Toi Silhouette c'est manifique!

Don't worry boys and girls I'm still blogging in English, my French is not that advanced sadly. But, the title does involve a word I think we can all understand. 

Silhouette. 

As part of my brief I'm having to write about and research into the design principles, as they relate to all areas of art... I got those very words from the brief itself. 

The first Silhouette I have looked into is the famous Hourglass. 

When I say famous I'm referring to the high profile the hourglass figure comes with thanks to famous iconic women such as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren and more recently Super Model Lara Stone, Plus Size model Crystal Renn and T.V siren Christina Hendricks. 

All beautiful and I mean, breath taking women. 

But this Silhouette blog isn't about our NATURAL hourglass shape, it's about the one our clothes give us. the hourglass any girl can have whether she be short, tall, curved or skinny. Every girl deserves even as little as five minutes to be dressed like a Hollywood sex symbol. 

I have a real love for the hour glass; it's chic, its simple and really sexy. But then who wouldn't want a figure like Marilyn Monroe. 

My young sister is the hourglass out of the two of us, she was blessed with beautiful long blonde hair and bombshell curves, sadly I'm the tall, flat chested one of the family, I've got what I would say is a good sized bum but its still only a handful...Hardly the hump a man can hold on too! 

Anyway, you see where I am going with this? Some women have it and some women need help. No bad thing and it's certainly nothing to worry about, this is where I bring the fabulous Stella McCartney into the equation. 

Cast your minds far back into 2011'way back when', as they say and that is when this fabulous British designer created a beautiful solution to either enhancing your hourglass or giving you one just for a day, all from the crafty use of the right kind of Silhouette. 

Remember now? The beautiful mesh and black dresses which after the canny playing around with a few lines here and there, McCartney managed to create garments with a sculpted silhouette to give the illusion of a heart hourglass, and lets be honest, if you can give super model Natasha Polly an hourglass shape you  really have achieved what you set out too! 

For me it was the only way I could understand what the term 'Hourglass Silhouette' meant in design terms by looking back at this collection because I can't lie, when I first read it I was totally baffled, and even after my lecturer went through it with me I wasn't 100% certain I knew where she was coming from! 

McCartney also very cunningly also used natural skin tone material in areas where any woman's body would naturally curve in at the waist whatever her size contrasting with either red, white or blue and gave the illusion of a nipped in waist and the outcome really was quite outstanding. 

The evidence? Two of the great British kate's, Moss and Winslet. 

Here is the perfect examples on how any woman whether she be a skinny super model or voluptuous screen siren or maybe just your sister! Anyone with the right amount of confidence to work the ultimate man-made, or in this case, stella-made Silhouette can have it all.

Enjoy your cake AND eat it girls, the clothes have got your back when it comes to that extra half an inch. 

Technology is not as scary as it looks if you just give it a chance...

Until today I was the biggest technophobe you could ever meet, I hate technology and it isn't very fond of me either I have always felt. 

I always had in my mind that there were two types of people in the world, those who succeed and those that don't. That was what my mum always taught me the whole way through high school, then I came to college!!! 

The motto is still the same concept wise but I changed a few words, there ARE two types of people in the world, those who can use computers and those that can not. 

I am one of those few that just can not get my head around it. Especially things such as Illustrator and Photoshop.

Both equally as essential on my course and ironically both equally baffling to me! 

Personally if I could I would write everything by hand, use a dictionary and use camera's that need developing using film instead of everything being digital, usb and auto-checked. 

But, perhaps I'm just old fashion OR! I just haven't given myself and technology a chance to get to know one another well enough...

Any one would think I was stubborn like that... 

Anyway, today, as part of my 'I've come back to college so I may as well do well while I'm still here' philosophy I tried really hard and paid more attention to my CAD class than I think I ever possibly could have done in my life, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it once I figured out what I was doing. 

I still think polaroid camera's and fine art are more my thing but this modern technology stuff isn't half bad! 

This you see above is genuinely my first EVER attempt at Photoshop, I know it isn't amazing or really exciting to look at but I am personally quite proud of the achievement. I feel a bit like that grandparent everyone has that discovers texting for the first time and think's it's a revelation 10 years too late but still! Better late than never at all with these things! 

