Final Year Poster

From the first day of 4th year, the disserataion topic and (sort of) design concept was established. I chose to study about Hong Kong/Chinese traditional costume Cheong Sam. The dress represents the China and Chinese culture. Although they are elegant, feminine, sexy and classic, the costume is no longer worn as daily attire these days.

For this reason, I chose my title as OPIUM. I researched Hong Kong and Chinese history and the Opium War was big part of the history which Hong Kong island given to the British. OPIUM is part of basic ingredient for illegal substances. The substances make people get addicted, irresistible, comfortable and relaxed. Yet the flower is just innocent, bright colours which blends in with other flowers. I wanted to create a collection that's like an OPIUM. Addictive, irresistible, sexy, comfortable yet innocent, beautiful and blends in with others. I really wish this collection will turn out successful as it's my final year show.. Fingers tightly crossed!

Paul Smith Spring Summer 2010

I was doing some research for my collection and came across Paul Smith spring summer 2010. What a lovely combination of colours!

What a genius!

Where are you? Where is our Autumn?

Images that inspire us for this autumn fashion

I do not want to blame on anything.. I was just a little lazy to dress up and look fashionable for last couple years... I thought life was tough and had no time to make myself look good and fashionable... (although i study fashion... as we all know.. fashion students are tired students..) My new year's resolution was to look after myself.. including upgrading my wardrobes.... Fashion Fashion Fashionable! Trendy Trendy Trendy! I was going through magazines and found some images that can inspire me for shopping this weekend!

Colour: Neutral, natural, and warm (yellow, red and lots of browns... including black and white)

Silhouette: Slimming, longer or either very short and bold!

Others: Laces, shoulders, fur and my lover Capes!

The weather is still very warm for us to wear long sleeves.. I myself still walk around with singlets and shorts..

"Mirror Mirror on the Wall, When will the weather get cold???"

Lace Lace Lace don't we all love 'em? and puffy shoulders!

Love the gorgeous color pallets... Fall like yet colorful!!

Red Red Passionate Red lips are in again!

Love you little Cape on the shoulder!

Ilove you forever! xoxo

Love you little shiny boots too!

Cecil Beaton

Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (1904-1980):

Cecil Beaton will always be remembered for his huge influence in photography and fashion. He is an English fashion photographer who also worked as costume, stage designer and an actor. He worked as costume designer for Gigi (1958) and My Fair Lady (1956) and achieved him a Academy Award for Costume Design. Beaton also worked for Broadway musical which brought him four Tony Awards.

I find his works represents classical beauty, creative, elegant, graceful and beautiful. Some of his elegant and beautiful photographs seems to be slightly influenced by surrealism. Like his famous quote, his is daring, different and imaginative! He is a true artist who understood beauty and expressed through photography and costume.

Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the paly-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." Cecil Beaton

Cecil Beaton Sketch

Photograph by Cecil Beaton for Vogue 1951: Soft and New look. (Background: Jackson Pollock's painting; Fairwell to an Idea Chapter 6)

Model: Lesilie Caron, Gown: designed by Cecil Beaton for My Fair Lady

Japanese lady at the background is very controversial.

Cecil Beaton - Behind the camera (www.theselevdgeyard.wordpress.com)

Shorts Shorts Shorts!!!

Shorts are in this Autumm

rolled up hem with T-shirt and ankle tops, black or brown leather shorts, denim and safari for week end and cocktail style for parties...

image: from vogue (UK) Hermes A/W2010

image from: Vogue (UK) DKNY A/W2010

image from: Vogue (UK) Tommy Hilfiger A/W2010

Image from Vogue (UK) Tommy Hilfiger A/W2010

Image from Vogue (UK) Prada A/W2010

Victorian Fashion

Victorian Fashion

I personally think victorian era had the best fashion... They had the most beautiful, feminine and classic colours and silhouette.. (but unbelivably uncomfortable..)

• All current fashion trends reference back during this era. Ruffled power shoulder has came back after many many years of fashion cycle.

image from: Vogue (Alexander Wang)

• Pleats and Ruffles around the wasitline. Victorians often used pleat and ruffles around pinched waist to give more volume of the hip.

image from: fashionera.com (1895) and Valleygirl

• Lace lovers! Victorians loved lace.. They used lace for trims and decorations. Now,,, lace is back too!

image from: Vogue (unknown designer on Blake) and 20ltd. (http://www.20ltd.com/)

Who said fashion is only for human???

Animal can be fashionable too!

Animals have right to be fashionable!

model: Sarang Yang Lee

Social Media Revolution

SCARY technology! you scare me!!! slow down!

SPECIAL LECTIRE review- 'ispy style' Kate Vandemeer

Kate Vandemeer is a fashion blogger, journalist profession in branding and marketing. Her lecture was about how there are different brands, how they target their market, and how to survive in the wild fashion world....

Her workshop about branding and marketing in the fashion industry inspired me to pursue my dream . We all shared what we would like to do after graduation. I told the class that "I do not feel creative anymore.. So I would like to work as a buyer... and own a business that imports children's wear". I honest do not feel creative anymore.. at least this point of period.... but I do like to be involved in fashion especially children's wear. I think the children's wear industry is booming... DINC (Double Income No Child) couples are increasing and children are treated as a treasure in the family. Parents do not hesitate to spend to make their kid look like celebrity kids!

She remind of important 4P of marketing theory which I should remember always...!

• Price: Who is my customers? What kind of value do I want to see in my product? The product itself? or the experience?
• Promotion: What kind of other promotions am i running?
• Product: What is my product? Who is it appealing to? Is it in trend?
• Placement: Where am I going to place my product? Where will be my store?

To visit her website... www.ispystyle.net

Vintage posters

Vintage posters!

Always makes our eyes happy! colourful! humorous (in some ways...)

but inspirational! love 'em!

Most of they time, they are wearing very cute bikinis or dresses... but... why do they look surprised? why do they look so cheerful!? why are most of these posters related to siloring???

makes me wonder....

I found this very interesting... 'We can Do it.!!!!'

very strong feminist poster!

'DO NOT DISTURB!!!!'

Vintage.....and current fashion...

www.fntgallery.com.au

12th of April.. Monday..

We had special industry lecture by Charlotte Smith, curator from The Fashion and Textile Gallery. She brought in some garments to show us from Victorian era till current international and local designers.

About 4 garments were from Victorian era. All garments were hand sewn, hand made and hand laced.... To give a perfect form and silhouette that they wanted, the inner structures were very complicated with lots of panels. All pieces were sewn close to perfect that the stitching were not torn apart and reserved in a very good condition for last 300 years.

The size of the garment was also very small.... pinched waist... almost unable to breathe... made me wonder... 'how is that possible...?? I wore tight high waisted belt for half an hour and almost fainted.. how did they live???' But obviously they survived through.. that's why we are here!!!!

Another interesting thing that she mentioned was that Fashion during that time was unspoken language. According to Charlotte, Victorians were secretive with everything. So to communicate with others without speaking, they expressed through their way of dressing. For example a widow or if some close die, the woman would wear 2 years of Black. First year would be completely black, Second year would be a tint of black to communicate with others that she had a lost within 2 years. The way they used fan were also communicating with others. I thought ;'Fashion is stronger than spoken language.'

This lecture was educational, interesting and enlightening of many new things. I was inspired with vintage items, i was seeing things differently. I always thought Vinnie's were full of things with unwanted things... but this morning, when i stepped into the Vinnie's, I started to appreciate things... 'Every piece has a story...'