gestuz high summer 2011 lookbook

I will never get over my love for more minimalistic, clean designs like these.  Serious love.

Source: gestuz.com

MICHI fall 2011

I feel over-sensitive to body wear right now.  MICHI is an edgy lifestyle brand that fuses boudoir with "super heroine". 

 

Source: MICHINY.com

the royal wedding

Were you up at 5 am to see the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William?  It was beautiful.  But the suspense was all about Kate's dress - and, like the whole universe was hoping ...

SHE WORE MCQUEEN!

Sarah Burton, creative director for Alexander McQueen, did both Kate's dress and Pippa's dress (which I loved... I think a lot of us were expecting a silhouette closer to Pippa's for Kate's gown).  Now for the pictures!

Kate had an 8 foot train (Diana's was 25) - rumor has it Kate opted for a short train since she didn't want to outdo Diana and because she isn't of royal blood. 

Kate made a beautiful bride.  The edging on the veil was divine!

Good shot of the lace edging on the bodice.  Kate also stuck to the rule of wearing sleeves in Westminster Abbey - but proved she was a modern girl by 1. wearing Alexander and 2. having the sleeves sheer!

I was rather in love with her sister's dress - the shape, cowl and unique edge treatment were understated and gorgeous.

Hand-covered buttons down the back of Pippa's dress.

Hmm.

And Queen Elizabeth's Bentley Arnage (custom designed) - new dream car.  The color, the shape in the back, the length, the car was divine.  The rest of the royal family rode in Rolls Royce Phantom VI cars.

If you didn't watch the wedding, I highly urge you to.  The ceremony was gorgeous, the choir was amazing, and the speakers were wonderful.  Kate and William are adorable together!

weekend update

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!  I've already eaten half a chocolate rabbit. 

 

Yes, from Mood Fabrics a la Project Runway!  "Sweet pea" spandex with lilac dip-dyed power mesh.

 Finalized design choices, disregard the blurriness.  With each design, the backs will vary - on the first, the dolman piece dips below the back strap of the bikini top, whereas in the second, the cover-up has a high back and the one-piece has a low one.

And some quick shots of the watercolor print assignment.  I love doing faces surrounded by a cloud of hair!  Margie taught us to do that.

Cincinnati.com Kate Middleton gown designs

Cincinnati.com recently allowed submissions for people to submit their ideas for Kate Middleton's bridal gown.  A couple of us from my draping class submitted our sketches.  Check it out!  It's sort of neat to see other sketches from both children and other designers in the city - makes you wonder where they went to school, if they currently design, etc!

obsession : jil sander floral gown

I know, I posted earlier about my obsession with micro florals.  Maybe I should just say I love florals in general.  But prints are really important this season.  And macro florals look amazing in super saturated tones, unlike the more neutral tones found in many micros.  On that note, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this dress from the Jil Sander Spring 2011 RTW show ... I even tried to watercolor the print today.

Photo by Garance Doré

 

Never realized this dress was one-shouldered, or had such an amazing sleeve (though I still want to see more views of it!) - also, isn't that lipstick perfect?

A tank version of the dress (perhaps what is under the jacket?  Though the one-shoulder version wasn't on the runway) is sold for $2,885.  The outer fabric and lining are both silk.  A shorter version sells for $2,445.  A single fold in the front of the two tank versions "cuts" the floral and adds an interesting vertical interruption; a pleat details the back.

The colors are beyond amazing - saturated, bright, a little surreal.  Placements of photorealistic flowers are truly interesting - notice how some flowers are "half" another, or stop down the middle and become a different color.  

"The Dress" in Vogue Paris March 2011

From WSJ March 2011

Another swatch of the fabric - I just love the slash of real and surreal

On the cover of Elle Czech May 2011

Helen Seamons' shoot for the Observer on Sunday

Marie Claire France

Can you tell I'm obsessed?  Now, why do I think this dress is so great, you may ask?  Because it is impeccable in every aspect - the silhouette is minimal, the length is dramatic and new, each iteration is as exciting as the next (sleeves, no sleeves, long, short), and the fabric really seals the deal.  Nothing is more precious than a designer's custom print - and nothing is more meant to fill a blank canvas of a simple gown than one like this.

If anyone would like to buy me this dress, it would be greatly appreciated.  Or even the envelope clutch.  Haha but who am I kidding - way beyond anyone's price range.  I am on the hunt already for a fabric somewhat like this - doubtful I'll find one perfect enough, but I do know of a website that allows you to print your own ... good use for those swatches, huh?

Getting tired of it yet?  I'm not.

swimwear collection

Swimwear collection for body wear class.  Inspiration taken from the contrast of a geode's center and its hard outer shell, so I want to play with transparency and soft gathers using a dip-dyed power-mesh for color change, and a darker grounding neutral (navy, at the moment, though due to change). Expecting to execute the first 2.

Sketch done in PS4 with a Wacom tablet. 

check this out : the IOU project

I got an email a few days ago about the IOU project - a short introductory video that explains a very unique and innovative design concept that I can't wait to see unfold.  I encourage you to watch it (and notice how cool their logo is, haha). 

In a world where machines are replacing us in the fashion industry, this is just what we need.  Think about it - I was once told by a teacher that if you want to earn good money in the fashion industry, don't be a designer.  Be a pattern maker.  It is such a rare job now-a-days that designers will practically let you name your price if you will pattern draft for them.  Since most companies use software to produce patterns now, the old fashioned art of hand-drafting a garment pattern is slowly dying.  So are couture techniques: no one wants to pay for a handmade piece anymore.  Instead, we shop at Forever 21 and pay $5,80 for a t-shirt that falls apart (not hating, as half my closet is from this store.  But just saying, it's true).  The art has just been lost.

Since "moving backwards" has been a trend, it's interesting to see where this affects us - we've already seen it in the "urban farmer" trend, and here it is in fashion, a step further, in where our textiles are produced and then used. 

Just something to think about!  Hope everyone is having a good weekend, I'm running my 5k tomorrow and am rather busy (and sick at the moment) but thought I'd make a short post while I had some time.

sketching updates from class

    

  

Some quick body wear sketches, a swatch of the lilac dyed power mesh I will be using, my design for Kate Middleton's wedding dress, color swatches for my watercolor "urban farmer" collection, and various rough sketches of separates for the trend

obsession : mint

Having made another small step in getting over my hatred of the color green, I painted my nails a pale sea foam mint color.  It's really quite lovely, and it is making me realize a new found love for this color in general.  It teeters somewhere between green and blue, which is probably why I find it tolerable - just like chartreuse, which is close to yellow, and evergreen, which is close to a navy blue-black.  And maybe I am subliminally influenced because I love all things mint flavored - pasta with mint and peas, peppermint and chocolate ... Graeter's mint chip, before the color changed.

 

Badgley Mischka S11 and where it all started - Chanel F09

 

Costello Tagliapietra and Dennis Basso S11

 

 

Doo.Ri and Frank Tell S11

 

Jil Sander S11 and Juan Carlos Obando F11

 

 

 

 

Rodarte and Versace S11

 This color appears often with white for this spring season - and looks amazing when "barely there".  For fall, chocolaty reds provide a striking contrast.  Pale pinks and blacks are also interesting against mint, aquamarine, or sea foam greens.