The Most Evident Utensil

I always love seeing photos and sketches showing the thought behind designer collections. WWD gathered these from 160 designers that showed in New York this past week; I was drawn to a few of the illustrations. What inspiration for stylized fashion drawings! They make me want to push myself even further, using different media and more exaggerated figures. I still have so far to go.

Zac Posen

Shipley and Halmos

Ruffian

Prabal Gurung

Miss Sixty

Max Azria

Matthew Williamson

Herve Leger

Halston

Chris Benz

Bibhu Mohapatra

Washes of Color

More collection inspiration... Mmm, sheers.

(Photos- Fashion 156, Fashionista)

Little Scribbles

I promised illustrations, and here they are. For some reason, my professor requested black and white illustrations at this point in the semester rather than fully rendered ones, so as a result they're extremely pared down. The first image is my mood board- I tried to capture the elements of layering and sheer distressed fabrics that will be throughout my collection.

I'm fully constructing numbers 3, 5, and 6, though they've already changed dramatically since I drew these two weeks ago. First on the list is 5, the jumpsuit. I'm loving it so far, though I might be singing a different tune in two weeks when it's due...

Things I'm psyched on...

Love drops today. Why aren't there any good American magazines? I want I want. At least there are tidbits on the website to hold us statesiders over.

Opening Ceremony now online... Just another website to visit, lust over, and leave dissatisfied. Give poor little me dresses with cutouts and sassy little onesies please!

Speaking of fashion that's actually fun, how about Erin Wasson? Sure, designers have almost unanimously cancelled their afterparties, but that's no excuse... Throw a show that is a party, complete with jello shots in a sweet high school throwback. Love it.

Not so fun are these models in teetering heels, though. Seriously, what is with that? The shoes may look fantastic but if the models are falling over or walking barefoot, no one is going to be looking at the clothes. Shows so far that have endangered girls' ankles: Bryan Reyes, and Herve Leger. Marchesa's presentation apparently was a pain in the foot as well.

Zing! I'm out.

NYFW, FML, KL, ETC...

New York Fashion Week is full of far too many mediocre designers; wading through the shows is just discouraging. I do have a few favorites, though, and I'll post at the end with highlights so as not to waste your time. I clearly can't keep up with the big guns that post instantly from the shows, so I'm not even going to try...

I'm far more into wasting my time on silly blogs, like FML. I'm pretty sure this is one of those blogs that spreads like wildfire over the internet, but just on the off chance you haven't heard of it, check it out NOW. It's basically a collection of shitty life stories that are user added, meaning that they may or may not be true. Seriously, though, who cares if they're true? They're hilarious, and are updated frequently meaning an almost constant source of entertainment. Sweet.

Another great time waster is Karl Lagerfeld's Guide to Life. Written as if the words came from the Kaiser himself, it sprinkles words of wisdom, such as "Diet Coke is the new black". Supporting characters are Rei, Yohji and A-Dubs herself. If you know anything about the man, the legend, I can bet you'll piss yourself laughing.

Enjoy.

This Is England

Director Shane Meadows excels at creating intense, often brutal portrayals of underground life in England. This realism stems from the fact that many characters and situations he creates are based on his own troubled childhood growing up in England's West Midlands. This Is England (2006) follows a young boy as he falls in with a group of punks and skinheads that accept him as a fellow outcast; he adopts their lifestyle and eventually becomes involved with the racist subset of the skinhead crowd. The film is visceral and emotionally engaging; I highly recommend it.



Also, because I can't help myself, I look at it for fashion inspiration. The looks from 1983 are so on point for right now. I need a pair of those ultra bleached out pants.




Or that skirt! The whole look with suspenders and docs might be a bit much but with a feminine twist I would totally bring it back. I'm thinking I need to drag my jean jacket out of retirement as well...

The Art of Travel

I just watched a beautiful film, The Art of Travel. It reminds me of that adrenaline, that itch, that rush of catching a plane to another country without a second thought, seeing the new and extraordinary. This video blog is the first of seven that give a look behind the scenes of shooting the movie and shows some of the lush South American jungle that is captured in their shoot on location.



Here's the trailer as well for an idea of the plot.



Makes me want to drop out of life!!

