The Fur and the fury...

This is one of the biggest debates in the Fashion industry can wearing fur be an advantage or will it just cause fury within animal rights campaigners?

-Not long ago supermodels refused to wear it...but gradually fur has made it back onto the catwalk.

Fur has a eco-advantage of being biodegradable however on the other hand theres the ethical issue of furs coming from wild animals.

The british Fur label Hockley:

"There is no cruelty in the fur trade. We have invested £5Million in humane methods"

Globally fur sales have increased by 70 percent in the past decade. This doesn't tally with the view in the nineties that the fur was as dead as the animals making the coats. Surely this shows something is being done in the fashion industry and animals are not facing cruelty?

When a fur garment or product carries the OA label this says that the fur has came from a country where welfare regulations of standard governing are in force. The OA label was introduced by the fashion industry itself this gave them the power to clear and make a gradual disappearance of the fur farms that don't meet regulations and they can begin to make animal cruelty a distant memory.

- Advertising Harpers Bazaar in Vogue, Vogues publisher has a international policy of accepting fur advertising However the British version will still not feature Fur in its editorial pages.

Vogue "fur is part of fashion and we will continue to report on it'

So this is where the Eco situation comes in animal rights campaigns against is it right to kill a animal just for fashion?

"The animals being bred for their coats are in really awful conditions and don't have any kind of a life at all. I dislike fur both because of the cruelty to animals and because of the kind of social statement that it makes. It's absolutely disgusting how mink are raised just for some idiot to look fashionable and rich"- Stella McCartney

Applying the Golden Ratio to my work...

Today I have been looking at the Golden Ratio, in mathematics and arts this a technique that is used a lot. Many artists and architects have proportioned their works to approximate the golden ratio. I applied this to my work today measuring the waist of a size 12 mannequin and dividing by 1.618 (the golden ratio) I then used this measurement to create a triangular shape and played withthe shapes on the mannequin.

Below is my outcome:

Sustainable Fashion

Sustainable Fashion is part of our current brief its very important thing many fashion designers are starting to consider and the clothing industry is growing vastly so are the harmful gases released into the atmosphere. Also known as ECO fashion its where the product is designed with the consideration of the environmental impact it may have 'carbon footprint' Fashion designers are beginning to introduce materials that are environmentally friendly.

Design Principles In Art and Design

I have began to analyze the design principles as they relate to Arts/Fashion. I have also looked closely at Form and Function as this relates to a lot of designers work.

There are various areas of the design principles...

- Balance

- Emphasis

- Focal Point

- Illusion

-Texture

-Value

-Scale

-Proportion

-Rhythm

-Unity

So what is meant by all of these things?

Design Elements and principles describe ideas about the practice of good visual design. The designers principles are used in all visual design fields this can include graphic design, industrial design, architecture and fine art. Fashion designers use this process on the basis of there designs. However sticking to the brief I have been looking at designers that consider sustainability within their collections as this is a growing issue I then also considered the use of form and function in their work...

What is Form and Function?

A simple example of what form and function is:

For instance a car, a car has to work first before you consider the design. Form always follows the function.

Another prime example of Form and Function is the NASA Spacesuit...

- NASA has taken two approaches. The first concerns the physical well-being and fitness of the astronaut (function)

- The second is the development of the space suit, which effectively acts as a second skin and enhances breathing, vision and walking.

- To perform tasks outside the aircraft the astronaut must wear the suit.

The form of the spacesuit was then developed when mobility was a greater issue the Apollo Spacesuit. They were designed to allow astronauts to go on actual space walks on the moon but the flexibility was not enough.

How did NASA then develop this?

The suits were then developed too allow leg and waist movements allowing astronauts to bend and stretch.

This is a prime example of where form has followed functi on.

New Brief!

New Term New brief!

As part of my current brief its all about Design Principles in Art and Design it will include understanding how form can relate to function in different designers work, understand design responsibilities when working for a company, and understand cross-cultural influences.

I have began researching into fabrics that have sustainable fabrics as this is an important factor of the brief. On a college trip to London we visited Soho its a whole strip of fabric shops that source fabrics from all around the world one of the shops we visited was the 'Cloth House' I have wrote a letter to them asking for organic fabric samples to help me with my research as they stock Eco fabrics !

