Collection 5 - and the leaves came tumbling down

This collection was all about Fall. I love the Fall season and the beautiful colors it poses. I used tweeds, wool, and some cottons.

Collection 4 - The Awakening

This collection was inspired by the Awakening statue in DC. It's this cool statue of a man who is coming out of the ground...which reminds me of how I feel after a long winter...trying to wake up with spring-time colors . The fabrics page.

Collection 3 - Grow Your Inner Jewel

This collection was based on the image on the above left. I liked how it was a jeweled flower, so I translated the jewels into pearls and added pearls as a necklace to several of the dresses. It’s summery and I love how the colors go together and remind me of a hot summer day. I wanted to try and convey clothing hanging on a wire outside in the summertime. I think it sorta works, but plan to do some edits and redrawing over the summer. I used mostly lightweight jerseys, cottons, linen.

Collection 2 - Private Decadence

This second collection, I did for BCBG for the resort season. BCBG is a company that I just admire and love! My inspiration for private decadence was the little things we do to make our lives luxurious. Whether it’s a trip to a resort or just a $15 manicure sometimes we do things just so we feel good and nobody knows about it. So this collection has interesting linings, blind stitches, top finishing techniques, quality fabrics, and an overall feeling of luxury to the wearer. For the woman who appreciates little things without being too flashy.

This is just a five piece collection, but I really tried to convey the feeling. It’s not my favorite collection, but I’m determined to show good and bad…
Not sure what happened to the swatches…(must have saved the wrong version)

I am using, wools, leather, fur, cashmere, and satins.

Collection 1 - Entertaining Hell's Angels

Title Page (Similar to my business cards, again, designed by Leah)



This is a fall/winter collection inspired by the phrase “entertaining angels”.
I didn't want to do anything too demure and nice, I wanted to do something a bit more masculine, so I inserted Hell’s in there and took cues from the notorious bikers.

I used a lot of zippers and patches and even the Hell’s Angels emblem to create this collection. I also used leather, knits, wool, and even a silk jersey. My favorite aspect of the collection is the “tattoo tights” used in two of the looks. I seriously want to get those made... how cool is that?

Red dress with the leather jacket is my favorite look, I think.


I had fun with this collection. I think it's pretty different from what I normally do, so it was fun.

Disclaimer – Portfolio

I am going to start posting my portfolio today, but wanted to state my disclaimer and explain the process a bit. For each collection we were given two weeks. One week to come up with the mood/direction, cut fabric swatches, create 21 looks. The next week to edit the looks to 7, render the drawings and make it presentable. It’s an arduous process that was both exciting and horrible.
As most of you know, drawing is NOT my strong point. But, as you will see the next few days, I have gotten better. I am not a fashion illustrator. Nor, do I want to be. In most large companies they have illustrators on staff. The designers will do a quick sketch and hand it over to the illustrator. I have learned the basics and realized that yes, I do get slightly better, however, I was not blessed with that talent.
The little drawings on the side are the technical designs – I did those on the computer. They have to be technically correct in order to send to the factories with the measurements so the factories know what it's supposed to look like when sewn and what measurements to use. I have worked hard on making those as accurate as possible.
I am pleased with how the entire book turned out. I think it reflects how far I have come, and it also gives me motivation, because I still have a long way to go. Looking back, I was so clueless when I first started school. All I knew was that I loved fashion and knew how to sew.
I want to post about my experience at Parsons the next few weeks as I contemplate my time there, but I will save that for another day. So, without further adieu (sp?)....

"Leave behinds"

As finals continue on, I am torn because on one hand I want Monday to be here because that means I will be done, but on the other hand, I want Monday to come in 2 weeks because I still have a lot to finish. But, I am making progress with everything. I turned in my silkscreen project on Wednesday to rave reviews. My teacher was impressed despite the flaws! So, 1 down 2 to go.

My biggest thing left to do is my portfolio which is what I have been working on ALL semester. Creating and doing, then re-vising, re-doing, re-working, re-everything! It’s been a crazy process but I am looking forward to sharing the final result. Hopefully it will be good enough to get me a job…haha…time will tell…

Looking at what I started with to what I have now is pretty cool. As much as I still cringe when I see my drawings, they HAVE gotten better. Some how. Some way.
But, enough of that.
Leah helped me to re-work my “leave behinds”. Something for the interviewer to remember me by…after I leave.
I think they turned out great and complement my business cards perfectly. [size 4" x 4"] Thanks again Leah.

