I saw this list on Fashion Copious and thought I'd share it. It's the sort of inspiration I should read every day. 
Fashion and knitwear designer, obsessed with couture embroidery and beadwork.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
A perfect day
For the second time this week, I decided to visit the Balenciaga exhibit at the DeYoung. I've seen it twice before, but this time, I brought a "SME" otherwise known as a "Subject Matter Expert" aka my friend/former instructor Bob. One of my favorite classes in school was Bob's couture embroidery class. The instructor, Bob Haven, teaches in the theater costume design dept. at the University of Kentucky during the school year and then at my alma mater during the summers. Much as I LOVE to visit any fashion related exhibit at any museum near me, it's more fun to visit with someone who understands the language!
Bob, doesn't think it's at all strange that I have to crawl around behind the cases to see things from the back, or lean in waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too close so I can see what kinds of sequins or beads were used in the embroidery or how something was seamed together. That's what museums are for! Right? Since taking pictures is forbidden and we're no longer allowed to sketch in the DeYoung, I try to memorize construction techniques and embroidery ideas for inspiration in my own work.
This was a gorgeous flamenco inspired dress that is crazy complicated to construct. The lace is overlayed onto a very structured corseted underdress. The lace has multiple invisible darts that allowed it to be manipulated so that the scalloped edge of the lace could be curved and flared to lay perfectly on top of the swirling poufed hem which is then held up and out by some type of a hoop structure underneath. Hmmmm, someday I'm going to have to try this.
There were plenty of garments that I didn't like that much (one velvet gown had hundreds of tiny ermine tails attached to its bustle, poor little ermines) but overall, if you're a fashion lover, you should try to catch this exhibit if it comes to a museum near you. If you're a fashion student, this should be required studying ; )
I bought yet another book for my already overflowing library, so I can go back and reference the stuff I couldn't memorize.
Bob, doesn't think it's at all strange that I have to crawl around behind the cases to see things from the back, or lean in waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too close so I can see what kinds of sequins or beads were used in the embroidery or how something was seamed together. That's what museums are for! Right? Since taking pictures is forbidden and we're no longer allowed to sketch in the DeYoung, I try to memorize construction techniques and embroidery ideas for inspiration in my own work.
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| Lisa Fonssagrives photographed by Irving Penn, winter 1950. This coat is included in the exhibit and is the epitome of 50's glamour to me. |
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| On the left is the "Infanta Dress" which was inspired by a Diego Velasquez painting in the Louvre. The dress on exhibit at the DeYoung, is an unfinished version of this dress. You can see the basting stitches that are holding the black velvet applique onto the dress. On the right looks like a simple white gown but the seams on it were actually quite complicated in order to show the fabric at it's best. |
This was a gorgeous flamenco inspired dress that is crazy complicated to construct. The lace is overlayed onto a very structured corseted underdress. The lace has multiple invisible darts that allowed it to be manipulated so that the scalloped edge of the lace could be curved and flared to lay perfectly on top of the swirling poufed hem which is then held up and out by some type of a hoop structure underneath. Hmmmm, someday I'm going to have to try this.
There were plenty of garments that I didn't like that much (one velvet gown had hundreds of tiny ermine tails attached to its bustle, poor little ermines) but overall, if you're a fashion lover, you should try to catch this exhibit if it comes to a museum near you. If you're a fashion student, this should be required studying ; )
I bought yet another book for my already overflowing library, so I can go back and reference the stuff I couldn't memorize.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A beautiful day in the neighborhood
Hubby took the morning off so that we could see the Picasso exhibit that just opened. I wasn't a fan of Picasso's work until I studied him in art history class. When I finally understood just what cubism was about, I was in awe of his work. This exhibit, at the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, was a great anthology of sorts that took visitors on a tour of the many styles of art he produced. There were some pieces and styles that I loved and some that I was indifferent to.
Most people know Picasso's cubist and abstract styles but not everyone may be familiar with his sculpture which references styles from classical Greek statuary to the voluptuous abstract forms that you see in his paintings, to a blocky, geometric sort of style that reminds the viewer of his cubist period. Most artists change their styles as their techniques improve and grow but Picasso was mind boggling in the sheer volume of work and variety of styles he tried out over his lifetime.
