Comme des Gracons

 Comme des Gracons is a Japanese fashion label based in Tokyo founded by Rei Kawakubo. The label, which translates to "like boys" was started in 1969 and established as a company in 1973. According to many fashion experts, Kawakubos influence on fashion history is as significant as Cristobal Balenciaga, and Coco Chanel. Comme des Gracons aesthetic is extremely unique and breaks all of the conventional rules of fashion design. She is always on the cutting edge of avant garde fashion. Some of her garments include three arm holes, others have elongated turtlenecks that shield the face. One of her collections was even called "lumps and bumps" and included bulky balls of fabric hanging from the garments. Her works are the visible expressions of her inner life, ideas, feelings, and intuitions. One of her previous employed says the designer said “make clothes that nobody has ever seen. She wanted extreme beauty.” Throughout the 80's the label was associated with the "punk" and "distressed" oriented style. She currently has over 200 franchises around the globe. Throughout all of her endeavors, Rei Kawakubo has built a fashion empire worth $180 million dollars. 

manufactured fiber

 Today while reading through a comprehensive chapter about fibers, I learned a lot about the process, manufacturing, and properties of many manufactured fibers. One of the first and most intriguing things I learned about was how the fibers are made. I learned that the source material (wood or bamboo) is chemically treated and converted into a liquid. It is then extruded out of a spinneret to form the fibers. I also now know that there are plenty of fiber modifications. Elastoester is more desirable than spandex many times because it dyes better and is less susceptible to chlorine. I also learned that chemicals used and handling of the fiber during production can affect its properties. I now know the difference between staple fibers and filaments. I learned about different synthetic fibers like rayon, lyocell, acetate, triacetate, olefin, and more. I also learned about what each of these fabrics are commonly used for and why.
Source: (www.startupfashion.com)

What are goals? Do you have any goals? Do you have short-term or long-term goals? Do you thing goals are important - why or why not?

  My goal as of right now is to attend a community college to transfer into a university. This will get me closer to my main goal which is to work in the art world. Creative fields are extremely competitive and require skill that cannot be tough but that comes from within the artist. This is why another goal of mine is to harness my talents and discipline myself within my craft. More specifically I would like to work in the fashion industry. This is my goal because fashion truly inspires me and I want to work in environment that incites passion and joy in myself. I think working in a job that inspires you will enrich your life in every aspect. I understand that getting to where I want to be wont be easy and that is why I want to get as much experience as I can so it will be easier to navigate throughout the industry. This is why another one of my goals is to network with as many people as I can. This is significant to anybody who has a common goal because you can get different perspectives on how other people are doing what you want to do.

Source: (www.andreatorrencerealestate.com)

Natural Fibers

What is critical thinking? Why is critical thinking in the fashion world extremely important? Give at least one example of how one would use critical thinking in this industry.

 Critical thinking is a mod and way of thinking. Its a way of thinking about different subjects and content in which the thinker enriches their way of thinking. They then skillfully take charge of the structures inherit in thinking and put intellectual standards on them. Everybody thinks, but it is important to critically think because most of our thinking is biased, uniformed, distorted, or just prejudice. Its also important to critically think because the quality of the lifes we make for yourself boils down to how we think. It's crucial in the fashion industry to think critically because it raises vital questions and problems. This is important because in a fast paced work space, its good to formulate and asses your problems clearly so you can solve them with ease. Critically thinking also gathers and assess relevant information using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions. One example of how critically thinking is important in fashion is that fashion houses have to think of how to become successful. Successful businesses do not become successful from one sided thinking.

Eileen Fisher

 In a world that is being destroyed at a rate that isn't sustainable, I admire Eileen Fisher's decision to talk about her opinions about the industry. The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry on the planet. This comes from production, raw material, textile manufacture, clothing construction, shipping, retail, and disposal of the garment. It also comes from the pesticides to grow the cotton, the toxic dyes, and waste created during clothing production. The problem has only gotten worse due to a new trend in the industry which promotes attaining an extreme demand ans selling quick and cheap clothes. I think Eileen Fisher was smart for sharing her thoughts even though it might hurt her sales. This is because I believe she wants to be a role model to others in the industry. I think she thinks she can cause change within the work space she works in. It is important for more and more designers and manufacturers to adapt their current business model and start thinking progressively. This would relive so much stress that the industry puts on the Earth.

