More Commission Work!

I have been given another opportunity to commission a garment piece for the same lady in whom I designed the ''Poppie'' stole for.
I just spent the evening sewing together a crop top/Clergy bib front to be worn under blouses and t-shirts. The majority of the crop top is finished but I will have to have another fitting tomorrow to make sure that the fitting is just right. The crop top is designed and made out of 100% cotton jersery, I have never really sewed with jesery before and luckily I did not have any problems working with the fabric.
Even though putting together this Clergy crop top bib front is not all that complicated it still worried me that I would get the sizing wrong because I have had to make this piece of garment in a size bigger than the average size 12 in which we as students have to work from. However, things are turning out well so far, and it is helping me to gain confidence in myself and in designing and communicating with the person in whom I am commissioning the work for.

First Day Back!

Oh my word!! Back into the grind of torture, sleepless nights and loads of stress! Final Year.....I can do this!
Strange kind of day being back, the vibe is weird and yet there is a lot of overwhelmed excitement within the final year fashion students. So much work to take on board, oodles of research that needs to be made and in thinking about things to be inspired by and what to design next for Indigo and final year capsule collection.
So far this evening I have spent several hours researching into fashion designers in the UK but soon got really bored of it all. Nothing that I saw was really that beautiful or stunning. I feel at the moment there doesn't seem to be beauty in fashion or design of clothing.....and I am not quite sure why. One of the biggest offsets I feel about fashion at the moment is that it's too fast pace and everything these days is about making money and not enough attention is given to appreciating the quality of couture and tailoring and making of clothing for women who want to find clothing that fits them well, versatile, comfortable and feels luxurious in which they can wear and feel like a goddess in it.
To make me feel a bit more upbeat I have been busy this summer and this evening researching into fashion designers in Montreal and Toronto Canada. I have noticed that within these two cities there are a lot of designers that have launched their own fashion labels who are passionate about the quality of making their own collection and I think this is fantastic because it gives them a chance to breathe and not be under preassure from the media all the time. And because I have been bought up in Quebec, Canada 2 hours from the heart of the city of Montreal and 4 hours from Toronto, of late I have felt a really strong urge to be back in my home country and in re-thinking the market and the values of being an idependant designer. Having my own boutique has also been an ambition and dream and the thought of doing so in Canada sounds so amazing to me right now because I have noticed that fashion isn't so fast pace, and more value for independant designer labels are given more credit and attention. So who knows......anything can happen.....but for sure if this is my pathway then I am going to have to get working extra hard and in thinking and planning loads!

Alexander McQueen

I have just posted two images of my favourite garments belonging to the designer Alexander McQueen. Alexander McQueen has always been a breath of inspiration to me. His work holds a lot of dark and beauty in his many collections. However, his attitude and respect for his love of tailoring and couture is what makes me admire him more. He exequits every detail with refinement and does not believe in the impossible when it comes to designing, making, cutting or sewing something together.
Like the designer, I love to make and create things that are beautiful because that is my passion.
I like to design things that people can not only admire for the beauty but hopefully respect the craft and the skills behind the making of a garment, accessorize or other forms of design and object.

Alexander McQueen

''During the nineties, care and attention to detail got lost somehow. This collection is about going back to (a) level of refinement. Every piece is unique and has emotional content. I want to create pieces that can ve handed down, like an heirloom.''  

''I think that couture has complete relevance today. Designer fashion shouldn't be throwaway.''

''I've never aspired to mass production. Because of my training as a tailor, my work involves lots of love and care, which is why so many of my clothes are made by hand here in London. Not to wow the crowd during a show, but because I love it.''

Crochet gloves (to be part of the 1950's Kimono style dress) which have been dyed to look ''vintage,'' with gold beading and french knots embellished into them.

This is my most recent garment in which I have designed and made. The dress was inspired by both the Kimono style and the 1950's era. The fabric of the dress is of 100% cotton linen which has been bleached to get the colour result as shown here in the dress. The dress has a lot of intricate clustered minature water lilies hand embroidered into the fabric in shades of yellows, rich French navy blue, gold, coral/pink, pale golden cream, rich green, khaki green and the use of antique gold beads. Additional embroidery techniques and design ideas were also inspired by ''Indian motifs.'' The crochet gloves have been dyed in tea to give it that vintage look and has also got hand and bead embellishments applied to them.