Shop Report: American Apparel

American Apparel, Camden, London.

American Apparel to me is a cool and effortlessly chic place of shopping paradise...however with its elaborate styling and extremely fashion savvy and original displays; I also feel it creates quite an unrealistic view of what to expect. Quite rightly, of course, as that’s what would draw any shopper in. The only problem is, I find it difficult to justify the prices of garments in there. I mean, I pick something up and alone it’s nothing, pick up all of the stuff that’s along side it and you could feel like you’re strutting down a catwalk, add up the cost of it all with prices around £70.00 for garments of a similar standard to Topshop and you’ll be falling off!

I do think, that if you have the money to spend, you could create and amazing outfit, most things would also team up great with vintage items, so I guess you could do the similar looks on the cheap. It all boils down to American Apparel having an amazing visual merchandising team, hats off it works, it draws you in, and it makes you really WANT the clothes. Weather it makes you actually buy or not, is another question. The stores main problem is that it could perhaps striving to be ‘too cool’ if there is such a thing, and sometimes this can be the ingredients to be the antithesis. For now though I’m happy enough ogling the displays and stealing little ideas of my own to recreate in my way!

You're on the home straight...

As the end approaches, there are four projects running at the moment and everyhting is all over the place! Organisations is hard and stressful!
Things I still need to complete!

• Final major portfolio boards
• Write up exhibition review
• Book review
• Annotate work placement file

That along with little bits and bobs to finish off along the way!

It's gonna be a long night! Thank god for caffine.

x

Negotiated Project (styling) Evaluative Essay

In my last art and design module I designed and created an evening dress for industry based project for Anh Mao. As a continuation of my design journey I was next assigned to assist a photography student who would photograph my dress on either location or in the studio which I would style. My aims were to potrey the dress how I wanted it to be seen and wore. Also hypothetically if it were be advertised or appear in a magazine; how I would want it to appear.

I began researching images that could inspire and influence how I’d like my own dress to be photographed and styled by looking at publications such as ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘Pigeons and Peacocks’ (a magazine produced by London College of Fashion students). I love the editing that is used on photo shoots in these magazines with effects that look blurred or dimly lit they always come across cool and chic. Another thing I’ve always admired is the styling on most of the shoots, which are always extremely fashion forward however often hold a vintage look within them. With my theme being Entomology I wanted to go for something quite dark and dusky, this would contrast my chosen element of honeycomb, but I think it would bring the more creep and dark side of the theme through.

The photographers that I focused on in particular were Daniele Duella and Iango Henzi, the Italian and Swiss duo, who regularly shoot the covers and many styling pages in ‘i-D ‘magazine. They shoot mainly in black and white and have a very distinct style which is very striking. You can look at a photo shoot and the images will stand out as theirs instantly. Their models are always stunningly beautiful with the images looking sleek and polished. Although my images will be printed in colour, they will be toned down and saturated leaving them with a very similar look.

I also looked at Rankin. With amazing images of beauties such as Heidi Klum, Kate Moss and Lily Cole his images are strong, sexy and fashion forward which is exactly the look and style I want my own photo shoot to give off. This has inspired me to think about shots I could create that focus more on a strong fashion image that evokes a certain style rather than just shots that focus on the dress itself. I realised it was about the image as a whole and how it will make people feel.

I collected a series of tear sheets as suggestion of poses to try out at the shoot. I chose poses that would best show off my dress in the best way possible as well as reflecting my theme. I wanted the shoot to look very editorial, like that of styling shoot pages in Elle and Vogue. I wanted high fashion poses and very striking and strong images for my final prints.

When it came to the styling of the dress, accessories, hair and makeup, I wanted to keep things elegant and simple. My model had amazing bone structure and long honey brown hair which i wanted to accentuate and take full advantage of. Therefore I left the hair loose with a slight wave and styled it with a simple butterfly clip; which tied in with my theme and added a more glamorous feel and more detail as I wasn’t going to be using necklaces which would draw the attention away from the bodice (the most detailed part of the dress.)

I wanted to simply at a shimmer and highlighter to the models cheekbones to keep the look quite natural and glowing. We used a pale lipstick and went for contrasting dark eyes to bring in the darker element of the theme. For some of my portrait shots I decided to change the lipstick to a dark red to create a bolder look, this also worked fantastically.

