Archive for November 2011
Sandra Bucklund
Sandra Buckland is celebrated for the 3D knitted garment patterns she designs. They are based mostly on the human profile. Her own knitted fabrics are utilised in the development of her unique structures. Her textiles are a result of intense experimentation on machines and is a patchwork of knitted pieces. Her 2010 collections were the first to be fully produced. Up until that moment all the work she fashioned was tailored. Tida Swinton modelled her most illustrious piece in the well celebrated Another Magazine.
Rick Owens
Knitwear is used rather liberally in most of Owens collections. His creations time and again make use of rather basic methods in the development of his agreeably tailored outfits. On a number of occasions it is apparent to observe that innovative forms and shapes are produced as a consequence of the strategies he employs to shape the knitwear. The monochrome colour palette he employs to define the figure is identified as being exclusive to him and acts as a signature in a lot of ways. His pieces are habitually created in one progression on the machine. As a result of this practice Owens work repeatedly displays interesting and exceptional shapes and silhouettes.
Ramon Gurillo
Spanish born Gurillo worked as an illustrator prior to starting his own design business. Under his thorough direction he employs a group of enthusiastic knitters and crafts people. The techniques he employs are incredibly refined. A lot of his work features re-embroidered designs with knits crocheted on top. As a consequence of these technically convoluted hand knits most are not easily transferred to machines. It’s noticeable that more attention is paid to the material and it’s drape than the outline. His materials and yarns are of the uppermost quality and play a huge part in the aesthetics of the piece.
Ioannis Dimitrousis
Dimitrousis’ handiwork is largely crocheted and unisex. He describes his maths-orientated mind to be behind the love of crochet, even though I recently revealed his mother was in reality behind it all! He also focuses on the drape and the significance of the finished garment. His most recent collection was adorned with sequins and frills.
Jean Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul regularly sprinkles his collection with key knitwear pieces. His strategies are by no means groundbreaking although, conversely Gaultier is a master of combining knit with other materials. His blends can consist of soft chiffons with jagged mesh. He is proficient at including detail with many describing his knits as works of art.
Jennifer Lang
If you’ve heard of the extravagant laddering technique then you may well know it was pioneered by Jennifer Lang. Her MA collection gained fame as soon as it was reported on in the British tabloid newspapers. A litany of celebrities were reported to be ordering tailored knit wear repeatedly from her. In appreciation of her success she was awarded a stand at London Fashion Week along with a studio in Cockpit Studios. Designer catwalks in next to no time got used to seeing her creations and as a result she was offered a position with the All Saints brand.
Simone Shailes
The knitting world was enraptured after Shailes presented her hand knitted collection at Central St Martins College. Her procedures were complex and time consuming and her designs were very contemporary. The square cut jackets juxtaposed the light frothy approaches. Her jackets and knitted cardigans were siezed upon by Topshop and her first collection was launched. Since that collection she has been employed by Celine.
Louise Goldin
Goldin is also a St Martins College graduate perhaps helping to explain her contemporary designs. She has a skill for finding unique fresh yarns who’s aesthetics lend themselves to original, advanced designs. The molded knitwear and chiffon shifts of her most recent collection strike an attractive balance. Her knitwear pieces have rejuvenated the knitwear business and encouraged further knitwear designers to show at London Fashion Week. She is a strong prospect and so will be watched with interest.
Sonia Rykiel
Rykiel’s handiwork is humorous and light hearted and her knitwear certainly does not miss out on this. Her jumpers have proved exceedingly desirable in the main. Like Gaultier she focuses on aesthetic detail to convey her message.
Giles
Giles’ hefty outsized knits have to be considered his most revered handiwork to date. His three dimensional knitted parts were more architectural structures than garments. Giles creates his pieces around a silhouette that allows him to construct new female styles. It is fair to say that he has pushed the boundaries of the hefty knitwear scene. He opened the market to a niche for exaggerated knitwear as lengthy scarves were quickly on the high street, chunky hats and knitted boots were the next step. It was a surprise to this writer that Aran knitwear was not more in style following his collection.