Source: (www.feelgoodstyle.com)

How is your group's collection like a story? How do the pieces complement each other? Why would your customer's want to put themselves in the middle of your story?

 My groups collection builds a story because it cohesively creates a mood. The pieces in our collection emit a tone that comes to life when worn. It is our responsibility as designers and artist, to give context to our art to create meaning. Once we apply context to our collection, the garments become pieces of art that have an appeal. People would want to put themselves in our story because it allows them to be part of the fantasy that is our collection. Our collection is dark and seductive and appeals to people who like danger. Each garment in our collection compliment each other through shape, texture, and color. These elements of design in each garment build an overall narrative through out the whole collection. The garments in our collection share a color story as well. The pieces in our collection have blacks, reds, and small pops of colour.

Source: (www.wwd.com)

History of Fashion

 During one of our recent assignment, our class got to browse the internet to collect images from the different decades of the 1900's. This enjoyed this assignment because it was informative and I got to see new things. One of my favorite eras in fashion was the 1960's. Something about the approach of design during this age intrigues me. There is also an appealing quality about how conceptual the clothing was. Many designers created garments that were futuristic and looked 'space age.' This new trend of space clothing stemmed from the space race in the 60's. The space race was a tense competition between the U.S and the Soviet Union to have supremacy over spaceflight. Due to fabric shortages after the second world war, designers also began to use synthetic fabrics. They were marketed as cheap, and allowed for a bold shape and plastic texture.

What is a mood board? How did creating a mood board help your group to define your collection?

 A mood board is an arrangement of different materials and concepts to build an overall mood for a project. These mood boards include objects like images, text, colors, and more. These helps during a project because it enables an individual to compose a physical object filled with inspiring material. This is useful because simply looking at the board puts one into the mindset of the project. It also allows one to be able to show someone else the overall feel of their project without having the actual project to display. Constructing a mood board with my group helped define our collection because it allowed us collaboratively build upon our ideas. My group and I knew from the start that we wanted a dark and sinister collection. After browsing magazines, fabrics, and the internet; we became more inspired. We gained a stronger sense of what we wanted to create. This resulted in our group having our own unique aesthetic apart from the other teams.

(My groups mood board)

Savers

 Yesterday, our class went to Savers to scout and purchase items four our up and coming project. Before we went shopping, the store manager gave us a very informative tour and presentation about the company. I learned a lot of information such as how they get the clothing, how the determine the price, and where their unsold goods go. After that, each group had the freedom to spend $150 on items in the store. My group and I found lots of things for our dark and gothic themed collection. We found things like black lace, mesh, black beaded jewelry, and antique dolls. Savers is a great company because their goal is to keep as much clothing out of landfills as possible. This is important because the fashion industry is 2nd most polluting industry. Not only are they environmentally friendly, but they are partnered with a non profit organization dedicated to integrating disabled people into society. This is great because disabled individuals face a lot of discrimination in the work place and life in general. The non profit insures that they can find a job and navigate through life a little easier.

Source: (savers.com)

Chanel Fall 2017

 During Paris fashion week, Karl Lagerfeld displayed the future of fashion through an extravagant runway show in the Grand Palais. The futuristic theme of the show was evident not only in the clothing, but in the set. The Grand Palais had a giant space rocket in the center that, with the help of hydraulics and pyrotechnics, shot 115 feet into the air. I chose to watch this fashion show because the set design was appealing and I am familiar with the designer and fashion house. All the models walked in glittery lunar silver lunar boots with black tips. The show also included the signature Chanel tweed, stand away collars, metallic leathers, and padded space shawls. The color pallate was consistent throughout the entire show. There was an abundance of white, gray, and black which is synonymous with Chanel's identity. There was also colors unique to this show like some rich dark red, navy, and purple inspired by planetary surfaces. Another exiting part of the show was that there was some menswear included. Karl Lagerfeld is a man who certainly hates to look back and thirsts for innovation. I always look forward to seeing his work, and he never disappoints.