As the dress holds a lot of detail and not wanting to draw the attention away from the dress I chose to keep the accessories simple. I used natural themed jewellery like butterflies (ring and hairclip) and a leaf cough for her wrist. With ankle socks being a popular current trend I updated the look with a pair of metallic gold ankle socks which create a statement without being too bold as they blended in with the colour pallet. Before this idea i had contemplated bare feet to keep it raw and more natural however I think I have styled it much more glamorously by going against that, teaming the ankle socks with cream and black stilettos.

On set everything went smoothly, with everyone understanding what the intended outcome of the shoot was. The model posed elegantly and professionally throughout, understanding all instructions thrown at her and the photographer captured shots that really stood out. We used a fan for some images we wanted to capture during the shoot which was difficult to get right at times, but when the timing was right it really drew attention to the different fabrics in the skirt of the dress and made the hair look beachy and natural yet sleek at the same time.

I am extremely pleased with the outcome of the shoot and my final images. I think i have managed to capture something that not only shows off my dress fantastically but it excellent photography and really looks like the model in the picture has a story to tell. The photos have depth and elegance yet look high fashion too which is exactly what I was looking for. The editing of the images has enhanced this even further, with a slightly saturated finish and toned down colour the images look dark and dusky with reflects the raw and webby theme I based it all on. I particularly love the portrait shot which looks like a cover shoot. For this, bolder colours were brought out in the editing which brought out the more vampy look of the red lipstick contrasting with the neutral dress and the other images chosen, showing both of the sides of my them I wanted to portray, soft and elegant, with dark and creepy.

If I was to do the shoot again and I could make any changes I would perhaps go more towards the darker side of the theme by using props such as webs for the model to play around with. It would also be interesting to try out more camera angles to mix things up more, with the model lying down or trying out more exaggerated poses.

Work Placement

Although I completed my placement during the summer, as I am completing my projects for hand in and creating a work placement file, it go me reminiscing of my time there and all of the skills I learned.

During the placement I gained invaluable experience such as gaining confidence in speaking to people within the industry, organising castings for models etc. I was able to arrange my own recruitment day for new models. Plan events and make and send model cards, keeping in constant contact with fashion industry people to get work for the models.

Muse!

If I were to pick a celebrity client I'd love to dress in my final collection Pixie Lott spring straight to mind! With her love for vintage fashion, short shorts and always mixing things up she would look amazing in my Miu Miu inspired dress, tassel shorts and peter pan collared shirt I've created!

making of garments

The making of the garments hasn't gone as smoothly and quickly as first anticipated! With the suede shorts being quite difficult to sew it was a slower process than I would have predicted however the final garment looks great.

With the dress however I incurred many more problems which were all to do with the fit. Unfortunately the way the pattern was cut it ended up being too tight an the bust and completely ruining the look and shape of the dress. I tried to save the problem by attempting to change the design of the front of the dress however this failed to make a big enough difference and therefore the only solution will be to remake the dress with two new pattern pieces and the rest of the existing pieces...

60's Icons + Native American= My final collection...Hello tassels

Styling Project

Inspiration: Daniele Duella and Iango Henzi. Fashion Photography duo.

Portfolio for interview

Photoshoot

FMP proposal

With vintage fashion being an area that has always inspired me and is so broad it’s never dull, I decided this was the direction I would take for my Final collection. I have always admired the look and style of 60’s icons such as Jean Shrimpton, Jane Birkin and Edie Sedgwick so I decided to focus on these women as a muse and a starting point. I will look at the shapes they wore and the detailing and accessorising of their garments.

To brink a more original twist upon this them I will look at Native Americans for colour and fringing inspiration, which I found was very fitting with the new tassel fringing trend proving to be popular on the high street as well as the catwalk. My intended audience will be the middle end of the high street. I’m thinking girls in their twenties, who love fashion and like quirky and individual garments. A shop that sprung to mind was American Apparel, which I will do a shop report on.

For my final collection I hope to complete two out fits for our final catwalk show. A shirt to go with a pair of short and a 60’s style shift dress. 

Fill My Head With Trash

Magazines: one of my biggest boredom busters. Be it a monthly glossy read cover to cover, trend mag full of inspirational imagery or your weekly trash that can kill, or in some cases, steal 10 minutes of your day (surely?!) You gotta love them.