Front

(Remember this dress?)

Back

Enough rambling. back to work.

It's Done!

Here are some pictures of the silkscreening process. My friend/classmate Vanessa and I worked together at the end since we were both printing onto fabric. The previous two weeks, my dear husband willing woke up early on Saturday morning to help! He was so glad when Vanessa decided to take his spot!

Excuse the bed head and dirty clothes...

We were nearing the end of our day and had been printing for hours and were delirious and one of the techs who is really mean (and talks to people like they are infants) had been patrolling us all morning and monitoring how much space we took up. We had been working on Vanessa's print first and were finishing with mine. She was using her fabric for one of her finals and could only use black, yellow, and white. Anyway, the mean lady came up to us and said, I like this one better and pointed at mine! HAHAHA...Let's just say Vanessa wasn't too happy. We laughed about it for hours though. Everytime we did anything, 'that was better' than yours...
Maybe you had to be there, but come on - who says that to students?? They are completely different and really there is no need to compare. We were both happy with how they turned out! So rude! I think she thought that maybe I was doing both of them...who knows, but it was hilarious and in very poor taste and the cause of many laughs in our tired state.

I'm making progress

I am starting to dream of this print. (not in a good way)
It's amazing all the time I take to measure, check, measure, mark, etc. and I still keep messing up. If you look closely you will see all of my crazy mistakes, so don't look closely. Three colors down two to go. I plan to finish this on Saturday...

Silkscreen - part 2

Here is an update on my monstrous project. I have only done one color....4 more to go...and only one week left and only certain times that the lab is open...kind of a joke really, but I am happy with the way it's turning out. The side that my teacher helped with is obviously better, but hey I am learning along the way! I will post colors 2 and 3 hopefully later this week and the finished project next week!

FIT v. Parsons

Here are a few pictures from the FIT v. Parsons fashion show a few months ago that I never downloaded. They didn't really turn out that great, but here's a few. P.S. Supposedly FIT won this year, after Parsons dominated the years prior...I don't really agree, I thought Parsons had some cool stuff, but I am a bit biased.
Kamilah

Silkscreen

It's been a brutal week. It's interesting that I keep learning that you CAN survive on 4 hours of sleep a night but - I only have 3 and 1/2 more weeks of school!!

For my final silkscreen project I am so excited to be printing onto fabric and then making that fabric into a skirt or dress or something that I can wear! I am going to try out a few different types of fabrics (cotton/poly/jute/linen/silk) to see what I like best.

Leah so gracious gave me some great ideas and helped me find some cool prints on istock which I converted to this Springtime print. The colors will be similar to this, but not exactly. Basically, I strip it of all color, burn it onto my silkprinting screen and then deposit the color layer by layer.

That's five layers of color, folks. Kind of like this. It's hard to explain, but it's really hands on, and sooo sooo fun. I am loving this class. However, my teacher so gracious let me know that it will probably be one of the most difficult projects in the class.

Great.

But I am excited to do it, so oh well.

I have to do all the prep work this week, preparing boards and such (never knew it would be such a situation) and I start printing on Wednesday.

I also have to turn in my fifth (and final) collection for my portfolio on Monday. Then we have the remaining classes to clean up/fix past collections, find a model and someone to take fabulous pictures of everything I've made to put it into my portfolio as well.

Any takers?

So, that's why i haven't blogged so much. I have been busy. But it's exciting to be so near the end!!!!

Helmet head

Ok, I know I am a nerd, but I think I should get a helmet while riding around the city - with all the taxis and dangers that lurk on every corner....
I think I like this one...
Anyone know a place to get cool hemets?

I am slippin’

Unfortunately this morning it was quite literally. I am usually the one that plays the great tricks on April Fools’ Day, but this morning I was taken by my own game! I woke up, stumbled downstairs and went to the bathroom, sat down on the toilet and I noticed the seat was a bit slippery. My lovely husband had put lotion all over the seat!!! Sick. Now I know why he made sure to be the last one to bed last night…..grrrr
Mine was so lame in comparison. I did the old “there’s someone sleeping in the bed trick” with pillows underneath the blanket in the spare bedroom (where his closet is). I need a really good one for next year! Oh well – how I love april fool’s day anyway!