I wasn't entirely sure what to do for my photoshop assignment so I chose a place I like and an image I like, so, before you there is Camden Street Market and a Brit-Punk fashion model.

The background layer I did not alter but I did import the Brit girl onto the image using a lasso tool and dragged it over from one image to this one. 

I'm thinking next time I need to be a lot less safe and a lot more confident with what I'm doing but for now, I'm quite happy with the results and I someone somewhere will agree, it isn't half bad for a beginner. 

Fingers crossed anyway! 

Belle Elle Collections

There's something about a glossy Fashion magazine that genuinely does something to all the nerve endings down my spine, walking into a newsagents or supermarket and seeing them all stocked up high along the shelves makes me feel like anything is possible. They really are "shining beacons of hope" as Nigel quotes on my favourite film The Devil Wears Prada. 

And he is so right to say that, when I look through a fashion magazine whether that be VOGUE, ELLE, HARPERS BAZZARR or even just COMPANY I really do feel like I am part of the glamour and the expensive lifestyle that comes with the high fashion industry, not to mention my mind just explodes with excitement over all the beautiful ensembles and paragraphs of praise for all the new seasons collections. 

I think the most exciting 'new' thing for me, and say new in a very loose term, I just have not been purchasing and collecting as long as I have VOGUE. Elle Collections, it's possible one of the greatest inventions publications have come up with in my eyes. 

It is the perfect way to bring fashion week, new designers and trend forecasts into anyone's home. It's how I would describe wealth feels, when I hold this magazine and loose myself in its pages, anything feels possible, it really inspires me in so many ways. 

(And since my college summer homework is all about 'what inspires me', seems like a pretty good reason to enjoy my inspiration...Ideally attending the actual fashion shows would be better but I'll leave that in my dream world box not my reality one for now!) 

What I love about Elle Collections is that it puts as much enthusiasm into each and every designer, shoe and accessory and doesn't scrimp on attention to detail either. Quite often I find a lot of fashion publications concentrate to much on what not to wear, and who doesn't look good in something than what actually is beautiful, which in my opinion, when it comes to fashion, it is pretty impossible for any woman to not look breathtaking in couture or ready to wear.

Isn't that the whole point of quality? 

I'd recommend the magazine purely because it feels special in itself, yes it's not cheap, but lets be honest, apart from Primark nothing is cheap when it comes to fashion! 

I just love how it presents every leading designer of the season and give dialogue on the shows, the clothes and the people who make it happen. It's like the ultimate season journal. And it looks pretty too!!!!

Publications like this always make me feel better and boost my moral if I'm feeling a little deflated, which I wont hide from you, I have done over the past week or so but there is always a silver lining and light at the end of the tunnel, I have not yet reached the light but fashion is always, and will always be my silver lining to any situation. Except financial perhaps, that becomes a little awkward! 

But anyway, regardless, try the magazine out, try and find 'that' feeling about fashion that everyone should share! And if it's not for you, what's stopping you picking a different form of learning/reading material up next time you're getting your ciggies from the shop or carton of milk for breakfast cereal? Two perfect situations for reading, at breakfast or with a coffee and cigarette, both suit myself perfectly and on that note, I think it's time I went for mine. 

Enjoy.  

Androgyny Shoot planning.

You may remember from around late June time? or was it July... I am not entirely sure to be honest, either way, the month is irrelevant at this moment in time. I'm more bothered about the month on its way over, September is only days away and that is when the new college term starts! It's not even the new term that frightens me, it's the new college year! The LAST college year...

Anyway, moving on...

As I was saying...

June/July I completed my final garment, it was based around Androgyny and Vintage Vivienne Westwood with a message about feeding super skinny models to try and bring attention to the still increasing level of young adults and teenagers suffering eating disorders influenced by the fashion industry and media. 

In September I will be shooting my final garment how I planned to present it on the catwalk, well, how I would have in an ideal world anyway. 

With it being Androgynous I figured being original was the only way forward, so I wont be modelling my work on a dainty, beautiful and idealistic female model. But a male model, a tall, broad and unusually featured young male. 23 to be exact at 6ft2 with big blue eyes, a pout that would give Kiera Knightley and Kate Moss a run for their money and cheek bones that even Andrej Prejic would pay for... See where I'm going with the comparisons? They're all females, well, except Andrej but then again as a fellow Androgynous model he may as well be female. 