This month I think I can safely say I have them all, as every time I walk into the shop there's nothing new. That, and the fact that one night when I was buying a (to be fair) a fair few at once a man in the queue commented "Looks like your having a lonely night tonight". Great...

Anyway, as it happened there turned out to be enough interesting and enjoyable features in them to make my night fly by:

Cheryl Coles interview with Elle was both truthful and inspirational, which you often don't get from celebs these days. She seems thoroughly grounded and a great role model for women. The photo shoot was amazing too. Naturally.

This is more than can be said for Victoria Beckhams Vogue interview. Ok, so I already dislike her, but I thought to myself 'I'll read it anyway, keep an open mind...' And all that. Nope, still hate her. It appeared the article had attempted to show her in a better light... However it just didn't wash. Comments like "I kept feeling like I should have my hair blow dried every day, and there just isn't the time" (referring to her workshop being too easily accessed by the paps) just made me think 'eurgh get a grip.' It also angered me that she says she has found something she's good at; Fashion design. She then went on to say "Look, I don't draw"... Hmmm? A fashion designer that cannot draw, pattern cut and severely lacks a personality. Ok... It's stated in the interview that she 'sketches an idea which is then drawn all over' (by people who actually know what they're doing maybe?!?!) It seems all she does is come up with a starting point and nods her head the finished piece. What's creative about this?!.. I'll breathe now...

Despite this blood boiling piece (I wouldn't ACTUALLY go that far...) there was a great read about the inspirational Christopher Kane, written by the charismatic Miss Alexa Chung. That, along with a great overview of spring 11 styling pages, modelled by the outstanding Freja Beha Erichsen, was enough to compensate.

London, Exhibition

So, this week me and my fashion girls headed south! And what a time we had. I hadn't been in years and was always too young to get the fullest out of a visit there, this time, I was reminded of Paris by the whole experience. I don't think I could pick a best moment cause it was all so fabulous! Highlights must include: The Wishing throne at Kensington Palace, The Shoe Galleries in Selfriges, Karaoke at some gay bar in Soho, Oxford St Topshop, Moet champagne in the penthouse suite! One of a Kind Vintage on Portobello Road! I could go on and on... Yeah, we managed to pack a fair bit into our mid-weak mini break!

Kensington Palace- The seven princesses, dress exhibition...

Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden City, at the V&A...

Personal Statement

Fashion to me, is beautiful, not just aesthetically, but within the connotations that lie behind it. The way we dress is individual and personal to the wearer but can be a common interest between everyone at the same time. It helps define your personality, and tells us something about you, without words. I love that it can be used to express the way you feel; representing and building upon aspects of our personalities. It evokes a feeling in a person and creates energy in me. This is why my fascination and love for fashion will continue to grow and why I know I want to pursue a career in something I strongly believe in.
As a creative person, things that make me think further have always inspired me. As an example; how an idea or object can be interpreted in different ways and created into something that can be worn. I've always had a very visual and extremely hands on approach to learning. Art and textiles being my favourite school subjects kept me very motivated, competitive and ambitious. I also hold a great love for vintage, be it clothing, accessories or furniture. I take great inspiration for my own style; constantly scouring charity and vintage stores for garments that can change a whole look and add originality. I have also attended exhibitions in London and Paris, including the V&A's 'The Golden Age of Couture.' These experiences also helped open my eyes to historical elements of fashion.
The past three years I have spent developing and heightening my skills in the fashion area, shaping the way in which I perceive things. This has strengthened my desire to pursue fashion as a career. It's a direction I not only see myself heading, but I cannot see myself anywhere else. Through the duration of my foundation degree I have had the opportunity to work on industry based projects. It has also encouraged me to think very thoroughly about my designs from the starting point. I ask myself 'will this be cost efficient, possible to achieve in the time given and technically achievable?' I now feel more secure and confident in my own ability and development. Nothing else will get my heart racing quite like coming up with a new exciting idea and getting it down on paper, eventually completing a project that I've been committed to and feel really proud of. 
I have a diverse mix of work experience; not only does this include my current retail job at Dune but I recently completed an internship with Zeebra Model Management (a local modelling agency). During my time working for the agency, which I loved, I acquired invaluable abilities that I can carry through to future projects. To get the placement candidates had to submit an idea for a marketing campaign that would contribute to the growth of the business. This was used as a basis for the director to choose the intern. I created an event along with a visual presentation. I was extremely proud of this as it led me to do more amazing things during the placement, giving me an enormous insight to the business aspect of fashion. The responsibility of running the casting side of the business built my confidence hugely. Another inspiring experience included a day volunteering as a dresser for the models at the Northumbria graduate fashion show, working in a hectic environment with knowledgeable graduates of a fashion degree.
As so many aspects of the fashion industry excite me, there are various areas I am interested in focusing on as a future career. One ambition is to work as a fashion buyer for a designer or company. Writing my own fashion blog has furthered my enthusiasm for fashion writing. Publications such as Love, Dazed and Confused and i-D have inspired this, along with my interest in styling. Whilst this course will determine my career path, my overall objective is to work with and learn from inspirational designers and to put my own stamp on the industry, inspiring and educating future generations through my own personal style.

