"It can't get any worse than this..."

So this past Saturday I had planned to go to London to do my fabric shopping...

Rose and I, planned to meet between 12:30-1:00, needless to say I didn't arrive in London till 3pm, and had left at 11:00am.

First off, I get to the train station, and see that I must wait 20 minutes for my train - me not being overly pleased, thought "well twenty minutes isn't too bad". 

So I caught my train, and then an announcement says that the train will be terminating at Southampton Central due to Engineering works. What does this mean? Well basically I have to catch a bus to Southampton Airport Parkway and then catch ANOTHER train that will take me to London....

After hearing this I was a wee bit frustrated to say the least - I knew I would be a little late to meet Rose, but regardless I had no other choice, so I warned her and thought that it wouldn't take too long (still slightly optimisstic at this point). I get off the train with everyone else, and there were A LOT of people! I figured I would follow this massive group of people thinking they were going to catch this 'special bus service' - BIG MISTAKE - but to be fair there were so many people crowding around the service attendant that I didn't want to waste anymore time (and these people, I thought, seemed to be sure of where they were going). Of course they were sure of where they were going, it just happened to be to a shopping center instead. By this time I have crossed the street, and am into a parking lot when all of a sudden this mass group of people divide....AHHHHH. Do I go LEFT?? or do I go RIGHT? 

Well I went left...and thought quickly to myself "something isn't right...". I politely asked these two women, "Are you catching the special bus service?", "Oh no, we aren't, you have to go back to the station and over the bridge to the next platform where it will be waiting outside..."

"Greaaat" I thought, I said "thank you", and then began retracing my steps back to the station.

Thoroughly annoyed, I stomped all the way back to the station, with a cigarette in hand. I get back, and at this time another guy from Bournemouth was asking the service attendant the same question I had "Where do I go to catch the special bus service?". I eve's dropped and started to follow him. He looked back and I was like..."I think I did the same thing as you", and as it so happens we did do the exact same thing. We went through this damn parking lot, and got confused when the group of people divided...

We briskly walked over the bridge to Platform 1, and out the doors and onto the street where we saw the buses!!! AT LAST! I honestly thought from that moment on as I sat down on the bus with my new travel buddy, that this was the worst that could happen, and that I was finally back on track on my way to London.

WELL, NO.

Yeah, that's right The bus pulled into this little station called 'Woolston' - yeah, never heard of it either...

I thought surely we were supposed to be dropped off at S.Hampton Airport, but figured they must have changed our route.

My travel buddy Paul and I get onto the station platform, thinking we were still in the right place, and looked at the train scheduale...

There were NO trains going to where WE needed, obviously confused, we walk over to another service attendant and ask "What train will take us to Basingstoke & London Waterloo?". "Oh no you got on the wrong bus, you will have to catch another bus back to Southampton Central and then get on the right one"...well neither of us were pleased with hearing this, and then all of a sudden - the attendant said "well, you  can get off at the second stop, Farneham, and then catch a train to Waterloo from there - Yes, actually you two are better off doing that."

UGHHH! 

(We both thought that this would be better than getting a bus back to S.H Central)

Well the train arrives not too long after this converstaion, and once again...we are on our way!!! yay!

Feeling a little disheartened but a little more secure now that we are on the right track again, we set off to Farneham station, and head to the next platform where our train will be coming in...

When we arrive in Farneham, by this time it was 12:37, we found out that our next train would not be coming for another HOUR! Are you kidding me??!?! Seriously, I could not believe my luck, or rather both of our luck. Well Paul and I decided that we might as well discover Farneham a bit, and took a stroll into town to look at some of the shops. 

We come back 20 minutes before our train is due, head to the platform and wait. We shared witty banter about how this was a 'BTD', a Bad Train Day, and that it really could not get any worse than this...

On the train still talking, "Basingstoke" is announced, and I finally had to say goodbye to my BTD - PIC (Partner In Crime).

When I arrive in London...

Of course I chose the weekend when Oxford street was closed for pedestrians for Christmas fesitivites...

Literally never seen or been around so many people in my life, the tube was packed! - the streets were packed, AND I am slightly clausterphobic (which was not in my favour when I was riding on the tube). Anyways, I made it to Berwick street and went to the Cloth House expecting to find leather, but no no that would have made the day been somewhat okay. Instead I find out that the Cloth House will not be stocking leather of any kind anymore. Yeah, great news for me...