It was Andrej Prejic that inspired me in the very first place way back when as they say so it seemed ironic to end where we started off, with a man, that has features of both feminine and masculine that doesn't wander on to the trans side of life! I would like to make that quite clear yet again, cross dressing, transsexualism and Androgyny are all COMPLETELY DIFFERENT looks and can not be confused at this stage. 

Anyway, my head shots and experimentation's for the final shoot once back at college are as follow. Let me know what you think!

Nothing Gray about TOPSHOP

I've been a fan of the Punk Scott pretty much since she came on the fashion radar, now her compilation is set with TOPSHOP I must admit I am pretty over the moon!!! First Katrantzou and now her! 

Sadly I don't have the kind of lifestyle or bank account that enables me to shop at the top if you like but I do however really appreciate a good fashion collaboration.

I can't decide if its the acid bright infusions, punk style shirt, leather jackets or swing dresses that make my hairs stand on end but either way I'm excited!!! 

Gray really inspires me because she's just so unique and unusual, as a designer and a character.

Anyway.... the collection in pictures for all to enjoy is as follows!

 ~ This one is a personal favourite above, I can't decide if it's the combination of loose fabrics and high shine fabrics or the way it all just clashes together in all the right ways, either way, I WANT!

Frankly speaking I think...

I know it's a Sunday morning however, time for a little riddle. 

What do the following all have in common? 

Amy Whinehouse, Kate Moss, Pete Doherty, Marilyn Monroe and Kurt Cobain? 

Guessed yet?

Here's a clue, they're all statements in fashion or have made some form of iconic image that has been manipulated to create 'styles' in the fashion world. But that still is not the answer to my riddle. 

Give up?

Drugs.

All of the above are beautiful and talented in one way or another yet have either been corrupted or in worst cases killed by the most evil of things on the planet, I say this because it is so unpredictable, swimming in a sea of sharks is a predictable evil as you understand that in a split second you could become dinner. Drugs, a completely different form of evil.

You're probably wondering why on earth I am blogging about something as un-fashionable as Drugs but all will be revealed. It's a form of irony writing about drugs though in a way if you think about it, look at how many fashion symbols and style icons have been influenced or involved in the witchcraft that is so deadly; Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, massive super models that rose in the 1990's, Kate being the creator of 'Heroin Chic' THE look in fashion for the time...Not so chic in reality if you look at what it did to her, natural and unusual beauty ruined by illegal and legal sole destroying, skin decaying substances that wrecked her from the inside out, all for that short term 'high'. 

Pete Doherty, some would blame him for Kate's corruption, but personally I don't, it is very easy to be around someone her has a bad habit/addiction and not be lured into the world of unknown highs and colourful surroundings. Yes he drugs and yes it is wrong but he is one of the most unique and talented, intelligent musicians in the UK not to mention one of great style yet he again has been wasted and ruined by the worst of demons. America also, home of Hollywood and the talent that built its reputation, in movies and music. Marilyn Monroe, whom I wrote about recently, also lost in a world out of her own control as a way of escaping what was reality, fame and fortune; affairs and loneliness drove one the biggest beauties and icons into the ground (literally) from overdosing. Kurt Cobain, an icon in style and music committed suicide on April 8th 1994 after recently being dispatched from rehab for drug addiction, people ignore his wife, Courtney Loves warning and concern over suicidal behaviour from her husband after being released which in the end proved right, just goes to show that once you become attached to something it's too hard to let go, especially when it's all you know and a lifestyle.  

I think personally though, the one thing that hit me hardest when it comes to beauty, good style and pure talent being ruled and ruined by drugs is Amy Whinehouse. A woman that truly inspired me for a very long time musically and with fashion while I was growing up and it was heartbreaking to hear the papers chant and call her names, pushing her further into a world of mass destruction and pain, when really all the girl wanted and needed was HELP!

I've learnt recently, the hard way, that most of the time people that take drugs are often just insecure and/or crying out for help and have no one to turn to or no where to escape too so use substances to create that comfortable world that they can run away too when times get tough or uncomfortable.