Source: (www.fashionweekonline.com)

Anniesa Hasibuan

 Anniesa Hasibuan is an Indonesian fashion designer who made her fist debut in London in March 2015. She has traveled to Europe and the United States to showcase her work. Recently she used the runway during New York fashion to make political statements. These statements stem from the rights and values threatened by the Trump administration. In a response to the targeting of Muslims in the US, she casted immigrants as all of her models. She also sent all the models down the runway wearing hijabs to continue her statement on Islamophobia. Hasibuan uses her vision on modest fashion as a tool to dispel the misconception that Muslim women are oppressed. "I'm here to show the world that Muslim women have a lot of potential. I have passion. I have hobbies. I have something that I love so much to do. And fashion is one of the ways to actually express myself," she says. I think fashion shows are a great platform to make political statements, and that more designers should be doing it. I also think fashion itself is a great way to make statements.

Source: (www.teenvogue.com)

Supreme's Angelo Basque Leaves the Brand

 The longtime director of the streetwear brand, Supreme has decided to leave the fashion house this month. Since late last year, Basque has been conjuring up his own plans for a creative agency, Basque Creative. Through his own agency he works with Nike and Converse, and will continue to work with Supreme. He has been with the brand for over 10 years since its conception in 2006. The only thing that changed about the brand was its visibility. “Our muses are the same and they have always been skaters. What’s different is that 10 years ago, you had to be in the know and now you can hang out below 14th Street and you know what Supreme is. But you are never going to be able to go into Macy’s, Zumiez or Bloomingdale’s and buy the brand.” Along with Basque's new creative agency, he will be expanding upon his own collection, Awake New York. Its a line of 6 paneled caps with was introduced in 2013.

Source: (www.wwd.com) article: http://wwd.com/menswear-news/mens-fashion/supreme-angelo-baque-brand-director-10779258/

2017 Academy Awards Fashion

 My favorite look from the academy awards was worn by Pharrell Williams who was dressed in Chanel. His look had a two toned color story and consisted of a well fitted black tux which was paired with a white collared shirt. He accessorized with a layered black Chanel necklace which contrasted with his shirt beautifully as well as a white camellia which contrasted with his blazer. I especially enjoyed his look at the Oscars because of how different it was than the rest of the menswear seen on the red carpet that night. There seemed to more of an added appeal to his look, something different than i'm use to seeing on men at award shows. I think the house of Chanel did a fantastic job in collaboration with Parrell with bringing something fun, new, and exciting to the Academy Awards. Like every year on the red carpet, we got to see and identify the trends sported by the celebrities. This year I noticed a lot of soft beige/brown tones; Emma Stone, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Michelle Williams, and Dakota Johnson were all wearing dresses with this colorway. Another thing I spotted was an abundance of strapless dresses. These were worn by Naomie Harris, Priyanka Chropra, Brie Larson, Busy Phillips, Leslie Mann, and Charissa Thompson. Lastly, I identified many metallic/reflective dresses on the red carpet. Women who wore this look were Charlize Theron Dakota Johnson, Jessica Biel, Teresa Palmer, Sofia Boutella, and Luciana Barroso. These celebrities who attend these award shows are highly influential and many times influence the season's trends through red carpet appearances. This is why I think it is important for fashion houses to collaborate with celebrities; it evolves fashion
  

McCall Patterns

  Since its beginning in 1863, McCall patters have been faced the whims of fashion and stayed an integral part of sewing culture worldwide for decades. The corporation owns several labels which include McCall's, Butterick, Kwik Sew, and Vogue Patterns. These four lines generate some 700 patterns a year which are on display in catalogs found in sewing stores. The brand flourishes partly due to merchants who create with their patters and sell to a demographic who have an appreciation for handmade artistanal crafts. McCall's have evolved with the rapid changing world by implementing social media to their marketing approach. The company has a family atmosphere that has been continuous for decades. They realize that they occupy a designated place in the fashion world. Fast fashion had affected McCall's because the public desire cheap affordable fast fashion. Although many people may gravitate towards fast fashion there will always be a market for pattern company's because they offer something that other merchants do not. They offer the opportunity to alter, change, and create your own garments that are personalized for you.

