It's been a while...

So having completed our Venice project I somehow managed to blag a link between Venice and Extra terrestrials (WHAT?) but I was really pleased with the outcome. The structure of my skirt was doubted by a couple of my tutors at the beginning who thought it wouldn't be stiff enough but I pulled it out of the bag! Now that's over and I have dramatically increased the size of my tech file onwards and upwards with the next project!


Started the 'Bluetone' project and with the help of pinterest i have found a lot of printspiration. Experimenting with marbling, tie-dye and batik i have created some interesting patterns now i need to look at fashion designers and develop some design and fashion illustrations.

This term I have already massively improved my practical skills when it comes to experimenting in Print, and construction in fashion pattern cutting. My work is becoming more professional and so is my attitude.

I feel from now on i need to improve my organisation and begin to better link my work with current fashion trends, and my sketchbook presentation.

Kick start year 2!

I had a fabulous time over the summer making my trousers (although I sewed through my nail and destroyed my sewing machine... but we wont talk about that!)

I LOVE PHOTOSHOP! I love layering images to create different patterns and colour's, this is what I used to design the print for my trousers, which i then transfered onto a trouser piece using heat transfer iron on paper! FABULOUSLY TACKY! It worked really well actually!


Our new project ‘The physics of Design’ Vs. Venice….. interesting to say the least! I am choosing to focus on geometrics in physics such as the flower of life, from that idea I have managed to create some amazing patterns and colours. Also by reading further into the idea of the ‘projection’ on spheres to create a flower of life I have been able to work with the idea of us all being holograms, and by editing our fundamental molecular structure – the  flower of life – we can combine our self with other species to create holographic sub-species…. Surely it’s possible? Well it’ an interesting thought at least, and it creates interesting research and inspiration.

Fashion studies has also begun, and I am looking at Marie Antoinette as a fashion icon. My research file is growing, there is endless information I am finding everyday! I also managed to collect a lot of relating imagery of my own on our Venice study trip.
I’m feeling great about this project and I’m already half way through my sketchbook. Stay posted for imagessssssss

xoxox


All of the following images I have created from photos I had taken in Venice, then kaleidoscoped, and layered with other images.  

End of Live Project! xo

(See instagram pinterest link for examples of work, and inspiration.)

'Nothing Flat' Quilting - Live Project

Live project has come to an end and I am feeling peachy!
Crit probably could have gone better given I didn't actually present my own work. None the less I am chuffed to bits with my recent collection.
As usual I spent the first 3-4 weeks buying meters of fabric and jewels I didn't necessarily need, and threw my samples and sketchbook together last minute. SIGH.
However this time my disorganisation and messiness paid off because even the most hideous prints worked amazingly combined with other techniques.
I've learned I am very experimental when it comes to printing and manipulating materials. I have also learned I am very impatient and like to work quickly! Waiting for gelatine to set and latex to dry was emotional, but it paid off in the end!
 The biggest challenge i found in this project was trying to attach different textures and materials, obviously is almost impossible to sew through gelatine, so I had to rely on the trusty glue-gun! Although this is cheating as I wasn't necessarily 'piercing' my layers, it looked BANGIN'!

Main lesson of this project: Its almost impossible to make a shit print, keep working into it with different techniques e.g stitching, embroidery, quilting, beading, melting, ripping, embellishing, scratching, weaving, knotting, trapping and you literally cannot go wrong. Combine all your shit samples to make a relatively decent one!

Feeling optimistic about year 2 cannot wait to get printing again! 

xo

Research File Links: Cocaine Catwalk

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/4915654/cara-delevingne-white-powder.html

http://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/cara-delevingne--h-m-and-modeling-industry-s-sordid-drug-past-195845343.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10610/Hurley-reveals-fashions-heroin-link.html

http://oxfordstudent.com/2013/05/20/the-real-drug-in-fashion/

http://www.balboahorizons.com/fashion-designer-kitson-begins-making-prescription-drug-clothing/

http://www.refinery29.com/designing-under-the-influence-the-greatest-designers-who-were-also-addicts#slide-1