My name is Georgi and my boyfriend is an addict, it makes him sound like a bad person I'm sure, he is a father of one, has the face and body of a male super model and a talented writer, painter, chef and a friend to anyone. For the last 10 years he has been dealing with an unhealthy Amphetamine and Speed addiction. As well as having habits in possibly every other substance you can possibly imagine, they've taken his life from ups and downs and all over the place, matches his personality at the moment to be honest. The problem with drugs is they consume you and control your brain to believe that there is only one way in life and that is the wrong way... Drugs way... The escape way. Truth is, that is far from the truth in reality. But drugs and substances are experts in converted reality into fantasy and before you know it you're trapped. 

Luckily my boyfriend is seeking help and is being admitted into rehab, but it isn't the first time, he's one of the lucky ones, and it is better late than never. It's hard and horrible to watch the person you love and adore be pulled apart by something so unnecessary. Amy wasn't as fortunate. I sometimes wonder if we hadn't had 'Heroin Chic', super models, musicians and celebrities dabbling in bad habits would there be less of an issue now, would the younger generation still find it as fun and exciting, cool even to try?

No one can answer that.

We can only learn from mistakes. 

And hopefully, and I truly hope this everyday now, people will begin to realise that they have so much more to give if they just try, no one wants to see even more talent wasted on such a painful situation to be in. 

Amy Whinehouse once said, "They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said no..." maybe if she'd gone, or someone had done what I did for my boyfriend and dragged her there the lyrics would have ended slightly differently, now we will never know her next chapter. 

The Magic That Was Marilyn

50 years is a long time for any girl to keep a beautiful reputation going. But in true iconic style, Ms.Monroe has quite literally done it with her eyes closed.

I will admit, when it comes to iconic females Marilyn Monroe was one I knew very little about, until my very own bombshell my baby sister boo became her biggest brit-girl fan.

She, like Marilyn, very blond, naturally beautiful, intelligent and always knows how and when to use her image when necessary. I remember the first film we watched together staring Ms.Monroe.... 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' 1953 directed by Howard Hawks co-staring Jane Russel. It was beautiful. The costumes, the characters; everything. 

It's so strange to believe that a woman so spell binding and enigmatic was only with us for a heartbeat. 

Yes she was a film star, icon, business woman and mistress to many a rich man, but what really was the obsession with Marilyn. 

My personal answer, she was a real woman. All be at as I have said already a very unusually beautiful one, she was real all the same. Her big Hollywood smile was what made 'the Hollywood smile' famous, the peroxide hair, captivating curves and cheeky 'girl next door' out look on life. I don't know many women who would not love to admit the only thing they wore to bed was Chanel No'5! 

In a way that's what made Marilyn Monroe so new and beautiful, she was iconic in her own way, yes she was another Hollywood wonder of the 20th Century but her looks and personality took it to new heights. 

Even after her death in 1962 she still continued to flood people's imaginations with inspiration and idea's, Andy Warhol for example, did the piece 'lips' inspired by that very smile. 

How many women of this day and age can we honestly depend on being the next icon due to such beauty and style without them being surgically enhanced or photoshopped an inch from their life! 

No words can describe such a beauty as Ms.Monroe, except in my eye's my sister. (But that may just be a little biased...) 

Collar & Sleeve

I keep using the phrase, 'Keep Calm and Carry On' when it comes to my college course at the moment but I honestly have to say it is the most fitting. Not because it has anything to do with being British, purely because the best thing to do at a time this is to just breath, take a step back, calm down and carry on! I've learnt this probably more than anyone over the past few weeks. Yes, I admit I have needed a day or two breathing space to calm down as I was beginning to become very unwell again. BUT! We're back  on track and I will NOT be beaten.

So, a belated blog for Monday!

Pattern Cutting catch up.... My Shirt.

Again, with this I could physically kick myself as I have actually enjoyed doing it, yes its stressful but so are most things we do in life! Due to time I am only making samples for my shirt i.e the cuff, sleeve, pocket and collar. I've really enjoyed piecing it together I must say, feel like I've let the team down though once again after not going in yesterday and today but again, you yourself is the only person that can read your body and mine was telling me if I didn't calm down I'd never get to the finish line.

Monday, the collar wasn't too difficult because I had already started it so the collar stand was ready and waiting.

