Inspiration for Final Major project

Along with the inspiration from Tao Kurihara's Autumn/Winter 2010/11 collection, this feature in Elle's March 2010 issue also influenced the idea for my final major project.
So last night I wrote my Statement of Intent (SOI) and I'll hand it in this week for final review from my tutor. I hope she likes the idea because I'm very excited about it.
I guess the reason why I'm so excited is because I'm such a colourful person and I really want to express that side of me through my work...
More details soon :)

Tao Kurihara autumn/winter 2010/11 collection - Telegraph

Tao Kurihara autumn/winter 2010/11 collection.

Hilary Alexander reviews the Tao Kurihara autumn/winter 2010/11 collection from Paris Fashion Week.

Tao Kurihara, another of Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo's protégés, was in a rather dreamy mood, inspired by an imaginary journey in the mind to places without names. She dressed her young "travellers" in a poetic mix of fabrics and colours: pastels with black, lace with bright print, chambray cotton and leopard-print with velvet. But all pieces shared a detail in common - the use of elaborate drawstrings to tie-up loose pockets, billowing sleeves, and a rucksack-like addition to the back of the blouses and jackets.

There was a hint of "Alice in Wonderland" in some of the dresses in miniature florals or a combination of cream lace, crochet and broderie anglaise. Some jackets, had a Victoriana feel, featuring long, full sleeves, banded with lace, and pin tucked bodies. Cloaks, with oversized, ruffled hoods, in leopard-print and velvet, worn with black, ruffled scarves added to the mood of being dressed for a mysterious journey.

The leopard-print idea was repeated in cute, "cone" hats and slipper-shoes, embellished with ribbons. The silhouette became slimmer, more Eastern, perhaps, as Kurihara, moved into more exotic territory, mixing brightly-coloured silks in batiks, and native prints from Pakistan, but still with the rucksack effect over the shoulders. A piano tinkling "These Are a Few of My Favourite Things" as the models formed a circle for the finale, set just the right finishing touch.

I love this collection and the review describes the show really well. I think I would like to go down this road with my final major project for Bournville. This whole collection sums up my whole colourful state of mind, which is even reflected in the colourful nature of my blog these days. So it's time to write my statement of intent and get the final approval from my tutor. Ahh I'm really excited about this project.

Update: creative life so far..

Let's see...
Work on my current fashion project has been put on hold for a bit while I focus on my upcoming interview. So I'm busy making my portfolio look pretty :)
I'm actually really enjoying putting my portfolio together, it's so nice to see all my hard work present well and hopefully admired by others.

Once my interview is over its full steam ahead to finish this project and get started on my final major project. I still have notes on it in the back of my mind. But I have more thinking to do I want to be really amazing.
Maybe this weekend while I'm taking a break from working on my portfolio I can think about my final major project.

I can't believe I'm at the final stages of this course! This time last year I just had my interview for Bournville and feeling very nervous about starting such an amazing course for talented people. Obviously at the time I thought I have no talent and didn't deserve a place on the course. Just the other day my fashion tutor jokily asked "why did I let you on this course" and it immediately brought back how nervous I felt every time I thought about going to an Art school doing nothing but Art all day!
But now I look back applying for the Foundation course at School of Art Bournville was the best thing I've done so far in my artistic career :) It's going to be sad to leave...

Nature.Textiles.Fashion

Here is the outcome of the aqua-film piece I've been working on. I was really worried the details in this piece would get lost once the aqua-film was dissolved, but it was a very successful piece. Which is making me consider doing a few more aqua-film samples, maybe even on a larger scale of about 2 meters.

Before







































After

Update: Things I've been working on

Recently I've been super busy with work, with only 3 weeks left till my first project is due in, my final major project to think about and preparing my portfolio for my degree interviews. Its all a little overwhelming, but I do work well under pressure so my hair isn't falling out (yet).

So here's a few things I've been working on for my current project and for my portfolio.







































Fashion and Textiles installation piece, free hand embroidery on aqua-film. My vision for this piece is a spring photo shoot, possibly shot in a studio on a plain white background or on an old mossy wall. when this aqua-film dissolves it looks very good on bare skin so this is something I want to explore in the photo shoot, very excited about this piece.














































Changed my style of illustrating my fashion sketches, this change was mostly influenced by David Downton and Stina Persson. Before I used to follow ready made fashion templates for my sketches, but now I do them free hand, and it's so refreshing because I feel like it's all my own work and style. YAY!







































































Also more layering samples with print and fabrics, these pieces are screen prints on sheer cotton and overlay of organza that I've stitched into to make a tartan pattern. Tartan fabric has been a big part of my current project, I really love how well some prints work on tartan fabric.

But there's more to come. This week I have a lot of tidying up to do in my sketchbook and some A1 sheets to do for my portfolio. And then start planning my final piece which I have notes for in the back of my mind for now.
Toodles for now :)

My sewing machine: Janome 2200XT

This is what my first pay check bought me, MONEY WELL SPENT!
This is the best sewing machine I've had so far, it's perfect for beginner sewers and super easy to use.
The price was pretty incredible too!
£99, I got this bad boy for but with the raise in VAT the price has gone up to £120.
I bought my sewing machine at this shop http://www.franknutt.co.uk/
in Kings Heath. They sell so many amazing sewing machines and if you're lucky you might get a good student deal :p

Oh and since I've been recently addicted to freehand embroidery, I've been able to do some at home on my lovely new machine. It also has a few decorative and utility stitches such as overcasting for neatening edges of raw material, knit stitch which is great for when sewing swimwear and stretch straight stitch really good if you want seams that don't rip easily. And of course it came with the basic accessories such as:
-zipper foot
-hemmer foot
-sliding buttonhole foot
-satin stitch foot
-overcasting foot
-bobbins
-set of machine needles
-seam ripper
-screwdriver large and small
-hem guide
-machine oil
So if you're buying a new sewing machine it's good to ask if it comes with these standard accessories because you don't want to spend more money on basic sewing necessities after you've just bought a sewing machine. It's also a good idea to try the sewing machine before buying, shops have demo machines on display so you can try as many as you want before making up your mind.

Fashion Illustrator: Stina Persson

I've only recently discovered her work, but it's so exciting. Stina Persson is a fashion illustrator based in Sweden, Stockholm. Her work really appeals to me because of the bright beautiful colours she uses, I love illustrations with bright colours. Her work is slightly similar to David Downton but she uses more colours in her work making it look more complex.

Her water colour works are just amazing! This is definitely something I will try out!
Her website has more of her exciting and beautiful work http://www.stinapersson.com/

Yes!! It's a new year...

Sure we're all really excited about the New Year and why shouldn't we be. It's a new year, we can forget all the pain, dissapointment and all round crap that happened the previous year.











I'm super excited about this year. Lots of optimism in the atmosphere for 2011!
Things I'm excited about this year...
+ Buying my new sewing machine in 3 days!
+ Working on some great fashion projects (more on that later)
+ Sewing more and making more jewellery
+ SPRING! ♥
+ SUMMER!! ♥ But as I've learnt I can't always plan things because life rarely goes to plan, so I dont't have a plan for this year. I just have a list of ideas. Ideas of things I would like to achieve.

Things I will miss about 2010
+ The summer I had, just awesome for so many reasons
+ Being 19, bloody hell I'm 20 this year! I felt so much younger last year, as I do every year :)
Hmm I guess thats it not much to miss.