Wednesday 27 April 2011

Sunsilk Competition.

So I found myself in the top 12 finalists for a design competion for Sunsilk, sponsored by Coles. We were required to submit a sketch that was inspried by the Sunsilk products, (and yes, I do mean the hair-care brand), that was slightly avant-garde and full of bright colour. For anyone that knows me well enough they would know that I tend to steer away from neons, fluoros or anything really bright! So this competition was going to always be a little bit of a challenge for me.

I must say the experience has been, and I'm sure will be, worthwhile. We have been able to experience being critiqued in front of panels of judges (nerve-wracking to say the least), and work with makers outside of university.

The final designs will be paraded down a runway after next week, and the winner receives a $3000 cash reward!


The (very basic) sketch of my design that was submitted for the competition.
The blouse underneath the dress will be made from this plum coloured organza silk; and the dress is made up from this neon-pink seude. To maintain the "bell-shape" silhouette, I have constructed a crinoline to be worn underneath the dress!

I will be sure to post images up of the final product, and hopefully images from the show too! And lastly (but not least) ...a congratulations to the other finalists:

Kim Ashlee Ord
Caitlin davies-Forsyth
Rebecca Davis
Rachel Zuch
Danielle Kremer
Kacey Devlin
Jason Widjaja
Peneloppe Allen
Matt Dolan
Fiona Hyojin Kim
Cortney White 

I'm really excited to see how it will all come together!

Thursday 14 April 2011

Etchasketch.

Our last workshop with Armando was sketching. We had one minute intervals in which we were required to get our ideas onto paper in illustrated silhouettes, form and detailing. These are just a couple of sketches of some potential designs...again working with this familiar colour-way.


Image: Sketches from my design journal.

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Strummer.

This is where I've been interning... the experience is great and I love working for Edwina Hagon, the designer, so check out her stuff: Strummer.


Image: AW 2011, Sourced from the Strummer website.

Drape Manipulation.

In our workshops with Armando we have been told to focus on a key garment that will be the main features in our collection. Mine will be the jacket - inspired by military jackets from the Russian Revolution and Capes and coats worn by the elite.

Here are some futher design manipulations. Also note the colour scheme; I plan to work with a dark, but very rich, "burnt" colour scheme.. (to be further researched and worked on!)


Reminiscing.

I was just browsing through my documents and came across this second-year photography assessment! This task was loads of fun... it was shot in the shower with a Canon EOS SLR with Ilford Delta 3200 film, and printed by me in a dark room!

Makes me SO excited to shoot my collection at the end of the year...

Model: Tess O'Brien (Featured in blog header too!)

Friday 8 April 2011

Rad Hourani.

Form, volume and cut will play a huge role in my designing. Rad Hourani has created a collection that not only challenges the 'role' of original garments, he has played with form and volume in a way that I can only describe as inspirational ! His creation of new silhouettes through subversion is something we have been heavily focussing on to assist us in our designing.

Take a look at the video on the website: RAD HOURANI UNISEX TRANSFORMABLE COLLECTION #7






Images Sourced from: Trendland

Fit for A Queen.


Alexander McQueen Double Cuff.

The Drawing Board.

I have just been updating my design journal for the Assessment Two hand-in; continuing to manipulate drape-work into designs. Additionally,we have to source potential materials we wish to use in our collection, so I went around Sydney yesterday to conduct some fabric research. I found plum coloured leather that I fell in love with ... however it was apparently the "last of it's colour" and was guilted into purchasing what was left. I am determined to design around it, as I have simply fallen in love with it.

Tomorrow I am taking a workshop at Birdsall Leather to learn more design skills that I am able to incorporate throughout my colletction (watch this space!)
(NB: I have taken into consideration the ethics behind using leather throughout my collection and am hoping to use leather that is a bi-product of the meat industry as much as I can.)


Top Images: Photographs of my journal. Bottom Images: Inspiration wall in my workroom and the plum-coloured leather I plan to work with!

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Fascination Turning Into Addiction.

Design options are endless through manipulation. Further drape work on the form -collaged onto figures for instant design results:

Potential pant and skirt designs.

Monday 4 April 2011

Fascination with Manipulation.

Using drapes from Armando's workshop and applying them onto figures in photoshop allows me to visualise instant design results. I can see myself becoming obsessed with this way of designing... it's quick and original!



Figure from Chloe's Winter 2012 Collection - My own drape designs collaged over the top.

What Goes Around Comes Around.

Visual inspiration.




Images from the film Dr.Zhivago: Omar Sharif and Julie Christie.




Source: Unknown - Images taken from a book on my phone last year.


Mentor.


ChloƩ Pre Fall 2010

Sunday 3 April 2011

He said She said:


A collage from my journal.

From Fantasy to Form.

Armando's drape workshop #1:

Creating drapes on the stand that are informed by our visual inspiration: making shapes and silhouettes in 5 minutes to challenge our design process.


Quick Drapes on the form to create new and interesting silhouettes.




With a quick manipulation on Photoshop, collage and sketching, fast and new designs are created.  


Blast From the Past... (or just last year).

We just had our first drape workshop with Armando - I LOVE draping. I much prefer draping to flat pattern making because I can instantly see if something works or not with the fabric I am using, and because I can be slightly impatient, I enjoy seeing the instant results of something in front of me. But before I go too deep into that - it just brings me back to our third year Women's Wear assignment, where drape was heavily used throughout the project. I feel this is where I really realised what my style and potential was. I loved translating my research into draping... and finally into a range that I was proud of. This is the jacket I made myself that was inspired by the claustrophobic notions of a straitjacket. I am still yet to get them professionally photographed, I would like to do that over the Easter break!



Muse: Luke Harkness in Straitjacket. Photographs by Nick and Julian May.


"Breakthrough" Collection: Woolen Jacket with leather trim and belts.

Fashion Hayley...

Our guest lecturer today was Blogger Fashion Hayley. She informed us about how her boost into the fashion world was all thanks to her blog: Fashion Hayley, and how her connection with the fashion industry is through her online communication. It was inspiring to hear from someone who's career took off based on honest popularity. She described to us how the world of blogging can be brutally honest but that that is the beauty of it - that the communication is instant. I really enjoyed her talk today - and fell in love with her Romance Was Born cape!

This is Hayley: Image from her blog.