All I had to do was attach the colour pieces either side of the stand, flipping the top of one side over so that it's held inwards with a 1.5cm seam allowance and then continued on to sew a 1cm seam right around the bottom edge of the colour.

Flip the collar so the stand is over the top and the collar is tucked neatly underneath. Neaten any untidy edges and you're done!

The Sleeve is a work in progress to be continued....

 Preparing Shoulder of Shirt.

 Cutting the Sleeve from my own pattern of a Bishop Sleeve.

Attaching the Sleeve to the Shirt.

Feed The Birds II

A lot of people have been asking me where exactly 'Feed The Birds' came from.

Here is your answer!

Feed the Birds is a play on words which I think I have mentioned before. I was really inspired by 80's designer Katharine Hamnett once again in this brief due to how she uses fashion to put across a political matter/message. Mine may be more Gareth Pugh than Politics but it's the same concept.

As part of my research in the beginning I looked into super skinny models within the fashion industry and the issues in which role models and images such as size zero can create.

I personally don't see an issue with 'skinny' women nor do I see an issue with 'curvy' women, the whole point of fashion and good style is that it suits YOU and who YOU naturally are! But I do have an issue when you see images of obviously malnourished and unhealthy models and supposed faces of fashion parading across magazines sending out a bad message and setting poor examples to young girls and boys in some cases of how to look! It's wrong. Skinny can be sexy, but scrawny just can't!

While researching I found out some seriously haunting facts and it really opened my eyes to the reality of what the fashion industry influences on more drastic level than just how we wear denim this season! I know it did me when I was going through high school, I suffered from Anorexia for about 2 years and even now constantly battle with my weight and self esteem issues, and it turns out I am not alone! Over two thirds of teenage girls and young adults suffer from some form of either eating disorder or have an issue with their body weight and image and it more or less always comes down to what they see on the catwalk or in glossy magazines.

So, my slogan 'Feed The Birds' is a little bit like my own form of Hamnett. To bring a message across that it has to stop!

The slogan isn't just around eating disorders though, there is a lot more too it.

I don't know whether it's my nature to just accept someone for who they are or whether I have just been nurtured to always be curious but understand that everyone is always different and sometimes that means they have different preferences in life, one of which can be their sexuality.

My concept of eating disorders and super skinny models then developed on how fashion influences and hides other issues within young society.

One of the leading ones being homosexuality and other sexuality preferences. I was prompted to look further into this when I met my current boyfriend who had actually been gay/bisexual for most of his teen years and looking through his photo albums had used how he looked, especially his hair to help him figure out who he was and also whether or not being homosexual was what made him happy in life and would for years to come... Turns out it didn't (obviously) but that isn't always the case, sometimes young adults struggling to cope with their sexuality or even their gender use their body, style and personal image as a form of escape from what they know is really who they are, it's almost like a living experiment. Statistics show that almost half of young men who suffer from eating disorders such as bulimia use their weight and image as way of punishing themselves for being 'gay'. This isn't always because they're ashamed of it, quite often this is due to the amount of pressure young men especially feel to be 'manly' and often suffer horrific forms of bullying as a consequence should they admit the reality. This is all so wrong so I decided that the best way to incorporate this part of my concept would be to use the colours from the gay pride flag within my T-Shirt design. Which is why the text of 'Feed The Birds' is in the 7 colours of the rainbow.

I know it wont exactly do a lot in the sense of having an impact on said issues but it's a start and it has really inspired me, I'm not saying I'm going to be anywhere near as iconic and influential than Hamnett but it's certainly given me food for thought for the future.

Eye Spy With My Little Eye, Something Beginning With D...

And sadly I'm not talking about super model David Gandy!

D is also for DRESS! My Final Garment and Dress of Stress as I am now calling it when my friends ask me what I am currently working on, because quite frankly...IT IS! Is getting nearer and nearer to becoming complete...

Due to time I've had to modify my design and work with what I have that fits a tight time scale, so instead of using eyelets and safety pins I'm using good old fashioned braces. (Androgynous AND Affordable, what more could you ask for.) It's not ideal but nor is it an issue in my eyes, one because the braces cost £0 as they're out of my very own wardrobe and they also fit nicely with my original concept so everyones a winner!



