Good Bye 2nd Year

Overall i have really enjoyed this module.. I have enjoyed working for a designer and using their handwriting as inspiration to design my own range.. I feel that Chloe suited my tastes and i loved designing and making the clothes. I have grown very fond of Chloe and i can see how designers get attached to a label.

I have learnt some new skills in sewing and i am proud of what i have made. I feel that having to make a tailored garment has really pushed us as designers and possibly made us step into territories we were perhaps hesitant of. In the long run it was a good idea!

I still find pattern cutting a little difficult but the more i practice the better i get. I think it was a great idea to have set design development classes, i would have never churned out that many pages if the classes did not exit.

This module has introduced me to blogging!! and i think its fab!

I found juggling marketing, learning contract and this module very hard as the deadlines were all very close together. I feel if one of the modules was a bit lighter then i would have not been so stressed.

Organizing the fashion had taken up a lot of us reps time. Although i have loved every minute of it and i hope that every one enjoys what we have arranged. I feel that working towards a public event has had its pros and cons. Pros being a lot more effort has gone into the making but a con that it has caused a lot of strain. I have no doubt that it will all be worth it on the night and i am so happy to have this opportunity.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108713139151931

My Models and Styling!

For the fashion show i am using two gorgeous models!!

Becca Atkins and OlgaWiatrak! I would like to introduce you to them!

***Becca***

Becca is a classic beauty and a very confident model. I have used her for other fashion shows and she is always very reliable and hard working!

For her look i want to work with her hair up and big. As she will be wearing my coat i dont want her hair covering and detracting from it. Here are some ideas!

Loose and big!!

For makeup i want to stay quite close to the Chloe look. Fresh contoured faces but with perhaps a little more depth with the eyes.

***Olga***

I have never personally worked with Olga before but i had recruited her for the last fashion and thought she was a pleasure! Her walk caught my eye as well so i had to book her up for the next show!

Olga is the complete opposite look to Becca and that is what i wanted. She has a beautifully shaped face and i think the makeup style will work well with her.

Olga will be wearing my high waisted, box pleated trousers. She had very long legs so she is perfect for modeling my trousers.

I am thinking hair big, down and messy for Olga.

See by Chloe & Diffusion

See by Chloe is Chloes diffusion line that is catered for the younger consumer. It keeps the essence of the Chloe brand but watered down, cheaper and has more of a range. (more explanation of a diffusion line in PDP "Friday 26th March 2010)

Here are some of my favorite looks from See by Chloe A/W 2010/11:

I love the casual and ease of wear element to this range. It is so Chloe but more youthful and cosy.

Other way of diffusing a brand is by producing a perfume. Perfumes create a lot of press and is affordable to the majority of people. It is also another way of wearing the brand so the consumer still feels part of the luxury what ever the age or income.

Other items that can create brand awareness, popularity and sales is bags and accessories.

Here is the Paddington Bag that is one of Chloes best sellers:

Sunglasses are also another form of diffusion:

** My Diffusion Line **

"Lilly by Chloe"

For my own diffusion line designed for Chloe i have taken the youthful elements from See By Chloe and added a nomadic quality which fits my theme. I have also added similar attributes from Chloes main line that i had designed.

I kept the colour pallet similar to the main line but added a more bold purple so inject some youth. These garments can be either dressed up or down and all garments can be worn in a different set of combinations to suit different occasions.

I chose the name "Lilly by Chloe" because i liked the fact that Chloes brand name was feminine. I then started to think of girls names that are young and in trend for our generation. Lilly seemed appropriate as it comes from nature, fresh and feminine.

Here is the range:

Draping & Toiling!!

I am not a lover of draping as a first step. I tend to work flat on paper, make up my toile then alter it by draping, but in this case it is a must!

I needed to work out what kind of pleats and how big i want them for my trousers. I have been experimenting with some pleats on my mannequin and here is what i have come up with so far...

These box pleats have a measurement of 6cm... thinking thats a bit chunky!

These box pleats have a measurement of 4cm... hmm, think i prefer!

I have tied a strip of jersey around the waist because i will be making a draped belt for the waist and wanted to see what kind of fabric would work best. I like the contrast between the soft belt and the stiffer box pleats.

Calico is not the best material i could use to create the heavy draped look i am trying to achieve in the length of the trouser. Although i do like the way the pleats have kept their shape along the waist. I do not want the pleats to be structured all the way down the leg so this is why i have only pinned the pleats in around the waist.

I want these trousers to be as long as i can with out my model falling over down the catwalk. Her measurement from waist to floor in 5 inch heels is 125cm, so i am thinking this will be a nice length of trouser to elongate her figure and enough length for the trousers to drape and walk nicely.

More Toiling!!!!!

step by step

Chloes new A/W 2010 Collection

Here is the end result of my design development. This six outfit collection still has the essence of the bohemian Chloe girl, but with a roughened edge. The mixture of texture and length brings a different slant on a typical Chloe range. It has been warmed up for a cosy Autumn/Winter collection suitable for any occasion.

I will be making the trousers on the third figure and the outfit on figure four.

Here is my working drawing of the coat

Through starting to pattern cut i have come across some new ideas so i am changing this original design to make the coat look like a whole and not look as if it has been cut in half. I want to continue the paneling down the length of the coat and cut the coat with a double breast to create a wrap around look and tied at the waist. The length will be slashed and spread to create a lot more fullness and weight. These alterations will hopefully create the look i am trying to achieve.

Design exercise.

Task:

"Research silhouette, collars an cuffs ready for design development exercises in week 3. Pool your research and timed exercises will be given to do in class."

Little bit out of my comfort zone as i tend to work quite slow and concise. All my life from various tutors i have been told to "free up".....hmmm... all well and good but that is like another language to me!!

Nevertheless i persevered, gritted my teeth and cracked on with it. Let my hand to the talking and this is what i came up with... Now remember i am not the "free" type so it is going to take me a while to get into this style.

Here are some of the results of our timed exercises carried out on Friday 26th Feb..

Cuffs:

Collars:

Silhouettes:

Task:

"Research Skirts,Shirts and Sleeves ready for design development exercises in week 4. Pool your research and timed exercises will be given to do in class."

Here are my designs from the exercise. They have been reworked from the initial pencil drawings i had made in the lesson. I felt that this week was a better design week for me. I was able to work faster and come up with more ideas. Here are my best sheets:

Shirts:

Sleeves:

Skirts:

Task:

"Research Dresses, Trousers and Jackets/Coats, ready for design development exercises in week 4. Pool your research and timed exercises will be given to do in class."

Here is my work from the design exercise. I am enjoying this lesson more and more. Now i just need to pull all my sheets together, pick out the best ideas and develop them into wearable garments for my Chloe capsule collection!

Jackets:

Dresses:

Trousers: