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

Analyzing products on the high street whos copying who?!

Over the summer I have been looking further into my chosen career path Fashion Buying. I have began analyzing stores that our big competitors and have started to put together a log of products I have seen comparing them to similar items that our sold on our high street. Here is a example of some of the things I have been doing...

It's all about being ‘on top’ of the trends what’s in your competitors store could well be in yours for a cheaper price! For example: -The dress below is in New Look for £24.99

The same dress is in Republic (black) for £26.99 and comes in a range of colours.

New Look are beating Republic on price by a few pound. It's clear what has been done here a Fashion Buyer has gone into Republic and analyzed Republics ranges of clothes and prices Republic are selling there products at, by changing a few seam lines and adjusting where the feature on the side of the dress lies New Look can sell a copied idea for a cheaper price ... scandalous I know!!

New looks version black and white striped dress :

The price of the dress is £29.99 however...


Republic's VERY similar dress:

Price:£24.99 and this one even comes with a belt! If you look closely to both of the dresses they fall in a different way.

After three weeks of holidaying gave me inspirations!

After visiting sandy beaches and having the party lifestyle in Zante I took pictures of various different things that may well be my inspiration for starting my new year at college.

-Inspirations?

• From visiting The Manchester Art Gallery in college one collection I looked at in particular was Jess Ramsden she had used bright coloured lights as her inspiration through out her collection you could see this clearly when looking through her sketch books.

• I loved her ideas as they looked great put together whilst in Zante I selected certain elements of my pictures and put them together as one from being inspired from a degree students work.

Above is where I have re created aspects of pictures and used the effects on photoshop to get different light effects.