Source: (www.mcalls.com)

Wedding Dresses from Toilet Paper

  During this project I worked with Cheyenne and Vanessa to create beautiful and sophisticated wedding dress designs using toilet paper. The objective of this lesson was to practice design illusions, lines, and principles of design. In between lab time the class would study how to use lines to create illusions. We familiarized ourselves with the properties of the lines and how they alter a design. For example horizontal lines promote width, vertical lines promote a tall slender figure, and curved lines promote softness. We also had to challenge ourselves to achieve visual harmony to avoid making our dress look chaotic or misplaced.
  Our original vision for our design was a dress that from top to bottom had a sweetheart neckline that fell into a cinched in waist which transformed into a voluminous ball gown-esque skirt. My team and I began to pin our first pieces onto the dress form and began to tinker it to our liking. We achieved our goal of a cinched appearance by using diagonal lines pointing inwards creating an almost V like quality.  By the end of the first day, we pretty much had the entire top of the dress complete. My team and I were extremely proud of what what we accomplished at that point because the top was even better than we envisioned originally. Before we wrapped up to go home, multiple groups came together for a critique. We acknowledged the useful feedback and through of ways we can apply the creative criticism.
  When it was lab time the next day we decided that it was time to work on the bottom portion of the gown. Our original vision was to have a poofy ballgown like skirt so we began to scrunch and pin toiled paper to use as filler to drape over. When we were done pinning the filler we were pleasantly surprised to find that the scrunched toilet paper was a stunning feature on our design.n We concluded that the gown would be more harmonious and aesthetically pleasing without draping over the filler and leaving it heavily textured. The neat straight top with the textured bottom balance resulting in visual harmony. We finished our design with a simple choker addition that incorporated both straight lines and curved lines witch was the theme for our dress.
 This project has been helpful in teaching me the significance of line and how one can use them to create design illusions. I also learned that the principles of design are almost like guidelines and how to combine the visual elements to create harmony.

Why do you think color is so important in fashion?

 Color is important in fashion because color influences and persuades emotions and feelings. It engages the viewer in the visual experience inciting an inner sense of balance and order. This is because of color harmony. In visual arts harmony is pleasing to the eye. When there is an absence of harmony in a design, it will result in looking boring, misplaces, or chaotic. An extreme version of this would be a visual experience so boring that your viewer is not engages. This would be bad because you want your audience to be engaged and interested in your work.  The human brain rejects under stimulating information and stimuli. Extreme unity leads to under stimulation, extreme complexity leads to over stimulation. This leaves the designer with a visual task to create a design that embodies color harmony.

What are norms?

 Norms are a type of standard or something that is usual. It is important to have a set of norms in a group when it comes to organization and functionality. Groups with similar norms usually are more productive because they follow the same work ethics. Norms in a group can create structure which is essential for a collaborative group setting.

Sustainable fashion

  Sustainable fashion is the philosophy and goal to create a system that can be supported indefinably in terms of human impact on the environment. The term sustainable fashion first came to the public after it was coined by two businessmen named Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins. The two men at the time where great outdoors men and who began to see the impact of humans on the environment. Since the begging of the 2000's, the movement of sustainable fashion has broadened catching the attention of many designers on the way. Fashion has a giant impact on the environment. It pollutes up to 200 tons of water per ton of fabric. This fills water with toxic chemicals and  drains huge amounts of energy for hot water and steam. One designer who uses economically friendly practices are Stella McCartney. "I design clothes that are meant to last. I believe in creating pieces that are not going to get burnt, that are not going to landfills and that are not going to damage the environment. For every piece in every collection, I am always asking what have we done to make this garment more sustainable and what else can we do. It is a constant effort to improve…", she says. Her plans for this year is to reduce water by 25% and reduce energy by 30%. I hope many other designers and brands follow her business model and ethics.