I got a bike!!

Watch out world, here I come! Ok, this picture sucks, but oh well.
Can’t wait to start exploring.

Last Weekend

Last weekend my dear friend Loide was in town. She performed at this great venue in the garment district called the Zipper Factory. It was a great space and she did an amazing job. However, I got NO pictures of her. I am a jerk. I think it was because I was too enthralled in her music! I did get a shot of the two performers who performed after her. The first picture was a woman who was really great, she looked like she was having sooo much fun and she had a beautiful voice. (totally spacing on her name)

This picture is of the final performers [Blk Jak] all the way from South Africa. They were totally quirky and unique and musically forward and put on a great show.

At the after party, I picked up a vinyl and chatted with the band where the drummer told me this funny story. Apparently they just returned from performing at SXSW in Austin and were on the cover of Fader magazine and decided to drive across country in a tour bus (for fun). I thought that was just hilarious, having driving cross country myself twice and asked him what he thought. He said that there was a place called Alabama that was pretty weird, but otherwise it was alright and a good way to see the United States. I would have loved to see the looks on some people's faces to see the four of them get out of the bus at some podunk town in Alabama....

Anyway, it was a fun night.

I haven't posted in awhile. I am alive. Brief rundown...
Barely survived last few days before Spring Break - so tired.
Spring Break came.
Dereck got sick.
I got sick.
Spring Break went.
Back to the grind, still sorta sick.
Don't you hate that?
I had so much planned to accomplish and didn't really do much of it. I did however send off our taxes to be done. One thing checked off the list. AND I am 99% sure that I am getting a bike today, which will be awesome. More to come on that.

My new BFF

No, your eyes are not fooling you, it is me and Robert Verdi! I met him at a Fashion/Media event last night at Parsons and now we're best friends. The panel was seriously amazing. So talented and smart (and funny).

They all gave such good, candid advice and interestingly enough, they all sort of "fell" into the positions that they ended up in. When I say fell, I really mean worked very had and took advantage of opportunities that were presented to them. It made me excited and scared and hopeful as I continue on this journey that I am starting.

The Daily Commute

Sometimes I love riding the train. Sometimes not so much. One thing that is for sure, is there is always something interesting to report. Since Dereck doesn’t ride the train much I feel it is my wifely duty to share with him all my woes. Usually it’s something like, I didn’t get a seat today, or someone gave up their seat for me, or I ran so fast, but missed the shuttle, you know, but yesterday was a doozy. Is that how you spell it?
Well here they are.

Number 1. Monday: approximately 8:15am. Walk onto the train to a woman giving a singing sermon. Imagine part talk/part sing. Mostly about repentance/the world ending/etc. Just the kind of stuff you want to hear on the Monday morning after the time change. I found this interesting for several reasons: 1. It was a fairly crowded train, can you imagine if you were rammed up against her and she was saying (singing) these things into your ear? 2. I think she was just simply preaching on her way to work. I don’t think she was asking for money or anything, she just wanted to spread the good word. 3. I was annoyed partly because I was so tired and partly because some of her quotes and interpretations weren’t entirely true. But hey, that is some serious stamina, my train ride was 25 minutes and she was going the whole time! Preach on with your bad self!

Number 2. This is sad. There was a gentleman with a suitcase (pretty sure he was homeless) He was wearing sweats that were wet and a jacket. He kept spraying the wet parts of his sweatpants with air freshener that you would spray in your bathroom at home. Then he went into his speech.
“I am a Vietnam Vet. I am homeless. I have a kidney bag. When I was sleeping on the train I was robbed, after I gave them everything I had they still stabbed me in my throat. I am hungry, I am wet I am embarrassed. Can you please help me out?”
It was seriously so sad. But the problem is that he smelled so poorly. (even with a whole can of air freshner on him) And there was a huge puddle where he had been standing (I think his bag may have leaked). Oh man.
I kept thinking to myself of all the times that I have put whatever bag I am carrying on the floor of the subway and what other types of grime and germs I must carry around with me on a daily basis. I just wonder if he has someplace where he could go. I mean, he must have had some sort of medical care to get the bag.
These are the times where I am so grateful for my blessings. Life could be so much worse.