My favorites works were little pencil sketches that were done as studies for larger works. There were a couple of tiny sketches that were so delicately drawn and perfectly detailed, they almost looked like they'd been stitched onto the page. Whenever I visit a museum (much to hubby's chagrin) regardless of what city or country I'm in, I end up buying books. I am very close to reaching maximum capacity on every bookshelf in the house with all my art and fashion books. As a fashion designer and fiber artist, I find myself drawn to artists who's work triggers my brain to think about unusual color combinations or stitch patterns, shapes and textures that I could use in my work. When I get blocked during the development phase of a project, I just pull a book from my library and quickly find myself with far more ideas than I have time to complete. So today, I decided that I didn't really need a Picasso book, I just wanted a few post cards of some of my favorite pieces for my inspiration wall. Of course, none of my favorite pieces were available on a postcard (grrrrr) so I had to settle for a small book of a few postcards.
Most people know Picasso's cubist and abstract styles but not everyone may be familiar with his sculpture which references styles from classical Greek statuary to the voluptuous abstract forms that you see in his paintings, to a blocky, geometric sort of style that reminds the viewer of his cubist period. Most artists change their styles as their techniques improve and grow but Picasso was mind boggling in the sheer volume of work and variety of styles he tried out over his lifetime.
My favorites works were little pencil sketches that were done as studies for larger works. There were a couple of tiny sketches that were so delicately drawn and perfectly detailed, they almost looked like they'd been stitched onto the page. Whenever I visit a museum (much to hubby's chagrin) regardless of what city or country I'm in, I end up buying books. I am very close to reaching maximum capacity on every bookshelf in the house with all my art and fashion books. As a fashion designer and fiber artist, I find myself drawn to artists who's work triggers my brain to think about unusual color combinations or stitch patterns, shapes and textures that I could use in my work. When I get blocked during the development phase of a project, I just pull a book from my library and quickly find myself with far more ideas than I have time to complete. So today, I decided that I didn't really need a Picasso book, I just wanted a few post cards of some of my favorite pieces for my inspiration wall. Of course, none of my favorite pieces were available on a postcard (grrrrr) so I had to settle for a small book of a few postcards.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Bill Cunningham
I finally got a chance to see the Bill Cunningham documentary today. I had seen his "On The Street" column in the New York Times but didn't know anything about the person behind the pictures. What a fascinating man! He lives (at least he did at the time of filming) in Carnegie Hall in a teeny tiny studio that is completely packed with file cabinets which contain the negatives for every picture he's ever taken. Since he's 82, you can imagine just how many photos that might be. He rides his bicycle all around NYC taking street photos of people who's style he finds interesting. Today, the internet is flooded with bloggers who take street style photos of people but Bill was the original street style photog. He appreciates fashion and the people who put the extra effort into looking their best when they leave the house in the morning. Whether that's Anna Piaggi, Iris Apfel (one of my favorite style icons) or Agyness Deyn and Patrick McDonald, Bill truly appreciates fashion and people of all ages ethnicities and styles who take fashion risks.
It's hilarious that he's made a career out of his love of fashionable people but he his entire wardrobe can hang on the handles of a single file drawer. Most of the time, he wears a bright blue jacket that he buys in Paris for about $20 because the cameras would just wear out an expensive jacket. He works harder than most everyone else who's a quarter his age. By day, he's photographing on the street riding his bike everywhere, or working in the NY Times offices to edit one of his two columns. By night, he photographs for his nightlife column at various social functions around the city (which he also travels to by bicycle). It's kind of crazy to think of an 82 year old man riding his bike around NYC late at night. He seems to know everyone and everyone loves him. He treats everyone with respect but doesn't play favorites with anyone who wants to get their picture in the paper. Throughout the film, Mr. Cunningham is just a very hard working guy, who's very likable and obviously loves what he does for a living. I highly recommend this film to anyone who loves fashion whether you're in the industry or not. If you are in the industry, you'll appreciate just how rare a nice, down to earth person like Mr. Cunningham is.
Photo of Isabella Blow by Bill Cunningham for the New York Times
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Lovely!
I had to share this video from Nowness.com. I find the majority of fashion films are just embarrassing. They're usually just a huge ego trip for the director or star, who is usually just some dilettante with no film experience whatsoever. While this film obviously includes the requisite ego trip, it's at least artistically filmed, properly lighted and interesting to watch. It's difficult to be bored by this subject matter if you love fashion.