Source: (www.pinterest.com)

Showstudio.com

 Showstudio.com is an award winning website and platform for fashion film. Established in November of 2000, showstudio has been redefining how we communicate fashion online. Founded by genius, Nick Knight, he pushed boundaries to change the way we present fashion is presented via the internet. Showstudio has pioneered fashion film and is now seen as the leading force behind the new and evolving artform. Showstudio and nick Knight had built a platform to encourage and house the digital art. Using the latest technology, showstudio broadcast catwalks internationally opening up eyes the the previously closed world of high fashion. Since its early stages, the platform has been collaborating with some of the most sought after artist and filmmakers. They also have been working with some of the most influential and striking figures in contemporary fashion today such as John Galliano, Gareth Pugh, Maison Margiela, Rick Owens, and Alexander McQueen. Showstudio has also opened its doors to nurture new designers and give them a way to express their work and creativity. Contantly changing, showstudio delivers fashion as it happens.

Maiko Takeda

 Originally from Tokyo, Maiko Takeda is a milliner and jewelry designer. In 2005, the designer decided to move to London to study.  She recently gained experience and work after graduating from the Royal College of Art in London. She progressed her experience and branched out to work with credible designers such as Stephen Jones and Phillip Tracey. Her work and inspiration usually stems from nature, you can easily identify this in her work. Her body adornments include elements of shadow, gravity, and movement. Her garments were recently displayed. These combined create an ethereal look to her work. Her goal as a designer is to keep working hard to keep making things that excite and fascinate her. This year I went to an art museum and saw her work in person. It was definitely an inspiring moment for me because I had been a fan of her work from before.

Source: (www.dezeen.com)

Gareth Pugh

 Gareth Pugh is a British designer and fashion house based in London, UK. The young designer had made a name for himself in fashion through his extravagant, structured, and often sinister looks. He had attended art school and graduated in 2000, where he continued school with Central Saint Martins; he graduated in 2003. He works saw the runway for the first time during London Fashion Week in February 2005. This was followed by his first independent runway show in 2006. Pugh has shattered the current status of the era of commercial fashion. In 2010, he opened his first standalone shop in Hong Kong. He describes the place to be a cross between a Comme des Garcons and Gucci boutique. His style quickly gained him attention from the mainstream. Beyonce was seen wearing a Gareth Pugh dress with matching Gareth Pugh shoes in her 2011 music video, "Run the World (Girls)." Lady Gaga is also repeatedly seen in his creations.

Source: (vogue.com)

New Year's Resolutions

 I haven't made any resolutions for the new year of 2017. I tend to make resolutions and conjure up plans to better myself all year round, not just the start of the new year. This is why I don't stress every new years to make any resolutions. Although I don't make new years resolutions in my personal life, sometimes I will make them for my academic life. This year, I would like to focus more on my technical skills in fashion. I want to work harder to discipline certain skills like sewing, and making garments. I can build upon my skills by becoming more detail oriented and working closer with my instructor. I would also like learn more about the people who have contributed great towards the fashion world. I would like to study this because I can become inspired and find individuals to look up to. I can accomplish this my watching documentary and reading fashion books.

Source: (www.steamgifts.com)

Where do you think designers find their inspiration? What inspires you?

 Every artist's creative process differs just like their inspirations do. Most artists draw inspiration directly from other artists within their craft. Many artists draw inspiration from aspects of everyday life. Lot's of artists can easily be inspired by life because life imitates art. For example, Alexander McQueen's work had a heavy theme of nature. Many of his garments were constructed from naturally occurring materials like wood and shells. Many artist can easily be inspired by life because life imitates art. Coco Chanel drew inspiration while growing up as an orphan in France. She took inspiration from masculine attire and from there changed the female silhouette in a stroke of genius. When it comes to fashion, I get inspired by the news and culture of today. I feel like fashion should be a response to the current status of culture today.

Source: (www.123inspiration.com)