Yesterday was our walkthrough, showing our toiles to Mark, Hazel and Eley...Mark Eley.
Everything went really well and I'm glad to say I don't have to change anything :) except the collars because I'd prefer them to be a tad slimmer and not have such an spaced out peak.
Thank you to all of the male models that helped out, couldn't have done it without them.
A while ago I was put up for a sponsorship with Hermes, which would lead to possible employment or internship. I hadn't heard anything in a while and kind of thought it was the end of the road...until I got home a few minutes ago.
I have made the final cut and am due to fly to Lyon in January to present along with a few other students.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
This is a fantastic opportunity, not only for myself but also Heriot Watt University who I would never have been offered this without. Safe to say I am extremely nervous, but also excited! I have to choose my best piece of work to take with me...rummaging definitely required!
Ill keep you posted but in the mean time, let us take a few moments to look at some of their work!
A few weeks ago I recieved an email from my lecturer that the scottish academy of fashion had asked for our patterns, spec drawings and fabric choices for our Mackintosh project coats. exciting!
Myself and fellow fashion design for industry student Laura Cooper's jackets had been selected to be manufactured and sent off to NEW YORK CITY to be showcased in an event!
It was a mad rush to get the pattern re-drafted and sent off to the factory, but worth it in the end :) It's amazing what opportunities we have been given while studying at The School Of Textiles in Galashiels. I'm not sure what the event was as our lecturer never found out...but any more news and I'll post it up here
due to hand ins and general stress, the blog has suffered a bit of neglecting! BAD TIMES!
Intern
This year, 4th year fashion students have been paired up with a helper and mine in the fantastic Sarah Findlay! When talking to a few of the students I was torn between who I was going to choose...and right at the very end Sarah made her way over to me and changed my life!
She's a fantastically creative person and after a chat this week, I really think we are going to be a great team!
Collection 1 and 2 Hand In
Well, it has been a stressful period of the 1st semester graduate year! A few weeks ago we had to hand in all work for the collection...DONE!
On to the toiling process - pictures to come!
Mixtape
We are making magazines this semester for trend 1 and for this we were to make a cd to fit in with the whole theme/emotion of your collection. Due to the morbid and sinister theme in which my collection has been based on, I chose songs that I felt conveyed a mood, but weren't too obvious! Here's what I have come up with!
1.Berlin - Lou Reed
This song is really stunning. I went to see Lou Reed a few years ago and this song I feel really conjured up quite an eerie feel, the melody the piano plays being key for this!
2. Strangle Up My Mind - The Underground Youth
I only discovered this band a few weeks ago (where have I been?!) and in terms of songs for fashion films, I felt it almost sucked you in.
2. People Are Strange - The Doors
I love the doors.
3. The End - The Doors
Literal I know, but again, great mood and emotion.
4. Open Up And Bleed - Iggy Pop
Excellent.
5. Venus In Furs - The Velvet Underground
Almost my all time favourite song. Violin/guitar is just fantastic, I really love the almost sinister feel to this, I think It'd be great for the fashion film/fashion show
6. Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin
I love the crescendo in this song, really takes over you. The songs I have chosen are linked to the time period of the case so I think this really fits in well
7. Very Friendly - Throbbing Gristle
Woah! LITERAL! I love the beginning of the song, I would probably use the sound to fit in to the fashion film or a mix for a show if I was to be picked. The song is pretty horrific though...so I wouldn't be using it in full. For anyone who doesn't know about the moors murders, this is probably a good way of finding out!
I know this blog is supposed to be about me, but I can't help but share what my fabulous friend Deborah is up to!
Today Debbie, Fiona and myself went on the hunt for a spot to shoot Debbie's poster. See! Sometimes fourth year can be fun! I ended up on top of a platform pulling weeds out of the ground and kicking dirt about to ensure Debbie's posters all lined up correctly.
Please visit her blog to see what she is up to, it's really quite interesting!
Do you love her backpack? We do...
Getting down with nature...
I know these are all of Debbie but I think it's up to her to share her work with you...I just wanted to document what us fourth years get up to!
Today we had the chance to meet the first year fashion students which I was quite nervous about! Showing people your work and trying to explain where you're going with things can be quite a daunting task but I guess they were nervous too!
To relieve the final collection stress, we are being paired with an intern who we will mentor for the rest of the year. They were all pretty enthusiastic and it was interesting to see what they were all doing, however as I am tucked away in the corner not so many people ventured past the cables and laptop power leads...but those who I did see were really great!
This shoot for Who's Jack Magazine really inspired me. In terms of location and overall aesthetic, this fashion shoot is exactly the aesthetic I am interested in creating.
My sister was a huge fan of Dirty Sexy Things on E4 and after doing a spot of research for relevant fashion shoots I stumbled upon Fashion Photographer Perou's website.
Although he didn't have any images which were relevant to my theme, I did really like his work. Here are a few of my favourite images;
Today I had a bit of a breakdown towards the end of the day. Fourth year is a difficult year for everyone and emotions are running high! I think the first few weeks are obviously the most difficult and I'm finding it difficult to get into things.
