Archive project

So my last project at Kingston was the Archive project- something the third and second years have also done. We had to pick one garment from the archive room ( a wardrobe full of garments from  different eras, going way back to the Victorian times ). The point of the project was to pick something you liked and researched it , before coming up with a concept and designing your very own, new and different take on the original piece. I picked out a dress (which you can just about see the sleeve of in the first image ) which only had a tag with '1940' written on it. This was my starting point.

My idea came from the government restrictions at that time, what people were not allowed to have,  black markets, shortenings of fabric and food supplies, buying things and hiding them. In fact the thing that really inspired me was a quote from vogue in the 40s- ' This beige coat is perfect length and has pockets big enough to swallow make up without bulging'. To me that was what i was looking for, so my next step was to experiment!! I actually stuffed my crisp packets and wagon wheels lol underneath the calico to see what actually happens to fabric  when something is bulging underneath.

To be honest we didn't have much time really, six weeks is a long time, but to do the amount of work we did as a class, and manage to produce a final garment yourself was tough. I really struggled at the making part because honestly, i'm really not that good at it. We only had one pattern cutter, Fiona,  to help us and there was so many of us!! So really it was down to ourselves to master the pattern cutting (i swear it is like maths all over again what is going on). In the end i managed to make this brown coat in the last collage. Im laughing actually looking at it, its awful! I asked daisy to model it for me on the day of our crit, she was actually ironing her own garment so she was a bit like yep is this over now haha.

I was well aware that my piece wasn't made as well as others, i knew i lacked that sewing ability. The majority of my class know how to sew and sew really well!! Which is something i need to work on considering i'm doing a fashion degree. But I had an amazing tutor Will, (those marc jacobs little black phone cases) who always got me and my ideas which was very reassuring and once the assesment came, the fact that my coat wasn't even made properly  didn't matter, my idea and my drawing got me great feedback wooo! Cried so much with happiness into my wine that evening, it was a night to remember.

  

Fashion illustration at Kingston, Sept 2014

One of my very first projects when I started at Kingston was an illustration project, with a lovely lady called Helen Bullok who works in the industry. Our aim was to develop the confidence in finding our individual style, along with a self study of a sketchbook (which the last six images are taken from.) Her lessons were so different to anything ive been taught before, they were crazy- we danced to music as we drew lol, she had the most incredible models also. She invited friends to model for us and one of my favorites was a tall man who knew how to walk in stilletos better than any woman i know. He had a beautiful long posture and a really interesting face which i really liked.

Helen was exactly what a fashion illustrator is expected to be- she wore colorful clothes,her style was so unsual. She was very facinatng, as well as the way she taught us to draw. Our lessons were a lot about letting go of the precise way of drawing: it was all about colour, having fun, exaggerating, blowing things our of proportion, concentrating on pattern, painting negative spaces, continuous line but at the same time using the line to define our crazy portrayals of the figure. It wasn't about what looked great but very much so looking at whats in front of you and trying to catch every detail- whether it was the way the model's foot was slightly turned or textures of the clothing they were wearing. She constantly questioned us about how the model feels when wearing these clothes, is it claustrophobic or empowering or how does it actually feel when you stand in a particular pose, in front of an audience, what aches? Which we had to communicate.

Helen was amazing in class, every Tuesday we would have 4 and a half hours with her after sewing, which was draining but very rewarding. Her work is energetic, she's definitely up there for me with Julie Verhouven. Both take fashion illustartion somewhere where its so original and unique, and also exciting.

Paris, August 2014

So last summer before moving to London I saved up some money from my previous job and decided to take my mum to Paris for the weekend. We went on the eurostar, it was quite strange how you can pop on the train and when you get off you're in paris!! Anyway. Went a bit crazy on the editing lol but what an amazing place! I recommend for anyone to go such a beautiful city. We saw all the main bits, the Eiffel tower, le Louvre, Napoleon's apartments, L'arc de triomphe, Notre dome and even Mona Lisa- my mum nearly cried haha. 
I would have loved to go to the flea market but as soon as the receptionist mentioned the word 'unsafe' my mum begged me we stayed. I also would have loved to stroll along the river where the artists sold old books/paintings just where the lock bridge which we didn't get a chance to. Our hotel was beautiful and not far from the centre- it was called 'le jardin de villiers' with a pretty garden. 
I don't shop much but we couldn't resist buying something before we left- I got myself a bag and a lipstick from mac, aswell as pretty post cards for my family. Same with my mum- she bought a scarf from zara and a lipstick. All in all what a beautiful place to eat and observe, a lot quite, especially outside champs elysees!