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?cc=mfsfront;c=mfs;c=mfsfront;idno=ark5583.0015.004;rgn=main;view=text;xc=1;g=mfsg

http://www.lifelounge.com.au/photography/news/davide-sorrenti-and-heroin-chic-.aspx#gallerytop

http://alicebodkin.wordpress.com/2012/12/23/1990s-heroin-chic/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/20/the-influence-of-drugs-in_n_851643.html

http://bryanlewissaunders.org/drugs/

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/feb/16/drugsandalcohol.drugs

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/9426800/Designer-says-drug-addict-look-is-out

http://www.projectknow.com/9-beautiful-models-with-alcohol-or-drug-addiction-problems/

http://paloma81.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/design-under-influence-fashion.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2021234/Coco-Chanel-biography-claims-used-drugs-lesbian-affairs-loved-Nazi.html

http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2013/jun/04/john-galliano-first-interview-dior

http://www.f-t.com.au/blog/illionaire-hunt-for-designer-on-drug-charges/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/02/16/alexander-mcqueens-demons.html

http://www.queerty.com/photos-last-call-for-alexander-mcqueen-savage-beauty-at-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-20110723/

http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml

http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/designers/ossie-clark/

http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Yves_Saint_Laurent

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1386550/He-manic-depressive-Yves-Saint-Laurents-lover-life-iconic-designer.html

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20117311,00.html

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG3292682/The-mad-hatter.html

http://www.recoverynowtv.com/breaking-news/item/marc-jacobs-5-years-clean-and-sober-i-was-a-skinny-heroin-addict.html

http://www.mamamia.com.au/news/the-modelling-industry-is-like-drug-dealing/

http://drugnewsvault.blogspot.co.uk/2005/10/cocaine-catwalk.html

Weave Project

For the last few weeks we have been doing a project on weaving, I have really, really struggled to inspire myself with this project. I have finally begun enjoying the process and understanding how to make different patterns and textures with different yarns/materials. Despite newfound enjoyment I will admit I have not been very creative at all, my Yellow and Orange toned colour theme put me off from the get go and I haven't experimented as much as I should have. However I have produced a significant amount of weave I can probably work with to create my concept pieces. Its a bit daunting knowing I have 5 concept pieces to make when in previous projects samples were enough to cut the mustard. Admittedly all of my projects would run a lot better if I had organised myself a lot more now knowing this I can begin to figure out how to tackle future projects and maybe organise my unorganisation. 

I am looking forward to getting started on Sarah's project with Fashion Marketing; I have quite a lot of experience with marketing and advertising. I'd like to think I can recognise  where companies could improve their advertisements, after all who doesn't love a good shop window or banging poster?! I already have a lot of ideas I'm excited about, just whether it all comes together is a different story!

First Entry! xo

Entry 1: I have recently finished my first project of my course which was knitting. I wasn't particularly inspired by our starting point theme of 'architecture around the college' because the building wasn't very interesting at all, so it was a real struggle. Throughout this project I was also working full time as a supervisor at a restaurant which meant I was very stressed and did not have any spare time between college and work to do any independent studying. which obviously meant I got very behind, I brought a knitting machine so I could try and get as much work as I could done over the half term (a week before the deadline) although at home I didn’t get the support and help I would have got from my tutors, which meant I was at a disadvantage. I did however begin to get really inspired and really stuck in with my knit work but I found I began to go off on a tangent focusing more on material manipulation rather than knit which is what the project was all about. This meant alot of what I had done was no where near relevant to my project and had to be scrapped. I managed to pull together a very poor effort last minute before the deadline which made me feel pretty shitty. I wasn’t happy with the work I had produced at all, and was quite frankly embarrassed about pitching it to my peers and tutors during our crit. I felt particularly ashamed when I saw that a fellow student who joined the course 5 weeks after me had produced alot more and alot better quality work than I had. I know this last project was not a true representation of what I am capable of and I am gutted I didn’t put my college work before my job. However it’s only made me more determined to make sure my next project - which is Print - is some of the best work I've ever produced. I know I can do it, and I know exactly how  to achieve it after my last project so I will do my absolute best to keep organised and on top of all my work throughout this term!..... That is once I have recovered from this horrendous head cold I have contracted, I have missed a lesson but I’m feeling a lot better than I did, so I am confident I’ll be ok! And I can’t wait to make a start on my new sketchbook!!