Brainwashed

Staying up to date with fashion is something all fashion students do. But not me. I purposely try not to see all the new fashions or look at the newest Vogue or Bazaar even though I love those magazines. I’m afraid that my raw talent will be destroyed if I cloud my mind with what someone else has done. I 100% believe that fashion should be 100% original. I hate seeing rip off designs or someone creating a knock-off. Isn’t our job as designers to make something that people have never seen before? I take it very seriously. Even as a child I took it seriously. Yes there’s another story involved in this one:

At the tender age of 9 I was designing. I had a character that I made up and drew all the time. On her I would draw designs. She was like my perfect model. Everyone would tell me how good my drawings were. One day one of my friends tried to draw my character…..keyword “try”. I was still furious. I couldn’t understand why she was trying to do something that I was doing. Here I was being natural and original only to have someone try and trace. After that I started to put little fake copyright>©<>

My theory is that if I see a show and it’s really good and the fashion is hot and new, I’m going to think about it. Then later on when I’m designing I will subconsciously try to re-create the design. Just like if you were to listen to the radio, you will start to sing the songs. 

I will not allow myself to be tainted!!!!!!

Does that make sense?????

Under Where?

The other day I was asked what would be the best fashion advice that you could give anyone. What’s your number one fashion rule?

Well, it’s simple. If you’re walking out into the world for everyone to see and judge, please wear the proper undergarments! Just because people don’t see them dosent means that they don’t matter.

You would be surprised at how many women do not wear bras when they really should! Slips seem a little old fashion but should be worn even still today. I’m talking about hosiery as well. But the most important undergarments are bras and panties.

How many times have we seen a celebrity get out of their vehicles and scandalously flash their hoo-ha!? (Sadly Britney is one) Or how many times have we seen a wardrobe malfunction when someone’s boob pops out?  Although these undergarment can prevent such exposure that’s not why I say people should wear them. Undergarments can enhance the way you wear something. It can help give your look that extra umph.  Case and point EXAMPLE:

I had a friend, who will remain nameless, that always wore these stretched out soft cup no wire bras that would let her sag and look sloppy. No mater what she wore she just looked sloppy and fat. Her posture was horrible and everything was just…ewww. And she wondered why she never felt comfortable in her clothes and everything seemed not fit. WELL HELLO GARMENTS ARE CONSTRUCTED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOUR WOULD BE WEARING THE PROPER UNDERGARMENTS. I told her that the solution was to get a bra fitting and get the correct bra for your body type. She refused and told me that I was being mean. Perhaps how I said it was a bit harsh but I was telling her straight up as a friend and as a designer. If you think about it designers use a dress forms (mannequin) and the dress forms are solid and the bust is up and properly placed….as if it has a bra on. She eventually took my advice and made her way to Victoria’s Secret. After she started wearing the correct bra, she noticed that her clothes fit better, her posture was improved, and people even started to notice her. She even looked like she lost some weight. This was an extreme case and Result s are not typical but think about it. She still thanks me for the advice as she should….I can work miracles with the help of a bra or two.

QUE PONCHO?

Alright I will finally address this issue and yes it is an issue.
The Snuggie is ridiculous. Why is a poncho being marketed as a blanket with sleeves? I'm so confused by this whole thing! I hate Snuggies. I thought that they would just be a phase and then be gone but its looking like they are not going any where. They actually had a Snuggie Fashion Show during Fashion week (snuggie show) 

Then I saw that WEEZER is endorsing it and have their own snuggie!!! 

Its a backwards robe!!!! I cannot believe that this is considered fashion.....

Trash in Trash Cans

So I’m at work (Harley-Davidson) and this guy come in. As always I do my best to assist my customers. He was looking for a new hoodie since he lost a significant amount of weight.  He was telling me how the hoodie that he had on was just too big now and it had a hole. Of course I picked him out a nice new one for which he wanted to wear out of the store. So as he took off the old one he asked if I had a trash can that he could throw it in. I looked at him with horror.

WHAT? YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS. How dare he say that in front of a fashion designer? We know how much hard work goes into a single garment! The hoodie didn’t look that old. There was no reason he should just throw away all that fabric and construction.

^ all of this ran threw my head as I continued to stare at him in horror.

He looked so confused. He asked if I was alright. I had to explain to him that I was a fashion designer and the thought of him throwing away a garment was a bit much for me. He laughed and told me that I could have the hoodie. Of course I took it! If I didn’t he would have just tossed it elsewhere. We ended up talking for another 10minutes and he told me that he’s going to come back up to see me and to see if I did anything creative with the hoodie! There are plenty of things I could do with it. I can make a dress, skirt etc. There are books on recycling clothing like that. Looks like I have a project over the winter break!

But I propose the question: What do you do with old clothes that you can no longer fit or wear it for whatever reason? Do you just toss it? Give it away? Consignment shops? Good Will?

 

I have never had to throw away clothing! I usually give it to Good Will or to someone I know. I can’t believe people actually throw away clothes. EWWWWW!

Inside a Designer’s Pocket

Alright as many of you know, 90% of the fashion students at Marymount shop a G Street fabric s to get everything that we need. G Street seems to have all the nice fashionable fabric versus Jo-Ann’s. Jo-Ann’s is too arts&crafty. I mean they have like an entire kids fleece section that takes up half the store. You don’t see Vera Wand shopping around Jo-Ann’s for inspiration.