I've been a fan of Daphne Guinness for years. Few women are rich, beautiful and confident enough to wear the craziest Alexander McQueen haute couture fashions right off the runway. Daphne is just one of those lucky few. When I think of McQueen, I think of Daphne. The two are interlinked in such a way that whenever I see the latest amazing runway looks of McQueen, I immediately picture in my mind, how Daphne will look in it. I loved that she stepped in at the last hour to buy the entire collection of Isabella Blow, another fashion icon of mine, before it was about to be split up and sold at auction. The couture collections of these two women are perhaps the most important fashion archives on the planet of fashion from the 1980's to the present. I have no doubt that someday, museums will fight over the right to create an exhibit around these clothes, and a new generation of students will study them for hours wondering what kind of mind could create what is absolutely wearable art.
This film allows us a brief glimpse into her closet and of course, I was in awe and in love of what I saw. I could never in a million years wear a cape made of black crow feathers but I loved how it looked on her. The silver foil, hooded jacket was also gorgeous. I just wish I could have seen the whole garment instead of just the top half. The chain mail, bejeweled glove is simply amazing and beautiful and terrifying just as I imagine Ms. Guiness is in real life.
http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/6/6/1489/daphne-guinness-undressed
I've been a fan of Daphne Guinness for years. Few women are rich, beautiful and confident enough to wear the craziest Alexander McQueen haute couture fashions right off the runway. Daphne is just one of those lucky few. When I think of McQueen, I think of Daphne. The two are interlinked in such a way that whenever I see the latest amazing runway looks of McQueen, I immediately picture in my mind, how Daphne will look in it. I loved that she stepped in at the last hour to buy the entire collection of Isabella Blow, another fashion icon of mine, before it was about to be split up and sold at auction. The couture collections of these two women are perhaps the most important fashion archives on the planet of fashion from the 1980's to the present. I have no doubt that someday, museums will fight over the right to create an exhibit around these clothes, and a new generation of students will study them for hours wondering what kind of mind could create what is absolutely wearable art.
This film allows us a brief glimpse into her closet and of course, I was in awe and in love of what I saw. I could never in a million years wear a cape made of black crow feathers but I loved how it looked on her. The silver foil, hooded jacket was also gorgeous. I just wish I could have seen the whole garment instead of just the top half. The chain mail, bejeweled glove is simply amazing and beautiful and terrifying just as I imagine Ms. Guiness is in real life.
http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/6/6/1489/daphne-guinness-undressed
Friday, May 27, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sorry, I haven't posted in forever. I've been occupied with all sorts of things but I'm going to try harder to post a little more frequently.
A couple of nights ago, I went to a meeting of my fashion business networking group otherwise known as SFFAMA. They hold meetings once month that are intended to educate startup designers and retailers. The speakers included a self-taught designer/consultant, a self-important designer/retailer, a startup designer of a denim line, and a guy who teaches at-risk teenagers sewing and job skills while also running his own denim repair line and making custom jeans for friends and clients.
Each of the speakers had something interesting to say, although some were more helpful than others. The designer/consultant had all kinds of helpful tips about how she got started and built her business even though she had no design experience. She's had a few more advantages than the average newbie, such as an already existent network of suppliers in India, China and the Phillipines along with family members who can keep track of contractors in those countries and her own personal web designer/manager. We should all be so lucky.
The second speaker has a small retail store and online presence to go with an extremely large ego. He spent much of his time commenting on how sloppy the audience was dressed, how there are no stylish people in San Francisco, and how his extremely high end fashions are too good for any mere mortals to look at or, worse, TOUCH. He didn't have a lot to contribute to the group because he made it clear that he thought he was better than everyone else. The take-away I got from his contribution: If you're invited to speak to a group of people because someone considers you an expert, DON'T insult your audience and DON'T make snide remarks about the people sitting next to you. (They can actually hear you.)
I was initially appalled by the jeans that the denim designer was wearing. I'd seen him wearing them at a previous meeting and wondered if his daughter made them for him because they're essentially baggy jeans made of patch-worked denim. It turns out, he has discovered a very specific niche market for his jeans among the festival crowd along with ravers and clubbers. People who go to Love Parade or Burning Man, apparently love his hippie chic baggy jeans with a home-made feel. Once he'd explained his niche, I stopped sneering and realized he'd done his homework and was working very hard to build his market share. Besides cold calling every boutique in America that sells designer denim, he sends free pairs of his jeans to agents, managers and stylists for celebrities in hopes that someone will actually wear them in public. While I can't think of the celebrity who could pull off the baggy patchwork jean look without looking like an idiot, I'm absolutely sure there is one and if there is one, this guy will find them. Yet another note to self "Not everyone can be judged by their appearance."