Becoming a fashion designer is a creative journey in uncovering the student’s likes and dislikes. Styles and fads come and go and then come around again. This is true of the fashion design industry also, particularly so! The industry is often influenced by the entertainment industry (television, movies, music, etc.) For example, “That 70′s Show” gave hippie fashion a new comeback chic. This is true of other movies as well. A great example of this would be “Pirates of the Caribbean” that brought about a huge influx of skull and cross bones designs. The typical pirate symbol, more related to a gothic or punk style, became mainstream after the debut of the movies.
This pop culture influence inspires mass market designers. However, couture fashion designers strive to be the source of the inspiration rather than an imitator. The difference between this can be found in the training of the merchandiser versus the designer. Many aspiring fashion designers choose to go into fashion merchandising. However, these two fields require slightly different curriculum. One will focus on sales, marketing, and business where as the other–fashion design–will focus on creativity and imagination in bringing ideas and concepts to life.
Following middle school, students can choose college preparation courses to direct their educational tracks to their own possible careers. For a student wishing to take the path of a designer of any type, art classes are essential to building the basic knowledge and core concepts that they will use.
High school courses should be selected to assist in building a professional portfolio to show to potential design colleges. By starting their educational planning very early, it is possible for students to make the most of their high school years by focusing on extracurricular activities that will add spice to their college applications. For example, potential fashion designers can take classes not only in art but also specialized math and computer classes, multimedia classes, and drama activities that will allow them to explore different aspects of the fashion world. Some high schools even offer classes in small business ownership or entrepreneurial skills.
For students who end up at the college level and wish to break in to the fashion design industry, it is never too late. Courses in drawing, painting, life drawing, and silkscreen, and color theory, fashion and art history are some of the beginning requirements for any fashion design student. Advanced students of fashion design will continue with patternmaking, sewing basics, advanced sewing techniques, and digital designing.
It is crucial for a fashion design student to have access to this type of basic curriculum in college in order to prepare for the true test of their abilities: their internship. Once the student has taken the basic and advanced courses, it is time for them to specialize in some aspect of the fashion industry. When people think of fashion, they think of runway shows and couture collections. There are fashion centers throughout the world, but most people tend to consider New York City the center of all fashion design. If the college student did not choose a college near a fashion design center, it may be possible for them to choose an internship located in that area. Some other possible internship locations would be Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, and other metropolitan areas.
The best source of internship possibilities will be the college faculty and guidance counselors. It is important to do your homework by researching potential internships; but, they can definitely guide the student to someone that they may not have considered.
The fashion world has its niches. Every designer starts somewhere. They do not just graduate from college and poof have their own design house and their own collections. They were mentored by someone in the business. Some of them were self taught and did not have the opportunity to study in a college environment but learned in the school of hard knocks. Whatever the case, if there is a desire to learn the fashion design business, then there is a way to do it.
Consider working at a place that does alterations or tailoring to build up sewing skills. Consider designing your own clothes. Think of functionality, practicality, body type, personal statements, coloring and fabric choice. Study the masters–who is on the edge of fashion now that you want to emulate? Why do you like their style? What IS your style?
By taking all of these factors into consideration, any student pursuing fashion can find their place in the design world.
“Dress up” or also known as “Fashion” games have become popular among girls around the world and across different cultures. They have become a substitute for playing traditional dolls especially among young female audiences and the reminiscence for the older.
These dress up games probably originated from paper dolls that existed since the invention of paper. The earliest traceable emergence of paper dolls were from Japan dating back to A.D. 900 the least. However, they weren’t used as toys but rather for rituals. These paper dolls were crafted to be 3-dimensional and are not flat like the paper dolls many of us know today. In modem times, paper dolls have sprung up from magazines to comics and often a welcome addition for readers. Barbie may have attributed for the decline in popularity of paper dolls with their chain of merchandise. Ironically, their dolls that people recognize today derive from paper dolls themselves.
In the middle to late nineties, several websites began creating these games which are often browser-based in which a player can drag and drop different clothes onto a digital image of a doll. Since then, more robust variances have been created with improved user interfaces and multi-media features to employ the computing power of today’s personal computers. The games usually require no installation and can be enjoyed using the “Flash” platform by Macromedia.
Majority of the game creators reside in Asian countries and are often inspired by “cartoony” big-eyed characters found in Japanese anime; which have shown to appeal to vast audiences worldwide. Others strive for a more realistic feel where their creation reflects on today’s fashion which is a great reference source for fashion designers and followers. The concept of paper dolls have not died down but rather being a transit to another media and apparently is making a come-back.