Pretty little girls in pretty little skirts.

This skirt is my little sisters but I really want one!
My friend Jenny (her blog is here) really wanted to wear it so while she had it on I took a few pictures.
This is just like the petticoats from the 50's dresses and skirts.

My aunt bought this petticoat/skirt for my sister a few years ago for Christmas and I have been jealous ever since! When I started looking into the 50's inspired dresses and skirts it came in very useful for inspiration and the shape of garments.

What do you think?

Do you know where you can buy these?

XOXO

Someone graffitied my bus!

HIPPIES CONTINUED...

I drew this image of an old school in a psychedelic style.
I used the shapes to create the outline of the bus. 

I love the colours, shapes and designs of the old school, buses. 

I got lots of inspiration for cut outs, prints and features for garments.

Here is what I did using my inspiration...

For these images and modelling on the stand I used the shapes from the bus I drew to cut out shapes from a piece of Calico! The pieces I cut from the Calico I then used to do even more modelling on the stand but these didn't give me much inspiration where as the cut out sheet of fabric gave me so many ideas for designs and features.

What do you think?
Do you model on the stand?

XOXO

Sweetheart I like your neckline.

In a previous blog I have expressed my love for the 50's fashion, the style of the skirts, the necklines, the gingham fabrics and the rest!

This is the beginning of my 50's thread. 

From this I used my images from Paris (these are on an earlier blog) and I also compared the shape of the Eiffel tower to the shape of the 50's styled dresses. This also reminded me of the Golden Ratio. I looked at this in my first brief of the college year.

This is my shape development that was inspired by the eiffel tower and 50's dresses.
I drew around the shapes of the two images and overlapped them to create shapes on the body.

Do you like the 50's styled dresses and other garments?

Do you do shape development? I think it is a great way to find new shapes and styles.

XOXO

Make Peace Not War.

In a previous blog I mentioned I was researching the 60's and 'Hippies' for my most recent briefs. 

I started to put ideas down in my sketch book and begin a thread for my concept on these ideas. 

This is the second page of my book after the mind map in my previous blog.

I started with images I liked and found inspiring. 

This is the second page of my book. I began to look at flowers and tassels.  

From the sixties I took inspiration from the floral, psychedelic prints, the fringing and details of the garments. I like the calm and happy feel of their 'thrown together' outfits and wavy, careless hair. 

Do you like the 60's and the hippies? 

I wish I was a hippie.

XOXO

Dogs never bite me. Just humans. - Marilyn Monroe.

For my second major concept I researched the 50's. 

The big, circle skirts and the fitted bustiers, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. 

This is a Chanel gown inspired by the 50's.

I love this, the whole pin-up, bomb shell, look!

Audrey Hepburn is absolutely stunning. I love how she always looks fabulous, even in her statement LBD.

I love this, it is beautiful and this image is in Paris in a hotel I stayed in. I was so impressed when I saw this and I recognised the balcony!

What do you think of the 50's?

Do you have icons from that era?

XOXO

Hippie Chic.

The first concept I researched was 'Hippies' and the 60's. 

I love the psychedelic prints, the florals, the tie dye and baggy clothing! 

Then I like the other side to the 60's, the fitted mini skirts, Mary Quant, cute but short dresses in colourful patterns and garish prints. 

I used  this image to begin my thread. I used the fringing to model on the stand.

I think this image is beautiful.

I must find and get a pair of these! I love them!

For my book I drew my own 'hippie' van and drew big swirls, circles, tear drop shapes and lines on it.

This is my favourite image, I like the colours and the flow of the top, her hair and the flowers on her head. I think this is very modern day 'hippie.' 

I REALLY WANT TO BE A HIPPIE!!!

I haven't used as much of the basic 60's but I really like these images...

I love, love, love these dresses. Especially the middle one and I think it would work well into m 'hippie' research!

What do you think? Do you like the 60's ?

XOXO

The start of something wonderful.