S/S 11 Picks.

Despite having loved being able to throw layers upon layers of warm, chunky a/w trends (I will especially miss leather) it is safe to say that I'm well and truly ready to leave behind the not so visually exciting colour pallet of camel, grey and black I donned this winter; entering the ever so bright future of Summer 11. Roll on the third instalment of our student loan to fund our rainbow wardrobes!

With so many fantastic shows put on by the genius designers this year, it was hard to pick favourites. I went off what I personally want to be enjoying my summer days and sunset evenings in over the season.

NEW YORK

Proenza Schouler

Bring on those neon brights!

LONDON

Richard Nicoll
Amazing! Love the floaty pastel pleats! Want.

Jonathan Saunders
W O W. Possibly my favourite collection. So Sixties, so vintage, so cute! love the pastel colours, floated yet still tailored shapes and sexy minis; this collection has everything I'm after!

MILAN

Jil Sander
Simple. Bright. Cool. Effortless. Chic!



LANVIN
The perfect mix of feminity, great colour, body defining and unusual shape! Fabulous.

Need to get there one day!

x

Mila Kunis in Black Swan!

Mila Kunis delivers an excellent performance in the incredibly messed up, yet outstandingly put together film; Black Swan. Her work was not only believable but it is clear to see she got right into the characters head, and backed up Natalie Portmans amazing performance brilliantly. 

Mila is one of the most stunning actresses on the big screen this season and extremely versatile in her roles; shown in her other work 'That 70's show', 'Book of Eli' and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshal'. She's effortlessly cool, oozing personality and style. As an up and coming star of our screens, I hope Kunis can make the transition from co-star to HUGE star, with that refreshing burst of energy she throws into all of her work!

As for the film itself, Aronofskys 'Black Swan' proved to be an extremely visually exciting and enthralling insight into the life and mind of ballerina 'Nina', played by Portman, striving for perfection in every are of her life, Nina lands the role of her dream in the ballet 'Swan Lake'. Her dream soon turns into a nightmare as her demons take over her life and her dark side is exposed. 'Lily' played by Kunis comes onto the scene as a free- spirited ballerina in the same company, who then, un beknown to herself, gets inside Ninas head. Nina is lead to believe Lily is after her, her role, her man, her dreams.

Without going much further, as it's a complicated one to explain without watching, and i don't want to ruin the storyline! I'd say although I definitely recomend the film and it is fantastically made, I would also note that with some shockingly disturbing scenes it is certainly one not to watched alone. But, that could just be me being a wimp!

Interview, Style Blogger

Rachel Charltons inspirational and exciting view on the world of fashion journalism!

When did you first become interested in blogging, fashion blogging in particular?

I’ve blogged on different platforms since I was 16 with Myspace and Live Journal but they were never for a particular purpose, they were more just my life ramblings. I started fashion blogging in November 2009 because I was at a loose end in my life and knew that I wanted to work in fashion journalism somehow, it took a lot of courage for me to start my blog but I’m glad I did.


Who are your inspirations and influences?