So I had to settle for some leatherette which from the outside looked fairly decent, but I must admit I was not prepared for how differently it would fit on the body. Needless to say it did not work out for me in the end, as I had planned to do laser engraving, haha yeah melted leatherette does not work. 

Now looking back on that time (as this was last term), I realize how unprepared I was for fabric shopping. I had not done much research before hand and I believe that if I had done more sourcing at any earlier date, perhaps I would have had a much more successful outcome.

All I can say is that it was a lesson learned, and next time when I do go fabric shopping I won't be as unprepared...

  

'CRUNCH TIME'

Sooooo I am now just halfway through this project....I have been so stressed with finding my footing, that I forgot the whole point of having a blog. I could have opened up all my frustrations on here instead of keeping them all in my head or written on random pieces of paper that I'm sure I've lost by now.

I think it's been so hard this first term because we were asked to explain who we are as individuals and as designers, which is probably  the hardest thing to do. Rarely does one ever look at themselves so closely. Of course as you go through the process, by the end of it you realize how self aware you have become.

However, I do believe that it has benefitted me greatly. I now know so much more about myself - how I work, what makes me tick...it's amazing...getting there just took a little more time than I would have liked.

ANYWAYS

I just had my Mid-Way crit. last week and got the results this week! Everything was in the good category! Which is GOOD...because I definitely expected satisfactory or below. It's not that I don't believe in my work or that I'm not passionate, it's just I wasn't sure what my tutors would think...and well being new to the course and all...it's a little intimidating...this is their first impression of me - needless to say, it was a wee bit scary. 

All is well now, just a little behind and when I say 'little' I mean quite a bit behind...and last weeks little 'bad flu' incident didn't help either. I know what I need to do though....so i just have to DO IT! Ladies and gentlemen, it is now officially 'CRUNCH TIME'. Let's do this!!

BUT I will put up some photos of what I have been up to since my absence from blogger!

Clothes pegs have never been cooler...

I've been taking them apart and creating some pretty neat patterns. I'm thinking I will screen print some of my fabric for my outfit.

I have the picture in my head...now I just have to produce it.

Surrealism is my inspiration - The idea of taking reality(objects), taking them apart and then recreating something out of it that may or may not make sense. It's exciting, and it's funnily enough how I work best. I explore things that already exist. I really enjoy De-co/Re-co...

 

more photos to come...

De-Co/Re-Co Disaster

So it has been about a month that we all have been in uni. Let's start from the beginning....

On the second day we had a de-co/re-co project, which to be honest I thought i was prepared for until they told me to cut up my vintage dress from my 21st birthday....uhhh no! so well since I couldn't cut that up I was very limited. I brought fabrics in but they were completely opposite to my delicate, and detailed black dress. I brought in a harsh sliver lycra....yeaaaah....not much to work with.

 and then there was the inspiring object....

which don't get me wrong...was inspiring but, combined with everything else I had brought in and the lack creativity due to the absence of my morning coffee...I was spent!

Well I did some sketches and decided to accentuate the shoulders - which was inspired by the shape of the glass when I turned it upside down.

and then I started coming up with stuff like this...

 

 

So basically what happened was I started a new look and decided to make one single garment from the fabrics I had brought in...

Well let me tell you...I actually heard the words "Get rid of those wings, just get rid of them" said the visiting tutor (whose name was also Robin) referring to the strong shoulder line I had made on my cape...capette?? 

Anyways I was embarassed - I spent all this time on these stupid shoulder pad thingy's...but it looked ridiculous, my fabrics were all so different...nothing looked good.

So frantically at the last minute...I am trying to re-work this piece of clothing(?)...seriously though, not really sure what it is to this day.

I grabbed Suphattra and re-styled this whole thing. Wrapping it under and over her arms, behind her back, around her neck....And the result was this:

NOT my proudest moment, but it can only get better from here on in...right?

at the end of the day I just was so eager to start my first project. It was really hard to focus or give energy to anything else that I didn't think was directly related to it...

thoughts?

Nope, just glad that's over with.

So today was officially our first day back at uni, and we had an introduction with our new course leader...

I wrote down some notes from her presentation - she seems really passionate about our course, which I'm really excited about. I definitely think she will be very pro-active and involved with the students.

