Samples

So to add a bit of excitement to my prints i am working on top of them. I have also noticed how specifically my new muse Iris and all her friends wear a lot in the way of jewellery and embellishment.

I have lazercut some shapes from the interiors of the houses used in my first staged of research in acrylic and attached them simply to a cord to create an oversized necklace. 

Age is Beauty.

So there they are the foundations of this project! I also have a number of images of similar women from the Advanced Style blog.

http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/

Ari Seth Cohen is based in New York and photographs these fashionable women every day. It is a constant source of inspiration and is perfect for the concept of my project. Here are some sketchbook pages to show you how I am using these women to transform my prints and fashion designs.

Lynn Dell - Countess of Glamour.

78 years old.

Iris Apfel.

91 years old.

A New Year.

I am a little late in regards to wishing you a new year, but I know that this start to January has also bought a new starting point for my project. After writing my dissertation draft over christmas it changed my whole outlook on my current project. I was looking into Ageism within fashion, specifically how inspiring I find women who dress well over the age of 60 but how hardly any designers have no focus on these mature women. After 5000 words I realised I didn't want to be one of these designers. So now, I have started a new sketchbook that focuses on dressing older women. My final collection will be designed for women over the age of 60. In am taking particular inspiration from some 'older' fashion icons.

Printing.

We had a week printing time in Printworks studio, Brixton just before heading home for christmas. I found it really helpful to work in a studio like this, and if they continue to get funding I will happily work here after my degree. The actual printing went really well too, I managed to create about 70-80 prints. However this was almost a hinderance when it came to the editing process. I found my prints were getting a little repetitive, so in terms of final prints I still have a way to go. I am also keen to really work on top of the samples with beading or embroidery to add some more texture to them.

Zandra Rhodes.

I was kindly invited by a friend to the revealing of Zandra Rhodes new Fashion and Jewellery collections. It was in the Mandeville Hotel where we also had a beautiful afternoon tea designed by Zandra. She was a real inspiration with her prints especially her colour palette, it was very brave using almost fluorescent bright pinks, blues and oranges. I have realised my prints are simple but with the layered fabrics and colour clashing they will look exciting. All being well I am going intern with her next year, I feel the way she works is very much print before fashion, she does the prints then they lend themselves to the fashion. It was a really lovely evening, with some very interesting people there something I could get used to!