration from simply opening up their eyes to what is around them.
I wanted my color story to be exactly as what was found on the ring; black, white/ivory, and silver. I would play with silver as my accent color and blacks and whites as my dominant.
The first look I designed would be for a cocktail party occasion:
The dress is shorter and plays with a leaf design for the bottom skirt area of the dress. Above that area is a thin silver belt. Again, the ring also had leaves that enclosed the pearl which is where I pull that idea from.
The next look would be geared towards business wear. I imagine it being someone who works higher up in an office type atmosphere.
Trims such as cuffs, lapel, and pocket are in that silver while the base color is black. The undershirt is what I would prefer to be an iridescent white color.
My next look is for an occasion where you'd be going out for a casual afternoon with the girls; maybe grabbing drinks and lunch!
I love the idea of going for a mod look where the silhouette of the dress is straight. I added a fun black and white print for the base and the trim is again, silver. See a pattern that is fitting the collection???
My last look is for a completely different sort of occasion. Those of us who are college students love to be comfy but still look cute; especially during the winter season. So I came up with this little design:
I describe this as being "comfy-chic". First of all, there is a nice roomy cocoon sweater to pull over a basic tee. Then you add that printed legging with a boot and you are set!
At the end of the night...or should I say now morning (I guess it is like 3am!), I came up with four completely different looks that could fit into a collection based upon their similarities; color, pattern, material, etc. All of this was done simply by taking a look at an object (in my case my ring), finding its qualities, and distributing those same qualities to garments.
I am beginning to really wrap my head around this design process. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me but I am loving the journey it is taking me on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)