Forward Planning

If you haven't gathered it by now, I am mildly OCD. I like to be in control of everything around me. This means that I have already put in place my work schedule for next term, construction of my collection. I have planned for 12 pieces, so when I get my feedback next Wednesday I will know how many I am allowed to make. As is usual for me I am champing at the bit to start, so, I am starting with some crochet and knitwear pieces as they take the longest to produce.

Colours and Cut

The colour palette has been taken from antique Japanese prints,
warm earth tones, soft greens/ indigo and maroons.

I am concentrating on the cut and tailoring,
as I would like to take the theme forward into next year.
My plan is to produce a plus size collection next year
and that will require careful cutting and finishing.

Year 2

I have been sketching like a fiend and got lots of ideas for my year 2 collection.
Now I will refine the ideas and make sure my research is all in order.

 I will be playing with fitting and frilly.

1950's tailoring, masculine and strong,
enhanced with crochet and knitwear.

Planning and Pattern Cutting.

I am in a world of happiness, back at College and loving it...I did a lot of sketching through the summer break and have a good start on the ideas for my collection.
The planning is well underway for the next three months. I have 3 papers to do, well actually 1 and 1/2 now, I have already planned the remaining work.
In the tech. room we have been pattern cutting and I have discovered a new love. Taking a fashion sketch and turning it into a working pattern. Developing that pattern into a toile, then manipulating that calico to produce the ideal garment. I am having so much fun.
I am also working some knitwear into the designs for the next collection, so whoot...whoot I am knitting and we all know how much I love knitting (and that is not me taking the p...s).

The Collections

I have been spending too much on the Collection books but they are fabulous.
OMG.... Alber Elbaz of Lanvin has produced the most impeccable collection.
Tailoring, exquisite fabrics and very clever design, whats not to like...
Check out...http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashionweek/catwalk/26560/51/lanvin-a-w-2010-fashion-week-photos.html#stop
I was going to insert a couple of images, but the truth is I liked them all so I wanted you all to enjoy them.

End of year pictures

Sara and Laura have taken some fabulous photos of the end of year show this term. Everyones work looked good on the runway. I got to help run the show, probably because I have a big mouth and broad shoulders. I must send out a great big thank you to my little posse of friends. You kept me sane and away from doing harm to anyone.... thank you and you know who you are......

Tre

Last week for the Year

I am really looking forward to the end of this week. It is the culmination of a year of work. But more importantly, I'm looking forward to seeing my friends for a couple of days before the summer break.

Embellishments

Embellishments, when is it to much..?
I love my dicotomy, on the one hand clean lines and classic tailoring, on the other hand embroidery, beading, embellishment, manipulations.. So what I have to do is find a way of balancing the two... and I think I have found a way. CORSETS, WASPIES and SYNCHERS.

Check out this web-site: they have been making corsetry for over 30 years, a lot of their work is produced for the theatre and the ballet. They also produce one-off commission pieces.

www.rossetti.vispa.com/corset1.html

Texture and Textiles

http://www.wearableartconnection.org/id9.html

Check out this website. If you have any interest in fabric develoment and manipulation they have a whole section on Fibre Art Techniques. They are wonderful and some of the ideas I have not tried yet.

I am going to have a go at quilted, printed embroidered velvet.
Free lace technique using dissolvable fabric as the base on which to work.
Japanese shibori pleating and dying techniques.

Find Inspiration Everywhere

http://applewd.com/blog/?cat=8

I was taught to quilt by a thrifty Grandmother, anything cotton or polycotton was recycled into something else. As a young child I had some truelly unique skirts and dresses. Of course at the time I just felt like a poor extra from the Sound of Music, now I am very grateful to her for her patience and ingenuity. I salvage any garments of cotton to recycle them, then cut off buttons and all other embellishments. You never know when you might need them.

Check out this wonderful company, they hand paint onto silk and produce the most glorious fabrics.
http://www.marchwindstudios.com/51336.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val*

Is there such a thing as too much..?

As you have probably realised by now, I like to embellish work, that is not to say that all garments need to be worked into or onto. But if the opportunity were to present itself, I would decorate garments, with beadings, applique, ribbons and all things shiny... Classic tailoring, Schiaparelli was the mistress of this embellishment, she was also very witty.

Embellishments and Beading

One of the most wonderful things about textiles and fashion is the work you can apply to the fabric to embellish it, texturise it. I have always loved bead work and applique. There was a period in the late 1920's following the Great Depression and again in the 1950's following WWII when the Western World in particular seemed to celebrate the influx of money by heavily embellishing their clothing.

