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!