NOTES:

PROACTIVE + VISIONARY

Important skills to develop:

- multi-tasking 

- opinion making

- concept creation

- visualization

- problem solving

---> awareness of craft and technology are essential

**Field trip to Raffles Design Institute - Beijing!!!!** (possibly)

Creative Business Practice

• to apply an idea and see how it would be received by the market
• the realism of business
• the ambiguity of the job market
• no more 'job for life'

E-COMMERCE ---> The way forward

*Dissertation should link to FMP

Start thinking about my specialist identity!--->R2W?

Design isn't always about signature acts, but about collective & interactive gestures.

That is all, Goodbye.

'Surreal Things' @ The AGO

This entry is pretty delayed considering I went to this exhibition in August, however...here it is now.

So where do I start? 

key words:

AMAZING

Spontaneous

refreshing

Eye-opening

INSPIRING

Probably the best $36 I have spent in a loooong time...

The exhibition 'Surreal Things' was on at The Art Gallery of Onatrio, but was currated by Ghislaine.... from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. 

I have always been inspired by the Surrealist art movement, so it was only natural that I would be drawn to this exhibition. Although a long time follower of this movement, I discovered a completely different side to it; a side where Surrealism crosses over into the world of fashion, design, film and advertising. Some of the most renowned Surrealist artists ideas and imagery took on a new form within commercial commodities. This opened up another realm of possibilities for artists, such as Salvador Dali & Renee Magritte. 

Key Inspirations:

1) Dali's Jewellery collaborations ex. 'Ruby Lips' 1949 (As seen in above sketch...pardon the really rough sketch)

2) Dali's Fashion Illustrations that were published in Vogue

3) Elisa Schiaparelli's 'Skeleton' Evening dress 1938 

     

-------------------------------------

I truly loved Dali's jewelry collaborations. Even though I have studied and been a follower of Dali's work for years I never knew that he dabbled in jewelry design.

- he designed his first jewels w/ Italian aristocrat & jeweler FULCO di VEDURA 

- They predominantly explored classical & religious themes - many of which held personal significance for Dali

- 1949 Dali signed a contract w/ Argentinean Jeweler, CARLOS B. ALEMANY & the Finnish shipping magnate ERIC ERTMAN --> this collaboration resulted in some of Dali's most famous jewels

- The designs often adapted motifs derived from his paintings ex. 'Ruby Lips', this explored the imagery of the body

Other Dali Jewels to keep in mind:

'Honeycomb Heart' Brooch (1953-54)

'Starfish' Brooch (1950)

'Telephone' Ear clips (1949)

Other Designs to keep in mind:

Charles James' Evening Dress w/ print by Jean Cocteau, printed silk (1938-1939)

**I think this exhibition would be a great starting point for a possible Live Brief for my first project...**

Visual Directions - Podcast Notes

Podcast 12 - Yvonne Mills, Course Director FdA beauty Therapy & Health Studies

- honesty

- bring ideas, faults and inspirations to life

- use reflective writing as a tool for improvement

- write thoughts and feelings down right away --> helps bring ideas out

- go back a few days later and review --> look at the good and the bad

- industry is looking for reflective individuals

Podcast 13 - Sue Thomson, Course Director FdA Fashion Tech.

- engage as soon as the course begins

- re-organize the info. that has been received, and make it into something that is understandable to yourself

- being reflective improves problem solving abilities -> beneficial for the workplace/ and careers

- everything in a sketchbook or journal should have a purpose

- reflective writing moves you to a higher level of understanding

- carry a small notepad and pen with you everywhere --> it allows for you to be able to spontaneously put down your thoughts or random ideas

Podcast 14 - heather Pickard, Director of Programmes BA(hons) Fashion Management

- step back from the demands of the curriculum and look at your own personal skills and think about how they can be applied in the future (workplace)

- know your strengths and weaknesses, SWOT Analysis is a good starting point

- Dissertation --> reflect on the whole process from beginning to end (on-going)

- RW is a continuous process --> MUST HAVE THOUGHT & CONTEXT to it

Podcast 15 - Darren Raven, Senior Lecturer FdA Design for Graphic Comm.

- Keep a NOTEBOOK & PHOTOBOOK --> very helpful to review and reflect on for future reference.

- good opportunity to vent with any frustrations or struggles  --> try to look for and acknowledge common patterns and issues that arise ***

- document in  way that suits you

- 5W's & HOW --> enables deeper insight

- you can use symbols, images etc...