Fashion Show Plymouth

Degree Fashion Show,
Devonport Guildhall,
Plymouth
There are 3 shows on the 2nd July 2010,  11.30am, 3.30pm and 7.30pm.
Tickets are £5.00  and are available on line at www.plymouthart.ac.uk

Indian Fusion Fashion Bridal Wear.....Fab....Fab....Fab

www.raishma.com

Check it out, this is a fusion design company who have taken the fabulous colours, vibrancy and embellishment of traditional Indian Wedding wear and given it a modern twist. The work is extraordinary, quite the most beautiful bead work I have ever seen. The vibrancy of the silk that has been used, makes me smile and feel all happy...... 

                               

Going Nautical

Dressing with a nautical thread is not new, in the 1930's there was a culture of cruising for the upper classes and entire collections would be created for a woman to wear cruising. These collections ranged from sports and leisure wear, cocktail frocks and extraordinarily embellished evening wear.

This years S/S collection from Chanel is called the Cruise Collection and you could almost step back in time, the pieces are so beautiful. I would love to have sat on the board-walk and watched that show in the evening twilight, preferably sipping ice cold champagne....

Becoming a Blogger

I had never thought to become a Blogger, what amuses me the most about this whole experience is I now find I miss not checking it out every couple of days. I look forward to seeing if anyone else has looked at it, engaged with me.
I find I now wish to continue with this experience and I will continue to find ways of enhancing the site.

American Plus Size Clothing

The American Fashion industry provides many more options for the plus size consumer, possibly because there are so many plus size women in the country. I have found a great company called Forever 21, they do supply to the UK, but, as you can imagine the postage makes purchasing from them quite expensive.

They do have a witty blog, called The Skinny, check it out and their web-site, which is full of well designed plus size clothing.

My Wish List

I have found my wish list diamond, this is a 10.2 carat canary yellow diamond. Set in platinum and 18ct gold with 12 eye clean diamonds of 1 carat each.  It is sooo.. beautiful but I believe I would have to sell my soul to own it. $275,000.00

You Know I Said the Eyes Have It...... But....What About the Ears.???

I LOVE JEWELLERY 
Earrings are probably my favorite item of jewellery.
I catagorise my jewellery into one of three groups.
Cheap and cheerful  pieces , for which I refuse to pay more than £10.
Semi-precious stones, usually silver or gold plate, price £10 to £40.
Posh pieces for those special occasions, 18ct gold, platinum, pearls and precious stones.
( I don't ask the price they are invariably gifts from my adorable husband.)

The Eyes Have IT !!!!

I don't know what IT is, I believe IT is that indefinable quality to attract ones attention.
Now over the last thirty years I have worn my fairs share of false eye lashes, but, over the last couple of years there has been a wonderful influx of highly decorated false eye lashes. They are so much fun and add a splash of colour without any other eye make-up.


Now if these lashes seem a bit much for you still consider your eyes, nude lips and neutral skin and go to town on your eyes lady and gentlemen if you like. I tend to buy good quality eye make-up with strong pigments, so that it lasts and is value for money. YSL, Chanel, Urban Decay, I have got one eye-shadow from Rimmel, I could not find the colour anywhere else.

Powerpoint

My powerpoint presentation for the College brief has been finished now for a couple of weeks, I have tweaked it in the last few days just to make it more visually appealling. Now all I need to do tomorrow is ask the guys in LRC if it is possible to put the powerpoint onto my blog. I imagine it would be possible to import each slide as an edited post, but I would prefer to have it run as a slide show, it would be great if I could add a dialog over the slides.

Just When You Thought....

Well, just when I thought no- one was listening to me at Evans, I discover that one of my ideas has been implemented at my local store. I was a little surprised to not be involved, but at least its off the ground...
They are offering a personal shopping / styling service. My only complaint would be; that the assistant offering advice on dressing well as a plus-size woman is in fact a tall, long legged size 10-12, who is not even wearing any of their produces, because they are too big for her.

One other slight improvememnt this season, a mini-catalogue with ....weight for it....a size 14-16 model, giving some ideas on how to wear this seasons clothing.

If I Had a Magic Wand

There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of items on my Wish List. I have chosen a few here for you to see. Twilight topaz and Neptune topaz rings. I could not find a Canary diamond picture of sufficient carat weight ( it needs to be at least 10 carats !!!), but it is on my list.
Fabulous bags and even more beautiful shoes, I am the Imelda Marcos of Plymouth. There are dozens of designers I would love to wear if they made plus size collections.....I also love to wear my own stuff, but that is more necessity than desire.


What would I spend the most on you ask..???
I would have made to measure lingerie, bras that fit, the dream of all women who have ever needed to wear one..

If I had a magic wand these are some of the pieces I would magic up for myself.