Illustrations Part II

You've seen my versions of Laura Laine and Anna Kiper previously, now to be continued.

Cecilia Carsltedt (Who I am LOVING right now, her work is elegant and feminine yet in a really unusual way! I certainly plan on learning more about her and I highly recommend anyone and everyone should do the same because she is truly beautiful talent!)

Lucy Macleod. Another fabulous illustrator with quite a quirk to her, I'm not her biggest fan but I do really like a lot of her work but it's just a little too haunting for me in some areas, AND THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING! But she again is someone that if you haven't already found her you should get scouting as it's truly worth the effort once you have.

 Simple Media techniques used in this drawing, Water colour and crayon for the lips, a 2B pencil for the line details and then for the left side of the face (as you look at it) it's simple just fine liner which is lightly watered over to create slight shading in areas required. The original image by Carlstedt is of Lily Donaldson, British Supermodel at London Fashion Week.

My copy of Macleod's work doesn't do her justice I would just like to point out. Side profiles are clearly not one of my greatest talents as we learnt from my Illustration board! I did try my hardest to create a near enough resemblance to the models character etc but it just did not seem to work out as well as I hoped. I do however really like how her eye and hair turned out. So two out of many features isn't so bad, not brilliant but not bad either!

If I was to do this one again I would probably attempt it on a smaller scale with different media such as fine liner or even CAD drawing as due to fine line and the issues I have with facial proportions I reckon using something like CAD would work out slightly better. 

Board Now...

And it isn't the board you are thinking! Goodness me, who could ever be 'board' when it comes to fashion!!! No, Board now simply means I have done my illustration and design boards and it's now time to blog about them. See what I did there...

I was really unsure as to what Illustration and Design Boards actually were, but after conversing with a few fellow students and using my initiative they are as follows.

My Illustration boards are quite simple, Front Back and Side views of my final garment and how I would style it. I really enjoy working with fine liner and water colours which is the media I have used for them. My
figures are heavily inspired by work by Tim Burton, James Jean and Laura Laine. There are naturally a few things I would certainly improve and work on from doing this board, for example, even though I prefer my illustrations to look unusual and quite Quirky/Gothic I think my Side View of my final garment is a little TOO quirky... SO practising a little more on figure drawing is certainly on my to do list for the summer. Otherwise, personally I'm quite proud of it all. 

 The Design Board is a lot more in detail (it still needs my fabric swatches and a couple more close up detailing completing) but instead of using water colour I stuck to fine liner which I washed over with water in some areas. I stuck to using fine liner as it was easier to show differences in the tartan for example and a more detailed look at the hand made pattern of the fabric and different shades and colours of the fabric even though in black and white. This one took the most time out of the two of them but I think it was definitely worth the effort.

What do you think?



Today is a very good day.

If next year when I'm in my second year at college and a first year turned around to me and asked what was the best thing they could do in their first year it would be without question that no matter what else they would rather be doing or how much they dislike a certain subject, putting it off is the worst thing you could ever do! Getting it completed and out of the way is definitely the only and best option any student could take, and I've learnt that the hard way! 

However, I did as I said I would and this morning handed in my 6 completed A4 textile samples, I am not best pleased with the quality and know for a fact that I could have done so much more if I had actually just done it at the time I was supposed too! Certainly would have had a fair few better nights sleep recently, I feel like a peaceful zombie right! All my friends keep going on at me about making sure I go out and celebrate the night I finish college on the 29th etc but to be perfectly honest, the only thing I shall be doing on Friday the 29h of June is having a glass of wine with my mum in the garden because I think we both deserve it after all the support and motivation she's given me, but all this will be swiftly followed by having a longggggg bubble bath and an early night!!!! (Shall do my partying on the student night after instead, would be rude not too!) 

Anyway, back to my samples? Would you like to see? I know I could achieve a lot more and I'm hoping over the summer while on my mission to improve my sewing skills I reckon working on a little textiles wouldn't be a bad idea either... 

So, from the top!

 This one, my Rainbow as I like to call it (which is annoyingly upside down in the photograph and I do apologise!)  this one is based around Homosexuality. I researched into the issues that young adults and teenagers face when coming out or realising their same-sex sexuality preferences and how it creates unnecessary circumstances such as bullying, prejudice, abuse and sometimes can even cost a life due to suicide. It relates really well to my topic of eating disorders and peer pressure from my previous unit as a lot of young adults struggling to admit or cope with their sexuality suffer from horrific self esteem and quite often develop eating disorders as a way of drawing the attention away to the truth. 

