Les Accessories

Well I have scanned these photographs in from Plastique Magazine - Autmn Winter 2008. I think they are really interesting, just because of the way they are styled. I am considering using tights, and recycling them for this project, and using techniques such as print, and embroidery to create upcycled fashion.

Surreal Circus

I really like these images and I feel that this idea could work really well as a recycling project, however I have other ideas which are also strong so its about which idea will work the best.

Futuristic Circus

Whilst looking at inspiration for recycled cloth, upcycled fashion with a futuristic surreal theme I came across these surreal circus images on a blog. I think that looking at a sort of surreal circus theme could have some really interesting results and I could come up with some really interesting designs.

http://raraaviscollections.blogspot.com/search/label/abstract%20and%20surreal

Leather and Vinyl

http://raraaviscollections.blogspot.com/search/label/leather%20and%20vinyl

I found this image on another blog and felt that it was really interestng and was a really futuristic fashion concept which i really love. I think it is the idea if the biker helmet being worn with the dress that I really like, its almost like a new concept, something from the future. This could be an interesting way to illustrate my final collection using Photoshop.

Surreal Fashion

I have decided to look at Surreal Fashion as a starting point for this project. I feel that surreal fashion can be really futuristic, and realy unusual, and can be an interesting way to upcycle cloth. I feel really inspired by the above images, I feel that they are all really interesting, and all relate to surreal futuristic fashion.

Prettiest Yellow Cruiser / Rider... spotted at Bad Ass Coffee.

This is the prettiest yellow cruiser. AND the sunniest beach, spring time look!!!.... saw this inspiring rider as she was leaving Bad Ass.

LOVE Bad Ass Coffee.. it's where I go for the stellar, vegan carrot- pineapple -walnut cake made by bicyclebakery. Yummiest!!



Hey Surfer Dude...




last seen surfing the interior walls at Bad Ass Coffee Shop. You can find Bad Ass Coffee House downtown on Pacific Ave. ..that's in Surf City aka Santa Cruz.

Illustrations...

I have done a series of illustrations for my collection. I did them in a simple style, usng block colours, and thin lines. The colours used are all taken from my original colour palette, and reflect colours from the fifties.

Final Garment

This is my final finished garment. I choose a simple yet very feminine style for the dress, and choose colours which were in my colour palette. I havn't used any techniques such as print on my garment as I didn't feel the need as I have illustrated how this will be done on my illustrations.

Laundry - My Brand

Well I have decided that the name of my collection is going to be called 'Laundry', same as the project title. Here is a photograph of my swingtag design which will be attatched to each garment. The design reflects where the idea behing my work comes from, with the traditional fifties housewife and the cupcake.

Va-Va-Voom

WOW...Rimmel Sexy Curves is one amazing mascara. It can be applied to look really natural or you can build it up for the fullest lashes ever.

I have always advocated cheaper mascaras and this one totally proves my point and with a £7.99 price tag it is easily half the price of the luxury brands.

Get yourself off to the local counter and pick this badboy mascara up. 

Nic's job sucks too...

Photograph - Cambridge Jones

Yes, Nicola had the pleasure of working with Lemar last week. I am jealous. She says his eyes are amazing and he is a really nice guy.

I feel this blog is turning into a perv fest! We really need to get back on the make-up vibe (once in a while). x

Fabrics..

Well i'm soon to be starting my final garment, and have decided to use some of the fabrics above. The garment will just be a simple toile, and won't feature any prints as my designs do.

I like these colours as they work very well with my overall colour palette, however, i probably wouldnt use the floral fabric ad it stands out too much and i'd rather stick to plain fabrics since this is just a toile.

Garment Construction

I have been experimenting on a barbie doll with small cuts of fabric in order to get the idea of a garment shape and how I am going to create it. From this I have decided on a simple circular dress, similar to the very bottom image only I will use a different fabric and also add straps.

Illustrations

I have done a series of illustrations using photoshop and have put my designs onto garments. I have twelve images at the moment, I just need to arranage them and decide which ones to use as my final collection. I also have a series of designs.

I feel that the illustrations do work really well in illustrationg my designs, and I am really pleased with my colour palette.

Sometimes my job sucks...

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. I have been away working and omg was it hard work...

Look what I had to work with!  

Thank you James Taylor and James Crabtree from Select Models for making my life just a tiny bit more enriched. x

Vivienne Westwood Bikes the 'Green Carpet' - It's a Solar Powered Movie Premier --- "The Age of Stupid"

(photo via AP Photo)

Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood arrives via bicycle and rolls down the 'green carpet' for the world premiere of "The Age of Stupid"...

This was the world's first entirely eco-friendly and first solar-powered movie premiere. "The Age of Stupid" -- this is a film about a future world devastated by climate change.

I know I will be going to see this film.

p.s. I think Vivienne looks WONDERFUL!



*****

Before I forget....Check out the Otesha Project's Bike Tours:

"Otesha's 2009 cycling and performing tours are ready to roll! Teams of 12 to 18 motivated and energetic young people, aged 18 to 30, will set off on tours beginning this spring, summer and autumn. They will travel by bicycle throughout parts of Canada performing a play and offering workshops on sustainability and social justice issues to schools and community groups."

Computer To Cloth ... Digital Print

Lecture 12th March 2009

Digital Print has many plusses and minuses. These are as follows:

Plusses

Cheap compared to screen printing in industry
Unlimited colour range
Unlimited image size
Unlimited file size
Infinite variation of image
Photographic imagery
Smaller space requirement
Less waste
More environmentally friendly

Minuses

Unsuitable for bulk production due to speed
Only direct printing
Can not use fancy techniques
You don’t get the same dye absorption
For an individual it can be very expensive
Only limited fabrics can be used
Cant print on the seams
Speed issues

Challenges and Opportunities

You have to design within the limits of technology. Technology affects current trends and fashions. Digital printing has limited exploitation. Technology allows you to do lots of other things. New designers having access to production printers, this means more one off pieces are created.

Images from - London Fashion Week: Basso and Brooke

Inspiration - Twin Girls on Mustang Bicyles

(Photographer: Dana Claxton - Mustang Suite)

Twin girls in matching red dresses on Mustang bicycles....this is one of my all time top, and very favorite photographs, and it's by Dana Claxton. It's from her Mustang Series.

Equestrian Saddle Bags...


These were on Ebay a while back. I think they would make excellent panniers on bicycles.

Experimenting With Photoshop

I have been experimenting in photoshop. Here are two images i have created by using various drawings i have scanned in, however i'm not sure how this would work as a print on a garment, and would probably be better suited to illustrate the garments.

Both images show the 50's housewife, the first is a silhouette, and is wearing an apron, and the second is 'doing laundry'.

Drawing Work

I have drawn a number of images which I can then take into print or even use as a starting point for embroidery. I am going to use these images and experiment with the using Photoshop and see what I can do with them in terms of colour, and create repeat patterns. I am also going to see how they would look on an actual garment.

All the drawings I have done are inspired by the 50's, some more than others. Some are just of 50's objects, or objects used by the typical 50's housewife, where as others are inspired by actual 50's vintage patterns.

Looks Like My Stolen JET WIND Bike is on CL

I have a dilemma. Jet Winds Bicycles are extremely rare... Mine was stolen last Fall. I did a post with a picture of my bicycle last summer which you may remember if you've been reading my blog for a while. I first blogged about my JetWind in April 2008. Both of these two pictures were taken the same day...

I found this listing below on Craigslist.

What should I do? Anyone have experience with this sort of thing? My best evidence of ownership are my pictures above. I'm not sure what to do next.