Chrysalis S/S 2010

Here's a peek of what's churning through my mind right now- I have these all in my sketchbook for texture and color inspiration. Todd Selby. photographer, has one of the most amazing websites I have ever seen- hordes of beautiful photos from people's homes and spaces, each one better than the last. I can browse through and constantly see some new little treasure or color combination. These gems are all from his site. The first is my complete color story amazingly summarized in a single shot.









My silhouettes are inspired by the chrysalis: its shape, the beauty of that delicate sheer shell, the meaning of its protection and promise of emerging beauty, and the comfort of being surrounded. I found this fashion film recently that captures some of that fragility- Show Studio's "Chrysalis".

Our Own Pretty Ways

I'm loving color, both muted and bright, as well as extreme volume...

(photo cred: street clash, easy fashion)

Latest Obsessions

After getting my computer back last week, I wasted no time downloading a whole mess of music; due to to almost constant computer problems, I'm still restoring my music library to its former glory of last spring. Many of those recently acquired are old favorites but I've also discovered a fair number of new artists or hidden gems.




Chairlift: how have I missed out on this band till now? Apparently it takes an iPod advertisement to get my attention. Hailing from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the threesome behind that impossibly catchy song Bruises draw from a wide variety of influences on their album, Does You Inspire You (Kanine Records, September 11 2008). Bruises is without a doubt the most accessible, but other tracks such as Evident Utensil and Planet Health use eighties synth and shoegazey pop melodies to great effect. Overall, the male/female harmonies, electro beats and psych-rock lyrical obscurity mesh well for a pleasant, complete album.

This band is just too fucking cute and beyond perfect. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are going to kill it. I heard about them just this past Sunday, because my friends were going to see them at Kung Fu Necktie here in Philly. After downloading the album, I deeply regret not seeing them live because it's 35 minutes of pure goodness. Their Myspace describes them as if "Stephen Pastel actually threw Aggi off the bridge and married Black Tambourine's Pam Berry and had four babies that formed a pop band". This succinct explanation of their influences so perfectly describes the result, a dreamy haze that both lingers and powers forward for the duration of the thirty-five minute self titled album (Released on Slumberland). Hushed, layered vocals, driving guitar, and noise pop additions give this timeless album instant appeal and staying power; it's already in the running for one of the year's top albums. I can barely pick highlights because it's all so good, but tops include opener Contender, sing along favorite Come Saturday, and the sweet young yearning of Everything With You.

United States of What?

I just started watching United States of Tara yesterday. The premise is interesting, admittedly making light of a very serious disease- Dissociative Identity Disorder. Tara's different identities, or "alters", each have a distinct personality. There's the teen slut, the redneck man, and the prim housewife, plus Tara herself who skates the line between relaxed artist and protective mother. Toni Collette does an excellent job switching between the characters, though their writing is often annoying and over the top. Her best acting is as Tara, exhaustedly trying to put together the pieces of her life every time she returns to consciousness with no memory of what her alter had done. John Corbett is sweet as her devoted husband Max; I always liked him on Sex and the City and he reprises good ol' Aiden well for this role.

Diablo Cody, of Juno fame, created the series and wrote the majority of the episodes. Her smart-aleck style shines at times (Brie Larson as teenage daughter Kate has a killer 'tude to match) but the writing is almost painfully contrived at others, especially for the housewife alter, Alice. I almost fast forwarded the scenes in which she appeared.

Other highlights include Patton Oswalt as Max's friend Neil and unexpected star Keir Gilchrist as Tara's cute but feisty gay son. Overall, worth a shot if you enjoyed Juno at all or are willing to suffer through the awkward scenes for some laughs and genuine family tenderness.

Watch it online:
Surf the Channel

F21 FTW

As a poor fashion student I have a reasonable love/hate relationship with Forever 21. On one hand, it's the antithesis of all that I love about fashion: its individuality, its beauty, its self expression. On the other, it's so damn cheap! I have to say, though, I'm considering the following purchases which I will wear daily until their shoddy construction takes its toll.








Or I'll make my own! Collection 2 sketches will be posted soon, and I'm draping my first piece for a fitting Tuesday. I'm totally wearing the muslin if it fits me.

Listening to: Royksopp