Collar to cuff.

The next project of the course is called Collar to Cuff. It draws on th shirt making our class has been doing since September. The idea is to collect reaserch into a theme mine was anatomy. 

Then design from the reaserch. Using various medical and Antony images I started my design process. I've tryed to take direct inspiration where possible but the main bulk is centerd around prints and embroidery.

    

Then I came to think who whould wear these garments? Not many people would be seen in 3d sulks with a fringed hem. So I thought of people like Gaga and Kat Von D. That brought me to a tattooist living in L A. 

She would be a extrovert with business on her mind. Some one who wants to look great but still professional. A fan of the bizarre and unusual. Allthough it's a very niche category the collection would be aimed directly at that style of customer. 

After I figured out who would wear my collection i had to pick my final designs that where to be discussed in a design meeting. We critiqued each others work and all came to a decision as to which of our garments we would take into production. My final designs are below.

Here I was inspired by the skeletal structure and this garment would be a boxy boyfriend style shirt, with an appliqué skelliton. And the collar was to be printed with bone detail. 

All over trapunto, in the shape of skulls a shredded hem and ribbon covered puff ball sleeves. This was one of my favourites but the critics did not choose it.  

This garment was inspired buby fetal abnormalities (odd I know, but I'm just abit odd anyway) deep ruffles would surround the arms and hips emulating brains and two fetal style faces would create an interesting neckline. 

This design is a basic fitted shirt in white cotton with a printed rib cage and hip structure. This would be then topped with delicately folded organza to recreate a rib style all the way down the front, sewn in at the button stand. 

The heart was my muse for this desing and the veins in particular. An embroidered vein structure would be surrounded by a padded hem and collar. 

The straight jacket although not anatomy it crept it's way in under the thought of medical horrors. Here I aimed to make a quite horrible garment girly by adding a heavily pleated skirt and waist thinning illusion panels. 

Here is one of my most favorite designs and it was inspired by the inner workings of the hand and Mariano Fortuni pleated dresses. It would be loose on the body and have delicately pleated batwingsleeves with the internal workings of the hand embroiderd on to them. 

The specimen again clearly inspired by fetal specimens, this shape was taken from a  formaldehyde jar with a fetus in it. The fetus would be appliqué felt pieces to create depth, inspired by prada's SS14 collection.

This is the final desing that was choosen in the design meeting. The hem is Inspired by the shape of the heart and on the black panel princess seam there will be delicate veins and hearts embroiderd to it. 

Lazy hazy days: part three, Cirque Du Burlesque.

Above is my final design board complete with front and back view aswell as the matching spec drawings. The head and tail pieces are classed as accessories and don't need to be included in the specs. Growing lace and shooting stars finish my board. 

  

Keeping the theme alive with smoked feathers Swarovski crystals and three piece corsets.  

Here are the girls from left to right, look one is big top inspired and has power net and silk panels. Look two is for the trapeze or stage swing as it would flow delicately during the performance and last but not least look three delicate Devore silks remove to reveal a corset and panties encrusted with sapphires. 

 

Look one takes the ring by storm, inspired by the ringmaster a petticoat removes to show a intricate three piece corset. Look two ostrich feathers and  Swarovskis dominate the powernet. Look three reveling powernet covers all and with ruffled raw silk it's hard to resist.

The final design board. I felt as though it should wrap up the the collection. So I added my logo and more growing lace for a dainty effect. Look one agin a removable petticoat sows of a beautiful corset. Look two inspired by the costumes of old with intricate fish scales and racey tights. Almost Wonder Woman Style with the cape attached.  

Keep checking in to see what overall grade I achieve. Fingers crossed guys xoxo  

Marketing and promotion: Cirque Du Burlesque

In our marketing classes we where asked to research logos, packaging and swing tags to help us create our own for the collection. 

I was amazed a the many variations I found especially in the swing rage field. There where hundreds of bright and innovative tags and above are but a few. 

So after rough sketches here are my swing tags complete with annotation. I have taken inspo from my reaserch and tailored it to suite my collection. 

Packaging seemed even easiest as my collection is couture I had to stay simple and refined like Louis Vuitton or Chanel. But I couldn't resist the odd ball sphere. 

Logos I found much harder as they could be any thing they don't really have to represent the brand. I tryed again to keep bit simple like the double g's of Gucci or the iconic inter locking LV. 

And these are my final ideas. Inter locking J's like Gucci. Simple yet effective. I chose blue and red. Even though red does not appear in my collection I felt against the blue it looks strong and bold. My board includes a garment box and bag aswell as a accessory box. Three shapes of swing tags and of course the logo. 

Above are additional rough sketches/illustrations that I have used for visuals in my marketing report that covers  potential advertising, marketing and a s.w.o.t analysis.