I found the address in my Sketch Book for fabric shops in London I wrote to each one asking them weather they stock/send out organic fabric samples!

Selecting Aspects from images for inspiration

Sketch Book Work

Here are a selection of images that I took in Venice they have inspired me on my sketch book work ready for a new term at college.

The image above inspired me the most the pictures on the building looked very Roman this gave the building a historic outlook. I also liked the different colours in the building!

Topshop launches JONES AND JONES dresses 2011!

When visiting Manchester University this was one piece that stood out to me I thought to myself this would look great as a dress!

Recently a new brand Jones and Jones has hit the High street market very similar to the dress sculpture I admired at Manchester University!

The prim and pretty scalloped edged cap sleeves, net-trimmed petticoat and a high neckline are off-set with the glamour of the gold and black floral lace. Full-skirted and gathered in at the waistband by the wide decorative belt, this dress really knows how to emphasize curves.

- The shaping in the dresses have proved a big hit with celebrities in the magazines and Topshop even working alongside the brand selling there dresses in store! I am very inspired by the different shapes and silhouettes and will be experimenting with this in my sketch book.

Who's got there marketing schemes right?

I have began analyzing two current well known shoe brand names Toms and Vans! In current young fashion trends these two shoe brands are hitting the shops and we are seeing more and more young people wearing these brand names. So just how are these brands making it work?

Tom's are driven solely by purpose and the brand is seizing tremendous success because of it. Every pair of Toms shoes someone buys, the company gives a pair of shoes to a person in need. The shoes are not the brand. Rather the brand is about supplying shoes on a regular basis to a disadvantaged person. Toms are a unusual brand as they aim their advertising on not selling you a pair of shoes but for your money to go towards a charitable cause.

Armed with a simple but catchy slogan 'One for One' this type of advertising really does sell to the consumer!

The colours of the packaging and the fact you get a bag to put your shoes in really makes there advertising scheme so much bigger. If something is packaged better than something else a consumer is almost definitely more likely to buy into the brand that simply looks better!

Vans on the other hand have built their brand name up on the original 'skate shoe' and stayed connected to the consumer by major sport events BMX, surfing etc. However not many of the 'big' name brands in free sports gave managed to maintain their core and avoid the recession. The brand has kept its focus on the youth market and developed the style of shoes over the years and creating different colours. Vans have become increasingly popular over the last two years among non skaters with their much-loves slip on and has become more of a key fashion trend to wear with casual jeans however Vans stills works heavily in the surfing, skateboarding, and urban punk markets.

Looking into Fashion Job Profiles

Whilst in Topshop I came across an interesting book 'How to prepare for a career in Fashion' It talks about the different job profiles, essential info you want to know about the skills and education you need for your chosen career path, interviews with people in a certain field in the fashion industry, and what you can do that puts you above someone else.

- Fashion Buying

' You get to indulge your passion for fashion on a daily basis and work in one of the most exciting industries in the world. You kind of get to shop for a living!'

What does a fashion buyer do?

Buyers have a lot of power in the fashion industry and ultimately decide what product goes into stores. There are two different types of fashion buyer- Product Development Buyers and Selection Buyers. Selection Buying is seen as the more glamorous of the two, as this role offers the opportunity to collaborate with designers and get to select the most exciting pieces from their collections through attending fashion shows going to private buying events and visiting showrooms.

A Product Development Buyer works closely with a design team providing there input on how ranges will look in store. They will follow each product throughout the whole process. from a discussion of key trends at the beginning of the season then to establishing which pieces go into ranges once the prototypes have arrived back from the suppliers.

It's the responsibility of the buyer to come up with a balanced cohesive range, including deciding on what colours each piece should be, negotiating the best price to buy from the suppliers, and then fixing a price to retail at.

Key Working Relationships...

Buyers work very closely with a design team,merchandisers, the product development team, and their supply base either in the UK or overseas.

Working hours...

For employees in a High-Street retailer working hours are typically 8.30am to 6pm on an average day, but its common to work at weekends and do overtime especially on buying trips.

Salary...

This depends on the type of company you work for and where you're located. Here is a guide to what is expected in London:

BAA: 16K-20K

BA:20K-28K

Junior Buyer:28K-35K

Buyer:36k-50k

Senior Buyer-50k-65k

Head of buying:-70k-100k