50's styling shoot

I finally got my photos from my 2nd styling shoot for my LCF course. My model was Gabrielle Bassett, I think she did a great job (she did her own hair and makeup!).

The assignment was to do a 40's, 50's, or 80's themed photo shoot. I decided to go with what I knew best, though if 60's were an option I probably would have done that instead. The idea that I had was to do a "night and day" theme, where not only would we do night and day looks, but they would represent two sides to the girls personality. In other words, daytime was a new look silouette and very sweet. Nighttime was a wiggle silhouette and a little bit naughty. Here is the story board that I put together:


We combined items from both my and Gabie's closet to get the final looks. I had 4 looks ready to go but we were only allowed to do 2. We got to use the LCF studio which was amazing! The only thing I was a little bummed about was that the black dress was a bit wrinkled, they didn't have a steamer there.

Design class final project

I am winding down my time at school and have just turned in my final project for Design process class. The idea of this class was to teach you the process through which designers come up with a collection. Obviously, this is different for anyone, but there are certain pathways through which one comes up with a design concept that has a cohesive theme, tone, color palette, and consumer. Of course I decided to do lingerie and my collection is very "me." I thought maybe I should try to do something to challenge myself a little more but you go with what you like, right? I named my fictional brand "Chelsea Violet." The first thing to think about is your consumer. My consumer was a ladylike, sensual woman who is confident and comfortable in her own skin. She is happy. She enjoys the finer things like perfumes, afternoon tea and fresh flowers. Basically a modern, very English woman who purchases lingerie for herself and not for a man (though if I man gets to see them, its a bonus!). I got my inspiration through visiting the antiques flea markets around London and Paris, fashion editorials by Gemma Booth, and look books by Chantal Thomass who I have mentioned a lot on this blog.

The name Chelsea Violet refers to a few things. Chelsea is just a name that I like and that I found to be quintessentially English. Violet has to do with the color palette, which is based around the violet color (basically various shades of purple, lilac, etc.), and of course flowers which are very much an inspiration for the silhouette and fabrics. Also, violet is somewhere in between pink, which is the color of very sweet, innocent lingerie, and black, which is supposed to be the naughty kind. This collection falls somewhere in between.

I'd never done much drawing before this class so doing the technical drawings was definitely a learning experience. Lingerie is probably a little easier than drawing complex garments like a suit or something but I'm pretty happy with how they turned out in the end. I did the technical drawings by hand and then scanned them into Illustrator where I colored them.

And finally, the fashion illustration... this was a hard part for me and I owe my friend Margarita for helping me figure out how to translate a flat design (one of the more complicated ones at that) onto a body. I wish I had had something better than markers to color it in but that's all I brought. Would have looked a lot nicer with water colors.

That's it!

One more week of class and then I'm done... and will have to figure out what the hell I am doing next. Not even sure if I'm ready to move back to America yet, but may have to. Not sure what the future will bring.

Getting inspiration

Finally getting around to doing an entry. Instead of homework I suppose which I have put off all weekend with the exception of trying to get "inspiration" by first hitting the Angel Antiques Market on Saturday and then the Clerkenwell Vintage Fair on Sunday. I don't really like when people apologize for not posting or whatever since a blog is just a blog and you do it when you have time or feel like writing, unless you're getting paid. So no apologies. I have been having fun and going out and learning and doing stuff and generally having a good time.

School is waaayyyy more intensive than I thought it would be, I have six courses and assignments for all of them: European Culture and History, Fashion Marketing, Product Development, Fashion Forecasting, The Design Process, and Styling. And so far I have been slacking on pretty much all of them and not entirely liking what I am doing. We did our first shoot for fashion styling, it was kind of hilarious being dressed like this in Shephards Bush, kind of a FAIL. People kept shouting Lady Gaga at me.

The class I'm finding the most confusing is Fashion Forecasting, which I thought I would be really good at, but I really don't understand how trends are forecasted, especially colors. Basically it seems like 2-3 industry experts decide and then everyone else listens to them and decides that SALMON IS IN FOR S/S '11. Huh? I wear the same colors all the time and wear clothes for years, does that make me not fashion forward? We have to pick a couple trends that will be popular 2 years from now and make illustrated mood boards around the themes. I am TOTALLY dreading that one. I am also having a hard time getting used to this style of education. I am sort of used to being lectured to and having exams and cramming etc... not forced to be creative all day long: its exhausting! This is why my friend Margarita says art school doesn't work. Anyways...

Here is a photo set from the days past two events. Naturally, after blowing too much money on vintage this weekend I am now going to PARIS for 5 days with my program. God help me. Oh and befor the photo set let's have one of those American-in-London teenage humor moments.

LOL, Laycock.

THANK YOU GOODNIGHT!

Hi I'm back

I have internet! I am finally reunited with all my friends like gmail, facebook, flickr, google reader, and um, gchat. I guess I don't really use that many web pages but with a pay-as-you-go phone and no internet I was feeling really out of touch with everyone from back home, so hopefully that will now change.

So its been week 2 of fashion school and its been rather bizarre and weird to say the least. It feels very strange to be drawing in class and making collages of magazine cut outs when one is used to sitting in lectures and having in-depth conversations about health policy in the EU (which, to be fair, I was often spacing out on and probably making doodles in my notebook). It also is just strange to be a full time student again, especially starting from scratch in the way that I am and realizing that I don't really know all that much about fashion at all, at least compared with some of the tutors that I'm learning from.

Today we had a design process class where I was presented with the dreaded task of having to DRAW SOMETHING. Thankfully it turned out ok and I was actually pretty impressed by myself though I do recall I just mostly plagiarized a set of vintage shoes that I had seen in a shop in Berkeley. But hey, look ma, I can draw!



Apart from school, I am finally set up with a new cheapie bike (a 60's German bike that I purchased from a guy in London Fields), a new IKEA mattress so as to not break my back again, and now internet at last, I am starting to feel more at home. Now if only I could get a bank account!

I'm seeing Blur on Friday. I am also already causing mischief. I love London.