The final speaker was a young guy who could easily be a model, despite his waist length dreadlocks and multiple piercings. His laid back demeanor initially made most of us write him off as having smoked a little too much ganja. He quickly disspelled those ideas when he explained that while he isn't really a designer, he actually had a good business idea that he was able to start with very little capital. His business not only provides him with a living but also gives back to the community. He started off with the idea of retrofitting an ice cream cart with a treadle sewing machine and shelving. The whole thing collapses down and can be wheeled around and set up in high traffic areas and in or near stores where his products are a perfect fit. On his mobile sewing lab, he repairs and hems denim. He also creates "carnivorous" stuffed animals which are sewn and stuffed with denim scraps. Finally, he created a program for at-risk teens to teach them, not only how to sew, but also to give them useful job skills (like how to show up on time for work). He's expanded his business model to include a number of these retrofitted ice cream carts. I can't wait to see where he takes this idea.
I think every one of the speakers taught themselves how to sew and just had a driving need to create something. One was an artist who decided his vision was better translated to denim. Another was in real estate but found a way to match his love of music with a unique denim style. Still another was in the medical field but had a love of fashion and eventually decided that passion just couldn't be ignored. It made me feel better about walking away from a lucrative career to pursue something that feeds my soul.
A couple of nights ago, I went to a meeting of my fashion business networking group otherwise known as SFFAMA. They hold meetings once month that are intended to educate startup designers and retailers. The speakers included a self-taught designer/consultant, a self-important designer/retailer, a startup designer of a denim line, and a guy who teaches at-risk teenagers sewing and job skills while also running his own denim repair line and making custom jeans for friends and clients.
Each of the speakers had something interesting to say, although some were more helpful than others. The designer/consultant had all kinds of helpful tips about how she got started and built her business even though she had no design experience. She's had a few more advantages than the average newbie, such as an already existent network of suppliers in India, China and the Phillipines along with family members who can keep track of contractors in those countries and her own personal web designer/manager. We should all be so lucky.
The second speaker has a small retail store and online presence to go with an extremely large ego. He spent much of his time commenting on how sloppy the audience was dressed, how there are no stylish people in San Francisco, and how his extremely high end fashions are too good for any mere mortals to look at or, worse, TOUCH. He didn't have a lot to contribute to the group because he made it clear that he thought he was better than everyone else. The take-away I got from his contribution: If you're invited to speak to a group of people because someone considers you an expert, DON'T insult your audience and DON'T make snide remarks about the people sitting next to you. (They can actually hear you.)
I was initially appalled by the jeans that the denim designer was wearing. I'd seen him wearing them at a previous meeting and wondered if his daughter made them for him because they're essentially baggy jeans made of patch-worked denim. It turns out, he has discovered a very specific niche market for his jeans among the festival crowd along with ravers and clubbers. People who go to Love Parade or Burning Man, apparently love his hippie chic baggy jeans with a home-made feel. Once he'd explained his niche, I stopped sneering and realized he'd done his homework and was working very hard to build his market share. Besides cold calling every boutique in America that sells designer denim, he sends free pairs of his jeans to agents, managers and stylists for celebrities in hopes that someone will actually wear them in public. While I can't think of the celebrity who could pull off the baggy patchwork jean look without looking like an idiot, I'm absolutely sure there is one and if there is one, this guy will find them. Yet another note to self "Not everyone can be judged by their appearance."
The final speaker was a young guy who could easily be a model, despite his waist length dreadlocks and multiple piercings. His laid back demeanor initially made most of us write him off as having smoked a little too much ganja. He quickly disspelled those ideas when he explained that while he isn't really a designer, he actually had a good business idea that he was able to start with very little capital. His business not only provides him with a living but also gives back to the community. He started off with the idea of retrofitting an ice cream cart with a treadle sewing machine and shelving. The whole thing collapses down and can be wheeled around and set up in high traffic areas and in or near stores where his products are a perfect fit. On his mobile sewing lab, he repairs and hems denim. He also creates "carnivorous" stuffed animals which are sewn and stuffed with denim scraps. Finally, he created a program for at-risk teens to teach them, not only how to sew, but also to give them useful job skills (like how to show up on time for work). He's expanded his business model to include a number of these retrofitted ice cream carts. I can't wait to see where he takes this idea.
I think every one of the speakers taught themselves how to sew and just had a driving need to create something. One was an artist who decided his vision was better translated to denim. Another was in real estate but found a way to match his love of music with a unique denim style. Still another was in the medical field but had a love of fashion and eventually decided that passion just couldn't be ignored. It made me feel better about walking away from a lucrative career to pursue something that feeds my soul.
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