G Street is huge and usually has what I’m looking for. Even though their customer service is horrible, I still go there for all my fashion needs. At the beginning of the semester as always, we receive 1million different projects and all of them you need something from G Street. I usually try not to look at prices when shopping in there. My Max price per yard is $20. Why was it that everything that I thought was perfect was $25 and up per yard? Where did these prices come from? Why must I find a cheap substitute?! Don’t understand my despair? Let me break it down:

Ok here’s Beyonce at 2009 VMA (yes the night Kanye made an ass of himself) but look at her lovely red dress by Roberto Cavalli. Ok this looks like a silk kind of fabric, maybe poly….possibly could be a blend. It probably cost about hmmm $150 a yard if not more but for example sake lets say Cavalli was shopping at G Street. So make it $ 45 a yard, you need at least 5 yards = $225 (5 yards because you have ruffles and the pouf in the front, the belt…it all adds up) Thread = $2. Is there a Zipper or other closure? = $6

Total = $233 for one dress. If I was selling this I would add an additional $300 for laborJ. So on a student budget, $233 is out of control for one class. Half of the students here don’t work and if they do, they aren’t pulling in $200 on a student work paycheck!

Buying the appropriate fabric is half the battle when designing. A design could be so fabulous but if you use the wrong fabric, it can ruin the whole look. That fabric can make of break the garment. The last thing you want is for all your hard work to look cheap and ugly! At Portfolio in Motion I’ve heard some of the guests ask if the fabrics were donated! If it looks cheap then it probably is because it was because we are students and can’t afford (maybe some of the ppl here can) the nice expensive luxurious fabrics.

We designers have a little thing up our sleeve though. If you fall in love with a fabric at the store that is just perfect for your design, we will go back and forth in our heads, thinking about what to do. Then we say: “For the sake of the design”, I have to get this fabric. And just like that you have someone cut your yard! We have to. It’s rare that what we envision in our heads can be replicated perfectly. G Street doesn’t have the fabric that we dream about! So when you come across something so suitable you have to jump on it. This is how:  a.) people our age get in debt b.) spend a million dollars in 1 semester as an art student. Its funny because on our tuition there’s a lab fee and stuff like that for the materials the we might use but art students have to purchase everything for their classes…..including books! And all Marymount can do is give us coupons and 20%off at G Street which cannot be combined with any other offer.

I feel bad for people doing their senior line (will that ever be me?) They have to do 3 looks, a 4^th is optional. Can you imagine $233 x 3 = $699!

This recession is hitting everyone hard. Fashion houses are just letting employees go verses letting the brand suffer by opting for the lower priced materials. If only we had that option.

Shrug it!

Wait a minute, just wait!...........

This cannot be possible.

Who decided that shoulder pads are allowed to come back?

I mean really...... is that necessary? Are they necessary?

I will never endorse such a horrible trend. What happened in the 80's and early 90's should just stay there. I noticed that the shoulder pads were slowly coming back over the summer. Rihanna was sporting the same jacket with the crazy pads everywhere like she couldn't afford anything else. But I figured that the pads wouldn't translate to the general public....I mean why would it. But then I walked into my class and my friend Fiona was wearing a jacket....with shoulder pads. At that point I felt the need to address the situation. I will admit that the jacket was cute but the padding was not necessary. If you think about it, shoulder pads have no purpose other than to create shape.

Don't get me wrong the should pads are different than in the 80's and have a not so boxy look in most cases but its the fact of you using pads to accentuate your shoulders.

Anyway, I have a tailored jacket that I should be working on right now and guess what it has....

yes you guessed it.....shoulder pads. I have to put in shoulder pads. YAY. :(

Here's a lovely Lady Gaga video....which features her shoulder pads. :)

Oh and I wont mention the part when her male dancer blatantly touches her crotch on TV while Adam Lambert continues to get a backlash of his touchy performance. enjoy

Gaga on Leno

The Sound of Fashion.....

I believe fashion and music goes hand in hand. I can easily be inspired by music when designing.
Music can change your mood and make you think about an array of different things and often inspire me to design something innovative and fresh.
Im pretty sure that fashion acn inspire musicians as well. Clothes can change a persons mood. If your having a great ay you might express that in your clothing several differnt ways as well.

I love Lady GaGa and she is fashion and music. Some of the looks she goes for may be eccentic and a tad bit too much but she owns it! She is a creative genius. It takes a creative genius to create some of the looks she wears.
Another iconic musician is beyonce. Yes, her mother dresses her but not so much anymore...either way her and her mom are creativly gifted. Beyonce always manages to look amazing.

I was listening to Britney Spears newest CD, Circus (huge brit fan) and became extremely inspired and started to draw. I have so many sketches to work with now. :) Soon the world will see the talent that lies within.......

~anyway check out Lady GaGa's Bad Romance video....and yea this song was premired at Alexander McQueens fashion show(which was absolutely amazing and you should check that out as well) And GaGa is wearing one of his runway looks and sports his shoes throughout the vid!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACm9yECwSso