I wouldn’t look to people like Alexa Chung and definitely not Kate Moss, they give an unrealistic view of the fashion and journalism industry. But I do look up to Sarah Burton for everything she’s done with McQueen. In my writing I’m inspired by straight talking women and anything which makes me sit and take notice; I have a short attention span so anything that I can do that is blog-worthy!

Why is fashion important to you?

Its definitely the most exciting industry to be in but is also so complex there are so many areas of fashion and it has no set rules. Its like stepping into a fantasy world and then getting to convey to my readers, you never know who you’re going to meet. The clothes are just a small part of it all. For me mainly though it helped me find an inner confidence I never thought I could have.


How would you describe your own personal style?

I very rarely dress down, even as I write this I’m wearing a floral skirt and Paul & Joe sister floaty top, I’ve always had a vintage feel about my style I like big dresses and skirts and updating them with boxy jackets. I’m almost always in heels and hardly ever wear jeans, but that’s personal preference it’s not feeling I have to because of the industry, that’s why I love seeing other bloggers’ personal style posts, its an extention of their personality.

What do you enjoy most about fashion and blogging?

I love meeting other bloggers, there’s such a sense of community, events don’t feel like “work” but you meet such inspirational people and through blogging I’ve definitely had more opportunities.

What was your first experience at LFW like?

It was the surrealist experience of my life, but also exhausting. It’s not as glamourous as everyone thinks theres a lot of waiting around and its hard work but its an amazing opportunity one that I feel blessed to have had. The four days all blurred into one and I barely slept but it was worth it for the “pinch me” moments like having a cigarette with John Rocha and being stopped for street style shots whilst wearing primark!

From your time at British style bloggers who is the most inspirational person you have had the chance to meet/interview?

I’ve interviewed Katie MacKay from the blog What Katie Wore twice; she posts daily outfit shots and isn’t ashamed to stand out from the crowd, she gives others the confidence to wear what they love and stand out. (whatkatiewore.com)
I also have to say my editor Amy Thompson as she puts her all into the site and never has a bad word to say. I do worry about her sleep pattern though!

How do you feel about the pressure fashion publication put upon their readers and how do you think this could  or will be changed in the future?

Its of course wrong; women shouldn’t have to feel they need to look a certain way or act a certain way, fashion is something to be enjoyed not to be followed by the letter. But I feel that bloggers have a lot of influence and more are standing up against publications, it could take a long time but things can change.

What’s the most valuable lessons you have learned from your experiences?

Anne Agoren from the British Fashion Council once told me “grow elephant skin”, fashion is a very competitive industry, even just writing about it and there will always be one jealous person, but ignore it, rise above it. The other is to reign my personality in; I’m quite loud and speak my mind but not everyone is and you don’t want to scare off people who you may have the opportunity to work with.

Do you have any advice for new bloggers?

Be real to who you are, don’t write anything you don’t believe, take chances and be relatable. That and of course have fun!

Aside from fashion writing what are your other passions?

I campaign a lot to raise awareness for the chronic illness Lupus, which I have and I’ve always been interested in body image.

What are your hopes for the future and what are your dreams and aspirations?

Well at the minute I have a conditional offer at Northumbria to study Fashion Communication so I’m working hard to get the grades. I’d like to one day be working in fashion PR or journalism and my biggest dream is to live in Paris. I have my ideal house planned and the area I want to live.

The Dress

I was very pleased with the final outcome of my dress and quite surprised at how smoothly the making process went, the hardest part was the leather bodice as it was fiddly and difficult to sew however the end result was definitely  worth it.
I think my dress reflects my chosen theme well and the photo shoot went brilliantly, I loved the styling aspect of the project.
Here's a photo from the shoot (Un-edited)

Trend Bible

Trend Bible are a trend forecasting company based in Heaton Newcastle. they have agents across the world in eighteen different countries all gathering information which is used to compile a trend forecasting book which is sold on to companies helping them produce products that will be in trend and sell.

When brands don't look ahead they fail, this is a way of looking forward and staying ahead, which is why companies invest so much money in to the books. 

Trend bible look at different areas in thier research and jouney to creating the books.

These range form New technologies, art and design exhibitions, news, inspirational brands and alternative industries.

Networking

Our group had a talk from a ambassador from business link today. It was all about networking to build up contacts and get your name out there. Afterall They do say it's who you know, not what you know.

Networking can create oppertunities and help you build new skills