Number 3. There were two guys (Guy #1, #2) sitting down (they weren’t friends) and there was a woman standing with her daughter. Guy #1 says, “Do you want to sit down?” to the woman. Woman says “Can I have this seat for my daughter, I don’t want her to spill her drink?” The daughter sits down. Guy # 2 says, “Maam do you want my seat so you can sit next to your daughter?” Woman: “No, thank you I am fine.” Guy #2 – I just want you to know that chivalry is not dead. Woman: “No it’s not! Thank you for offering.” Guy #2 “Some people think it’s dead, but it’s NOT!” Guy #1: Agrees
(just in case anyone is still reading, chivalry is not dead)
It was a funny exchange, but maybe you had to be there.

All in a days work.

DST

Oh Daylight Savings Time, why do you hurt me so? Do you really save time? Or just steal, the few precious moments of extra sleep that I could get?
UUugggghhhh
I am so tired today! AND I have a bad attitude because I feel cheated that I had to give up an hour. It could be the fact that I stayed up until 2:30 working on my third collection or the fact I was working on it all weekend because my teacher only gave us a week instead of 2 weeks for this one. But still. I was robbed.
Anyway, I finished it and couldn't be more happy because I just have a few things to get done on Wednesday and then it's Spring Break, baby! Woo hoo!

What did you think of this article in the WSJ?

ON STYLE By CHRISTINA BINKLEY

Wasn't Skinny Supposed to Be Out of Fashion?February 28, 2008; Page D1

On Tuesday morning in Paris, as the fashion elite were gathering at the Balenciaga show, 17-year-old model Ali Michael was heading home to the U.S. far earlier than anticipated.
Miss Michael was last season's model du jour, and she looks wraithlike, with a still-developing body and a 23-inch waist. But this season, after gaining five pounds, Miss Michael was told by casting directors for the runway shows that her legs were too plump, according to her mother, Mary Ann Michael, who travels with her daughter to appointments and shows. And so, after doing a string of major supermodel shows in September, Miss Michael snared only the Yohji Yamamoto show in Paris this time around. After walking the runway, her eyes blackened with corpse-like makeup, she said she was sad to be leaving but grateful to Mr. Yamamoto. "This show is special," she added.

Nobody here has been talking about last year's skinny-model cause célèbre, when a few fashion-industry leaders in Milan and Madrid began talking about instituting body-mass-index requirements after the starvation deaths of several models. This year, the models are just as thin -- if anything, they look thinner. This was particularly visible in Paris, which sets modes for clothes and fashion shows around the world.
"I think it's gotten worse," said Nina Garcia, fashion director at Elle magazine and a judge on cable television's "Project Runway," while we waited to see Balenciaga. "In the fashion industry, the models are getting thinner and thinner, yet as a culture, we're getting fatter and fatter."
The Paris runways this week have been as flamboyant as ever, and exceedingly thin models are a big part of the show. Jean-Paul Gaultier assured his continued reign as fashion's enfant terrible by creating a PETA nightmare of fur. Fashion's most famous bony models walked the runway draped in fur that was designed to shock: The heads of the foxes and other creatures went swinging down the catwalk -- eyes, noses, ears, feet, tails and all. The show ended with wild laughter over the sound system -- the huge wicked laugh of a madman.

Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière opened his show with two demure little black dresses that would look awkward on anything but a rail-thin frame. They stood out from the body with exaggerated hips, hiding models' protruding collar bones with a look like armor. Dior went 1960s-Mrs.-Robinson with a finely tailored collection that will make people rush for a martini and cigarette -- and the models, with heavily teased hair and wildly exaggerated eye makeup, were little more than highly stylized hangers for the clothes.
Several designers did grapple with modern concerns. Issey Miyake's show was an eerie ode to love in an apocalyptic age -- he blended jeans, made on special looms that weave fabric to look spray-painted, with fine black suits, run through with understated platinum and gold thread.
Mr. Miyake is right: War, famine, drought and global warming trouble us; we need look no further than the spring flowers blooming in February in Paris to know that change is afoot.
Yet what of the 21st-century problem on his own runway? Mr. Miyake deserves credit for hiring several models of color, but he seemed nonplussed when I asked him about weight. He chose models who are "just suitable for our clothes," he repeated several times.
Bodies Formed to Fit Clothes
So we have bodies being formed to fit clothes, rather than clothes designed to fit bodies.
Model Ali Michael.
"If you look at the girls, they are not beautiful like models were 20 years ago," says Jimmy Pihet, spokesman for the Federation Française de la Couture, which oversees Paris fashion shows. "The girls are thin, they have strange faces. ... At first, you look at them and you're not sure if they're beautiful or disgusting."
This has come about as the fashion industry continues its attempt to seem different while moving in lockstep. Even Viktor & Rolf, who like to make fun of fashion and built slogans like "NO!" and "WOW!" into clothes in Tuesday's show, stop short of certain revolutions. Everywhere on the runways, it's apparent that the emaciated look is still "in."
Mr. Pihet says that France has had laws since 1990 requiring models who are under 18 to obtain health certificates from doctors, and that the Federation receives complaints that the laws are too strong. But he claims that models aren't role models for young girls -- that actresses play that role.
This is a contested point. As any parent of an adolescent girl can tell you, fashion magazines become dog-eared as girls study them for beauty tips.
Thinner Than Twiggy
But it isn't fair to just blame a few designers. In the U.S., France and Italy, casting directors, fashion designers, show overseers and fashion magazines move en masse, and no one is using models who look like models did 20 years ago. In her day, the aptly named Twiggy seemed wildly thin -- but she would look oversized on today's runways.
It's hard to imagine Miss Michael, a willowy, 5-foot-9-inch teenager, being told her legs are too fat. Last season, Miss Michael made herself sick keeping her weight down, said her mother. Miss Michael's reward was to be heralded as the next supermodel.
She opened Lanvin in Paris a year ago and walked the runways of Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Lacroix, Chanel, John Galliano, Dior, Rodarte and others. She appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Teen Vogue and W magazines and was personally congratulated by Vogue's Anna Wintour.
Choices Over Dieting
It's possible to become anesthetized to the models' looks. With heavy makeup, it's also easy to overlook how young many of them are. Miss Michael was "discovered" in Texas at 15.
Her mother, a stunning woman who was once a model herself, said her daughter's model friends have struggled to get thinner in recent months and that her daughter, worried about her health, chose not to starve herself.
"Our bags are packed," said Mrs. Michael sadly as she and her daughter prepared to fly home. Still, she said that she felt a sense of relief that her child was getting out of the fast lane of fashion, at least for now. "I have a really good, good daughter," she said.
Write to Christina Binkley at christina.binkley@wsj.com

Collection #2

This is what I have been working on all weekend!

My blogging is very subpar

I know, I just can't seem to find the time. I used to be able to blog at work, but now work is too busy, so now I have to blog on my own time and there isn't much of that. I haven't been up to much just work, homework, and school. We had a visit from Dereck's mom last week, but other than that it's just been cold. Hope everyone is doing well. I hope to post more exciting things soon.

I love Space!

Last night Dereck and I braved the cold for about 5 minutes and watched the lunar eclipse. Why is it so cool? When you view things like this, it makes me realize just how teeny we are in this giant universe and how it all fits together so beautifully. It is truly amazing! Happy post-lunar eclipse day!

Mood Board for my collection

Intrigued?....

Good eatin' weekend

I had a great weekend of eating. I introduced my friend Michelle to Max Brenner's on Saturday for brunch. Basically a chocolate lover such as myself's delight. Of course she loved it. How could she not? Then later on Saturday night Dereck and I went back to Mary's Fish Camp for delicous lobster rolls. We tried it a few months ago with his sister and her husband. I love good food! All I can say is diet schmiet! Eating mixed with lots of homework and somehow managing to see good friends is always a great weekend for me. Hopefully later in the week I will be able to post my collection I am working on for my portfolio class. Wish me luck, we are basically given 2 weeks for each collection. This is week number 2 and it's due on Tuesday...not sure why I am wasting time blogging, but oh well!

The OC

I think I finally understand why people put with the traffic, smog, and more traffic. I had to go to Irvine for work and it was 14 degrees here in New York and 70 in California! What?!?
Seriously a dream.
Besides the fact that I had to work, I got to see my darling family (sister/mom/kids drove from AZ to hand out), seeing Amber, and the beach.My mom and sister indulged me by letting us drive to LA to go to the fashion district there. Such a disappointment. But, at least I know now what is there...
Seeing Devon and Nate playing in the sand was hilarious - they could not get enough of it!. They started out fully clothed and ended up nearly naked. Now THAT'S a good day!
A little shout out out to the husband.
Such a fun trip - here we are getting ready to go our separate ways!