Photo Booth
A remedy for all problems!
So. Morgan was on the case as usual. I think it's really important to remember that you need to take a step back sometimes and re-evaluate the situation your in...and also remember to have a laugh!
Back to fashion in the next few days...I promise!!
My Final Collection stems from a module I studied last year. It was such an inspiring module, and the theme I chose was something I was interested in, this really helps the work flow!
Commercial Portfolio Module The brief : To design a collection that reflects "who you are" and to create a promotional vehicle to advertise it. Immediately I new the direction I wanted to go in and the subject which I felt reflected the current interests in my life.
Myra Hindley and Ian Brady : The Moors Murderers. Quite a horrific subject, but something that has captured my attention for the last few months. After reading a few books I catapaulted myself into the case and focusing on the evidence and trial of one of Britains worst crimes, I began to make links to fashion.
I was surprised how much I actually got from this subject in terms of design ideas, fabric choices, knitwear, knitting techniques and ways in which the collection could be advertised and promoted. The module required us to have a research book, story board, design development and the final outcome. I ended up with a bit more than that...
I made two films to coincide with my project See No Evil : Secrets In The Suitcases this is the final fashion film and some stills.
Filming/Editing : Amber Hunter
Location : The Law, North Berwick / The Whisky Bottle, North Berwick
This year, Debbie is designing a womenswear collection. She works in a very clean and graphic style, which is reflected in the execution of her garments. Here's what she had to say about her wall;
Amber : So Debbie, tell us about the imagery you have on your wall.
Debbie: "I have a very graphic style in working, very clean, muted and simple. On the wall I have links to British artists and design, which reflect the heritage of My menswear images are references for my womenswear graduate collection. I also have Commes Des Garcons and Paul Smith womenswear images which underpin my market research. "
Amber : You have text on the wall as well, what do these reflect?
Debbie : "I have been researching different typography and layouts and while going through some magazines there were several quotes that stood out to me, this in particular by Susan Corrigan;
"Don't forget we're all in this together"
I really like this quote and felt it summed up my feeling of our year as a group.
My space on the other hand, is currently a shrine to Ash Stymest, Frankie Cocozza and Pete Doherty...
...with a couple of nuns throwing snowballs for comedy value.
Although it may look like I've just filled a wall with attractive men, they are actually fashion images...apart from Frankie from The X-Factor. I wanted to surround myself with images that make me happy, inspire me and help me through the inevitable breakdowns. Let's see how much it changes over the next few weeks!
Deborah Morgan and myself felt our studio was looking a bit bare, so we have come up with a genious plan to make it a more positive workspace, and what better way to do this than plaster it with fashion *cough* related images.
Morgan is currently still in the library printing and scanning...lets see if we can change this place and make it more interesting...
So the highlight of the day was visiting Joel and Sons. After spending a lot of time on Goldhawk Road (an experience in itself) I headed to Church Street in Edgware.
Walking along the street, I started to wonder if I had made a huge mistake...and then I entered the shop.
OH.MY.GOD.
I am pretty positive that there is absolutely EVERYTHING in this shop that you could ever want or need for a collection. Althought it's quite pricy, there are some reasonably priced fabrics and all of the fabrics in there are extremely high quality. I was showed around my Mr Joel himself, who literally knows every fashion house and the fabrics they use. He also informed me he's been getting his suits tailored for him since he was 14 years old - instantly fallen in love with this man!
As you can see I came out with quite a selection. Most of which are references to find fabrics elsewhere that are perhaps slightly cheaper! I have a very expensive taste in fabrics...but sometimes I get a bit carried away with myself. As if I can afford to spend £130 a meter on fabric! It really gave me a great starting point for the kinds for fabrics I want to use and will definitely be back to see what else I can find.
They do free samples and write down all information for you, so its a great shop to go to and the staff are so helpful. I think I'd get some fabric for a really special show piece, if I was feeling flush.
I went to The Fashion and Textiles Museum which I heard about when I visited Newham College in East Ham.
Tommy Nutter : Rebel On The Row
Literally one of the most exciting experiences of my life! This exhibition was like a dream land for me, with so many Savile Row suits! The exhibition really helped me with design ideas as tailoring is a big part of my collection. The era was bang on for my research also, so a really great exhibition to go and see.
There were also documents on show, such as customer records, photographs and sketches. The exhibition is on until the 22nd of October, so I would definitely recommend checking it out! The museum also has several talks, evening classes and discussions on throughout the year.
This was a very busy day for me! I headed to Bond Street, Savile Row and Berwick Street. I felt it important to mix high end well known designers so Bond Street was the best choice for this. I also went to Dover Street Market which was an experience in itself. I could have stayed there all day, definitely worth a look if you're in that neck of the woods.
Fabrics.
I spent quite a bit of time on the shops looking at all of the different fabrics on offer. I must admit, this place is expensive...but the quality is great! The first fabrics were from the Cloth house, second and third from the Cloth Shop.
Trimmings.
MacCulloch and Wallis
I spent a long time in here also, a treasure trove of trimmings! I cam away with a few fastenings but could have come back with a lot more had I had the money. Another successful stop!