In college we have been given Two new briefs. In these briefs I will write my own brief and work to this to create and develop a collection, that fits to a target audience and market level, a chosen trend and works into my research threads.

To begin with I Did a mind map, this showed idea's, trends, seasons, era's and cultures, fabrics, colour themes and other research idea's that I wanted to look at.

This is my mood board, showing all my original idea's. 

The two main concepts I chose to research into were 'Hippies' and the '50's.' 

What do you think? 

How do you begin when designing or thinking of idea's? 

XOXO

Fashion in Illustration.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I had to create four illustration boards to portray Noir and illustrate my designs.

These are my first two these were done in the Style or Rene Gruau. I did an blog about him earlier. I also showed you my recreation on his work.

I was really happy with both my outcomes but this one was a little hit and miss whether I thought it would work as it isn't very sex and tailored like Noir, but I like the final image. I illustrated my parka coat on this board and tried to make the model look natural but feminine and sleek.

This board in my opinion is very sleek, sexy and fits with Noir's look although her face and hair are very 'posh' and not very natural and doesn't look like a typical Noir model. In this illustration I illustrated my bandeau top with a trim. I was really happy with both boards and think they came out well in the end.

Although they both took forever because I kept redoing bits and panicking about how it will look.

-----------------------------------------

The next two images are my final two boards and for these I used the techniques of Manolo Blahnik. While experimenting with his work and techniques I realised I have really taken to his style and I think I will use this more in the future especially now I have added my twist to it and made it my own. 

These two boards are my ultimate favourites, I don't think I have ever been so proud of something in my life! HA! 

I love the use of Blahnik's techniques and I put these into practise by enlarging the foot of my mannequin, the top of my mannequin and also the details of the garments like my peplum top. I used white lines and blocks of white to show shadow and 3D effect. Although I did make a little smudge but I hid it with white paint.

Can you tell?

My final board was a little hit and miss on whether I was going to like it but after I'd finished and added some light lines on the bottom of the dress I preferred the outcome. I think I can honestly say I tried my best on these boards.

What do you think?

Do you like doing illustrations?

XOXO

Getting to grips with the concept of things.

CONCEPT BOARD...

So for my brief at college I have to create and explain my concept and to do this I made a board. 

My concept includes 'The Tales of the Orient', 'Military' and 'Countryside Alliance' trends. 

I created this by finding images of my three trends and the top left corner is Noir which is the brand I am designing and creating a concept board for.

I then painted the cherry blossom over the top of the images and the whole top right of the board although it did get a little fat in the middle which annoys me.

When talking to my tutor we came to conclusion that I should have arranged it differently to put the main focus on what's important and the images that will portray the concept better. I could have added a border and had the important or main images over lapping the border so that the interest is on those as they are in the eye line.

I should have maybe thought out going around the figures on photoshop like I did on the image in the bottom left corner so as to put the focus onto the clothing and the models. 

I like my board but it could have been a lot stronger if I had put more thought into it! If I were to do this again I may even change the paper from landscape to portrait to have less white spaces and even add more images.

What do you think?

Do you create concept boards?

XOXO

Rene Gruau.

For my brief at college I was researching into illustrators and fashion illustrations.

One of my favourites so far is Rene Gruau, 1909, Italian born fashion illustrator. 

           

I created this using Photoshop. 2012.

On a recent blog I showed you how I recreated one his pieces, the image I created is on the bottom left corner of the above image and is one of my favourites of Rene's.
I really like the effect he has with paint, before recreating and looking into Rene's work I hated using paint and was never very good at it but I have come to enjoy it and like the outcome. Although I prefer doing block colours and not blending etc.
His paintings are all very feminine and pretty. Many of his paintings are women and a lot of them as you can see use red.

When creating my illustration boards for college I used Rene's technique and style as I thought it fitted with my theme of Noir as it is feminine but sleek and sexy. Especially the bottom left corner - the one I recreated.

What do you think of his work?

Do you have any favourite illustrators?

XOXO