Friday 27 January 2012

Inspiration From The Valli Collection

Giambattista Valli
I'm really starting to love his work! This is a current 2012 collection I have looked at to incorporate current trends into my final collection. The way he has added bows on to garments inspired me, it's almost as if the outfit is held together by the bows. They add structure to the garment and looks really effective on the catwalk.

This season Valli has created pieces you would actually want to wear, that is if you had the money of course. The dramatic oversized bows on peplum outwear bought emphasis on the shoulders.
Here I have began to experiment with pleats and adding dramatic bows by twisting fabrics. I could also create bows by attaching them separately on to the garment this is something to consider.


Final Trousers!

This is a image of my inside trouser I orginally intended to leave the seams free and not joined but I thought it looked better to sew a french seam on the inside and outside seams.



- I made a decision to put the inside of the french seam on the outside of the fabric. Here I did the top trouser and attached it at the wasitband.- Above is a image off the flower I created for the waistband, I checked that the size of the flower was in proportion with my garment.


- I used a variety of fabrics some heavyweight some lightweight this gave the effect off the petals falling in different directions.


-I did not want to put a zip into the side seam as I thought it made my garment too heavy.

- I decided to put a placket in the back of the trousers where the back dart should be, image shown just above (where the fabric is gathered together)

- I re sized the garment and altered the trousers slightly.

- For my top trouser I first of all decided to put my darts on the outsides of the fabric, but then when I tried to fit the waistband I decided to alter the design to a slight gather as it looked better.


- I attached the waistband and then sewed the inside by hand as the market level for this garment would be couture.


- I then measured the trouser length and added a small hem to each trouser leg.

Wednesday 25 January 2012




Mr. McQueen created his last collection by folding and pleating material by hand on standing dress forms, often using a single bolt of fabric. The royal materials included silk duchesse, gold metal jacquards, brocades, fil coupe satin organzas and silk chiffons, matched with shoes of crocodile skin, the soles hand-carved in gilded wood.

Modelling on the stand...

I have started to model on the stand. I have used different types of material to create different effects with fabrics. Some of my main inspirations come from the Roman buildings, oriental fabrics, and pleating of fabric.




Wednesday 18 January 2012

Grecian Dresses...

Grecian inspired dresses have never really gone out of fashion. Modern day celebs from the likes of Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway have made recentred carpet appearances with various tucks pleats and folds creating a Grecian look.

I have decided to look at how this particular style has changed over a period of time and Fashion Eras...

1800s

Fashion in the first two decades mimicked classical Grecian drapery with fluid lines. Bodices were minimal, cut under the bust thereby achieving a high waist that defined the silhouette.


1820's to 1830's
As the Romantic era arrived, clothing became more complex and increasingly structured. The previous design simplicity was replaced with decorative excess.
1820's

1900's
World war 1 ended and euphoria was the order of the day. Fashion responded by dropping waists to high hip levels and dresses became unfitted. While some gowns retained the design complexity of the teens and the trend was towards simplicity. Grecian style came into this by the slouch look where garments hung of the body with a few tucks of the shoulders and a little gathering in the side seams.


Patricians, plebeians and slaves ...

The Romans were divided into three tribes and the people were initially separated into two classes. The small ruling class was called the patricians and the other class were called the plebeians. (the plebs) This is a important point in Roman Culture that I will need to base my collection around because I will need to consider my market level, which is upper end high street. I will base my collection more solely on the patricians as their wealth reflected in the clothes they wore, this would appeal to my chosen market level.


As You can see below the Patricians the ruling class the first in the picture. They have a better dress sense and you can tell just from the picture their clothes would of been made with material of greater quality than the plebeians.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

FMP

FMP (my final major project)
I have decided to do my final collection based on a Roman Theme I have chosen this because I like the architecture in the older buildings. I feel by looking at this area
I can develop lots of different shapes and work within a interesting colour pallet. I have began looking into designers that use the influences of buildings and Romans in their collection one that stood out to me was...
Madamme Gres

- Her work seemed to have unlimited inspiration from dist
ant lands and always took her ideas from cultural and historical influences.

- In the 1930s she was one of the first designers to cut fabric on the bias. This is interesting to know as I could use this technique in creating garments f
or my final collection.

- One of her famous quotes 'For me, working fabric or stone
is the same thing'

Here are some pictures of her work...


Wednesday 4 January 2012

Bobby Hillson

As I looked at a divesre range of fashion illustrators I looked at the Historic side of illustration. Bobby Hilson was the one that stood out to me the most she produced so many amazing pieces off art and every drawing she created has a story behind it.










Bobby Hillson worked as a fashion illustrator during the 1960′s and early 70′s during times before photographers where allowed into catwalk shows fashion it was the job of the illustrators to provide snapshots for press. Hillson was one of the illustrators working at the time and her illustrations where used widely by the fashion press including vogue.



In the late seventies Hilson became a tutor on the MA Fashion course at Central Saint Martin’s where she famously gave Alexander McQueen a place on the course when he wondered in to the college on the off chance he could get a job as a cutter.





















Fashion Illustration

From my current brief on fashion illustration I have looked in to a diverse range of illustartors that use interesting techniques, that I feel I can colloborate with my own style of work and show a good understanding as too what I have studied.



Jason Brooks












Coloured by his vivid memories of people and places, digital illustrator and vector artist Jason Brooks injects a large amount of pop art cool into his stylized fashion, lifestyle, interior and travel images. Brooks’ brilliantly executed and visually stimulating artworks have inspired a whole generation.


I liked his work because he illustrates stylish clothes brilliantly this worked well with my work as I was trying to convey a particular lifestyle and look to my capsule collection.




He is a illustrator that has bought computor technology into fashion illustration from the likes of photoshop this works really well. His glamorous and inspirational illustrations and vector artworks can be seen anywhere: in fashion magazines and advertising, on album covers, posters, billboards and packaging.