Fashion Collection Teaser

Hello darlings!

Many of you may not know this but I have been taking fashion design courses for the past couple of years. I am just about finished and will show my student fashion collection in April. I am super excited about this as I have been working really hard on its development. So I thought I would show you some of the design details that will end up in my collection. Now I do not want to give away too much of what it will look like but here are just a few teasers:

I have been working on creating a feathery fluffy texture and succeeded in doing so with tulle and organza.

I have also done some leather cutouts attempting to turn leather into a type of lace.

Over sized roping details are integral to my collection. I wove it in various ways using different macramé techniques. Since designing is a process more design details and techniques might emerge as I further develop this. 

All of these details will be integrated into my runway looks. I am very excited to bring my ideas to life. I am sure you know the feeling! Stay tuned and I will show you what some pieces of my collection will look like! And for now, can you guess the theme of the collection?

"Fashion Obsession" Discharge Dye Fabric Design

Hello creative souls!

Today I want to show you the fabric pattern that I designed recently. It was my first time using discharge dying technique. Discharge dying is a process of removing dye from fabric with the help of discharge paste. It is basically the opposite of dying. Various methods can be used to create designs on the fabric's surface: shibouri, stenciling, stamping, tie dye, block printing, etc. 

For my fabric, which was black loosely woven silk, I first created a stencil out of plastic. It took me 2 hours to cut that out with an x-acto knife! 

Stencil for my fabric design

I then put the stencil against the fabric and applied the discharge paste to the fabric with a sponge. You should let the paste dry on the fabric and then iron it. Both heat and steam should be applied to the fabric in order for the design to show through. Here is the result!

My funky grungy fabric

Depending on how much discharge paste you apply to the fabric (how thick the solution) you might get more or less bleached out areas on the fabric. If you want consistency, it is best to practice on a scrap piece first. I wasn't going for consistency with my design. I love how uneven the design looks! It gives this fabric a very grungy look! 

Close-up of my design

I think this fabric would be perfect for a sleeveless top or skater skirt. It really reminded me of a dress by A Detacher that I saw on the Spring 2014 RTW runway:

A Detacher Spring 2014 RTW

I simply cannot wait to make something with this piece! What do you guys think it should be? Leave me a comment, I'm interested in your suggestions!

Happy Friday!

Redefining Design 2013

It is a funny paradox: the busier you are the more you have to share, yet the less time you have to do so. But this boring silence has to be broken and I just have to share the highlights of the Annual Seneca Fashion Gala with you.

Students once again displayed a wide range of skills and talent. There were plenty of designs to drool over. I especially liked these gorgeous leather skirts and tops:

Tania DaSilva, who won the Media award with her unusual knitwear collection, stole the show:

Tania DaSilva's collection; Tania DaSilva - far right.

Yours truly modeled for Shannon Skura who created a collection based on the idea that the wearer can be a designer. Shannon strategically placed magnets in the garment so that the wearer can change the way the piece is worn, offering him or her infinite options.

Shannon Skura's collection; Shannon Skura - far right.

My look for Shannon Skura's collection

Backstage with model Dayna Stevens

You can check out more of Shannon's designs at her website

fashandesign.webs.com/

Another designer I modeled for was M.R. Leach, who had a completely different and somewhat historic point of view...

M.R. Leach's collection; M.R. Leach - right.

...and Carly Vimini, who created a sportswear collection with experimental shapes for the modern woman. (Love the chunky knits!)

My look for Carly Vimini's collection

And these shoes were an absolute highlight of the show for me!

Congratulations to all the graduated students on the job well done! It is always impressive and inspiring to see their creations come alive: from concept to catwalk! Those sleepless nights and endless fittings definitely paid off! Needless to say I cannot wait for the next year's Gala! 

Fashionable Reads

I feel quite book-ish today and thought it would be time to share with you some of the books which satisfied my craving for literary fashion and nourished my creative soul. These books were carefully selected according to their subject matter. I specifically look for novels which feature designers, dressmakers, seamstresses or the like as main characters and which would revolve around making clothes in one way or another. So here they are:

The Collection: A Novel by Gioia Diliberto

Even if you could not care less about dressmaking but do enjoy historical novels this read may intereste you. It tells a story of a young seamstress who gets a rare opportunity to come to Paris and work for Gabrielle Coco Chanel. Shy and inexperienced she is drawn into the world of competitive fashion designers, arrogant higher-class clients and dazzling glamour of Paris. However, the dizzying fashion capitol of the world is not as attractive to me in this book as Diliberto's depictions of Isabelle's hard work on couture garments in designer's fashion houses. I love to listen to the sound of fabric rustling in between the pages of my books. The juicy descriptions of garments and minute details of clothes making are my favourite features of this novel. A close look at Chanel's personality is another good reason to pick up this book.

Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky by Chris Greenhalgh

This is another historical novel that feature Coco Chanel as its main heroine. This novel focuses on the tumultuous relationship she has with Igor Stravinsky after his family was exiled from Russia and she hosts them at her summer cottage. I cannot but accentuate the beauty and the poetic quality of Greenhalgh's language which kept me glued to this novel until the end. The novel presents an even more intimate portrait of the revolutionary designer than The Collection. While her biographical episodes are of interested to me, it is the descriptions of the process of creation - both of Chanel's designs and Stravinsky's music - that grabbed me the most. My Russian roots augmented my interest in this novel. I also happen to have visited Stravinsky's grave in Venice, where he is buried next to Sergei Diaghilev (who also figures in the novel).

Duaghilev's Tombstone in Venice

Igor Stravinsky's tombstone  in Venice

The Painted Kiss by Elizabeth Hickney

Yet another historical novel. (Mind you, I did not realize until now that I was into historical novels!) This time, however, the main character is an Austrian painter - Gustav Klimt. The narrator of the novel is Emilie Floge - his student and occasional model with whom he develops a friendship of unclear boundaries. I like the portrayal of the-turn-of-the-century Vienna and its culture scene. There is no shortage of art salons and bohemian artists, Klimt including. But I do find Emilie's character quite unsatisfactory! Either she purposely does not reveal enough of her inner workings or she just lacks personality. Yet, I have to forgive her. After all, it is because of her that I started reading this novel. She becomes a fashion designer and opens her fashion house. (You knew that was coming!) The depiction of her creative endeavours are not as rich as in The Collection but they are there and, combined with Gustav's artistry, make up for quite a delicious, albeit a tragic, read.

Thought of the day: Reading is always in fashion!

P.S. If you happen to have read other books similar to these, you will make me happy if you suggest them in  the comments below.

Creative Inspiration or Insolent Theft?

One question that most creative people ponder at one time or another is: From where do fashion designers source their ideas? The question we hear asked of designers most often is "what served as an inspiration for this collection?" To me, this question often sounds redundant for I believe that creative people take inspiration from everywhere and everything. Like sponges, they absorb the environment around them and translate it into their designs. At least, that's how I personally see it. 

Apparently, according to Tom Ford, I am not that far off. In his conversation with Guy Trebay, he explains that designer's tendency to draw inspiration from everywhere, including other designers, can result in similar if not identical designs. That is why we often see designs which seem "ripped off" or "plagiarized."  In fact, referencing other couturiers and fashions of eras past is more than acceptable. Moreover, replicating other designers' work is not all that rare in fashion and, what is interesting, it does not worry the famous American designer in the least. In Ready to Share: The Ecology of Creativity in Fashion talk Tom Ford comments on borrowing design elements from other eras and designers, "I don't think that the 70's look of the 90's will really look like the 70's which by the way was inspired by the 30's..." Currency is what's most important in fashion design. If you have a spare 40 minutes I highly suggest listening to this talk as it offers some thought-provoking points of view.

Another reason why such unrestricted copying proliferates in fashion is that fashion industry is restricted by the trade mark protection law but there is no copyright protection which could regulate the use of any given design detail (cuff, collar, etc). To put it simply, any one can copy any garment and sell it as their own, as long as they do not knock off the original logo. As a result, we see logos of the following kind:














Johanna Blakley's TED talk - Johanna Blakley: Lessons from fashion's free culture - explains that apparel is viewed as too utilitarian to qualify for copyright protection. It is considered to be a necessity rather than art. Johanna, however, argues the opposite. She sees the lack of copyright protection as a blessing for fashion design. Thanks to the lack of ownership, she argues, designers were able to elevate fashion design to the level of art. I couldn't agree more!

Incidentally, last time I was at the library I bumped into Austen Kleon's book whose title I just love! Kleon promotes the development of one's creativity along the same lines as the previously mentioned speakers. My favourite quotes from the book: 

"What is originality? Undetected plagiarism" - William Ralph Inge

"Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self." - Yohji Yamamoto

Contrary to common "be yourself" kind of advice on creativity - which sometines promotes channelling creativity from outer space - Kleon's somewhat controversial advice will be a relief to those of us who have been struggling to find a stream of originality within and, perhaps, may have given up altogether. Well friends, never fear! It's just that you have looking in all the wrong places. Next time you want to produce a masterpiece you might have to du-plicate, tri-plicate and multi-plicate a few hundred of other masters' chef d'oeuvres first. And that, I assure you, is a short cut!