 This one, my union jack you have seen previously! I am actually really proud of this one and really liked the way it turned out.

 Anarchy in the UK but my way, for example, my colour pallet is based around one of the LGBT flags,  Bisexuality is purple, pink and blue. A lot of people disregard Bisexuality as selfish, false and attention seeking but due to my research I discovered that there is a lot more to it that meets the eye. But for my sample I focused on trying to incorporate all my research within each design less obviously than the expected. Again I think there could be more development with this sample but that's a learning curve for next year. 

 This one is a simple hand stitch with embroidery thread around rolled black fabric to create a frail and weak looking rib cage. I didn't want to just do a 'straight' and basic rib cage look so I developed it to branch out and go off in a sort of hand span kind of way. I think on the dress design above which it is sampled for it would actually look really effective. 

 "Its okay to be Gay", can't get much simpler than that. This one is just applique in the colours of the Gay pride flag which like earlier are all the colours of the rainbow. 

For my Final Garment I have made my own pattern of tartan fabric for the skirt, so my last A4 sample was an experiment of how to create a look and weave style for the final design. I've developed areas of my design during manufacturing so I need to do a page in my sketch book now about the development and sampling for the skirt part of the dress. 

All in all, not to shabby I don't think. But I have definitely learnt more than just a textiles lesson with this one. 

Ever heard of Scarlet Fever?! Well, I've got Skirt Fever...

Toile over, time for the real deal!

I can solely admit, hand on my heart and all that jazz that I have never made an outfit or item of clothing in my entire life! I made a handbag and wall hanging for my GCSE's in textiles and that's as far is it goes, think I  may have made a pillow in my first year at high school as well. Anyway, you get the picture, I can't sew and for the past however many months I've been avoiding it like Scarlet Fever if you like... Hence why I call it skirt fever because it does genuinely look like I'm being punished or in an immense amount of pain when I'm told too...

I do enjoy it, and it is very therapeutic, but not when you're overdue on your deadline and nervous as hell! Honest to god if I had ever wanted someone to appear out of lamp and grant me three wishes it's now.

Anyway, manufacturing the skirt has been pretty easy, it was making the tartan patterned fabric that was the difficult and time consuming part! each strip placed, pinned and sewn one by one, panel by panel! The results are well worth it in my eyes and you yourself shall see very shortly I just can not get over how much time it has taken.

Mastering the lining was tricky as in the end we had to label each pattern piece for the panels with letters and pair them all up, once sewn though it was easy.

Just placed the lining inside the skirt and attached them by pinning seam to seam and sewing around the base attaching them together.

There is a little more detail and precision to it, but you get the picture.

I've really enjoyed making my own garment I must admit, especially as the last few weeks have been pretty nail biting.

As for the skirt... Here is the process in a handful of photographs taken during the ride as they say.

These are just snaps from when the skirt was inside out and  being lined up on the manikin so that we could make sure it was as accurate as humanly possible! I also took a close up of the exposed zip which is placed along the back of the skirt down the centre. This was probably the most simple part of the entire manufacturing process, sewing the zip on!

 Lining the braces up with skirt so I was sure it would hold and also not look to out of place, my biggest nightmare is Sophie, my model, walking down the cat walk and the braces snagging off the skirt and just the whole think falling to the floor! But, they seemed to hold well and look pretty neat so fingers crossed!



And finally, the (almost) finished skirt. It's meant to look 'Grunge' and 'Vintage Punk' inspired by Vivienne Westwood which is where my idea for the unfinished edges came from. I also was inspired by Alexander McQueens highland rape collection so I stole the idea of the waste band falling lower than you would imagine for 'couture' after seeing his black trousers which exposed he very top of a woman's arse. Mine however relates to clothes always looking like they hang or are about to fall off models due to their obscenely slim frames.

Not bad for a first attempt, but I would be lying if I said I had done it all on my own. Had a little fairy godmother helping me along the way! I'd still only have scrap fabric and a design if I didn't!!!!