- enables you to capture a single experience

Podcast 16 - Catherine Smith, Senior Lecturer School of Graphic Design

-talk about your work --> influences, what you made & the process of making it

**ALL ABOUT ME AS A FASHION DESIGNER**

- be able to separate other personal feeling that are unrelated to the current project

- RW can be subjective, does not need a beginning,middle and end

- Look at a piece of paper for writing, as another person

- explain processes, justify what you've made

- don't write for anyone else

- experiment with different ways of writing (informality is great!!)

- make it visually interesting...

**** Podcast 17 **** - Alison James, Head of Teaching & Learning @ LCF (This podcast I found to be the most helpful. Alison James, is very knowledgeable, and I found that all the tips she was sharing was very relevant and her delivery of the information was very inspiring as well) 

- it is more about who you are while creating or doing a project rather than what the project actually is

- RW is about encapsulating change and the factors involved in that change

- "What have a I got out of a certain experience?"

- "This is what I've done, how has it affected me?, Where am I going?"

- RW is the process of sense making

- Everyone has a different journey, this can include free-writing, images, films, sounds, music...etc...

- DOUBLE ENTRY REFLECTIVE JOURNAL --> one side is the INITIAL ENTRY and then the other side is the REFLECTION ENTRY (about the process, at a later date)

- Drawing can be another reflective process --> can be more truthful

Podcast 18 - Lucy Parfitt, Student FdA Beauty & Health

(Approaches to RW)

- write down key words or feelings from an experience

**reflection teaches you how you learn, what methods are the most effective for you personally**

- have strategies and plans to work through different teaching methods

- LISTS --> make a story around the list of words, helps break the information down

Podcast 19 - Jennifer Streeting, Student FdA Beauty & Health

- analyze your processes, find the strengths & weaknesses

- "what is the point?"(...I can relate)

- RW can be a stress release from all the pressure

- keep notes constantly

- be aware of how certain situations affect you

- RW is useful to go back and see your actual progression --> can be really positive and motivating

Podcast 20 - Jane McIver, Student BA(hons) Fashion Management

(didn't get much out of this particular podcast...quite boring and repetitive, nothing profound was said)

- emotional release

- allows you to review your progression

- a way of evaluating your work

- HONESTY...again

Visual Directions - Initial Reflection

So I finished all the videos on Reflective Writing, and I must say that initially when I started the first video and heard the first sentence I thought "oh god, this is going to be boring". BUT now that I've finished I have to say I was actually really interested in all the tips that were given. Writing is a really important aspect of my life, so I do in fact enjoy writing reflections. I guess I always looked at reflections in the literal sense though ie. A diary entry, a type of structured writing. 

Now I have a brand new outlook on it. All of a sudden this reflection can be anything I want it to be. It doesn't just have to be written words, it can be pictures! Doodles (which I love doing) songs, films..all the things that inspire me in everyday life can now all come together to be apart of my reflective journal. I think this is pretty fantastic because I don't think that just my written words without any visuals would completely show who I am and what I do. I am an eclectic person with eclectic taste, so it really would make sense that my journal entries would also include other forms of art and media. Not gunna lie I am kind of really excited to keep this blog going, I really feel it will be a good outlet for me, Just as the individuals on the podcasts said it would. The videos that I initially thought were going to be boring, have actually really made an impact on m. I look at this PDP file now, not just as an assignment or another task to complete, but as a tool for me to track my progress as a Fashion Designer and as an artistic outlet...

I am really starting to think seriously about what I want my deisgn message to be...What is the Essence of 'Bobby'? What kind of designer do I want to be? What message do I want my clothes to portray? What will be my signature shape and colour? How will I continue to develop my brand? How will I stay true to the core vision of 'Bobby' throughout its lifetime? I want to be good, no no, I want to be GREAT!

So here is me(as a designer) in a nutshell. Hopefully writing it down will give me some clarity...

Shape

Strong Lines

Structure

Edgy

Futuristic Flare

Detail

Contrasting Beautiful Fabrics - Synthetic, Natural, Industrial etc...

Minimalist

Binding on seams

Simple

Chic

Unique

Abstract Art

Sculpture

Movement

Scale

Strong feminine edge, for the woman looking to push the boundaries and express her true self with the outside world. A Bobby girl is feminine, but not gurly. Strong, outgoing, loves meeting new people. City girl, but still loves to get away!

I will sit on this for while, but it's a good start for sure.