Saturday was one of my oldest friends birthday, so I went to brimingham to celebrate!

I wore topshop top & shoes, zara shorts and mulberry bag. My friend wore zara top, alice & olivia dress and new look shoes.

LOUISE GARDINER INSPIRATION

For a sustainable brief in college, I created a textile sample to illustrate my sustainable capsule collection I used Louise Gardiner for inspiration.

I really enjoyed working in this style, and today made two more samples... 

Here are two outfits from this month, where I actually remembered to take a picture! I have made a promise to myself to do it more often.

Left I am wearing Topshop, Asos & Pull and Bear. Left I am wearing Topshop,  Zara x3 (oops) and my new Louis Vuitton scarf.

Last week I went to london for my interview at London College of Fashion. I also had some free time to go shopping at Westfields. It is one of the best shopping centres I have been too, it starts with designer e.g. Miu Miu, LV, Dior and filters down to Karen Millen, The Kooples and again to Topshop, Zara etc.

I also had the chance to shop the J.W Anderson collection for Topshop, also the majority of it isnt my style I love the pastel pink leather loafers!

Heres some pictures of what I wore. Zara Jacket, Topshop Trousers & Shoes, SBC bag 

PRESENTING MY CONCEPT

I have chosen to produce a video to communicate my concept for my FMP. Here is the video I made on iMovie. 

CAD SPEC DRAWINGS

I have now picked my final outfits for my Final Major Project in college, and here have completed a series of spec drawings for my collection. I have named the garments in my collection, after 19th century neck cloths.

Here I have began to develop the ruffle into tops, dresses and skirts.

 I have now began to design all in ones/jumpsuits keeping the focus on the ruffle playing with it around the neck and on the back as a feature.

Here I have developed the ruffle feature, experimenting with placing it in different areas on dresses, shirts, trousers and jackets.

 Here I have finished designing my trousers, and have moved on to dresses still incorporating the features throughout.

Here I am playing around with dresses again, and incorporating a completely backless top with a neck tie.

I have now began to design skirts, and tops that feature only a bib on the back this is a feature I noted when researching into mens shirts, I however have reflected it in a different way. I have choose midi length, as it was a time of prudery.

I have now began to design my collection, incorporating all my research, chosen trend; monochrome and predicted trend; futurism.

Here are the start of my designs, a feature I have included on the majority of the garments is the ruffle as I feel it will work effectively against my trend; monochrome.

Here is my trend board representing the monochrome trend. I have used images from Photographer Tim Walkers work and stylists Jacob K. This reflects that the trend is echoing not just on the catwalks but through all aspects of Fashion.

I have used catwalk images from designers (from left) Lanvin, Balenciaga, Costume National and Saint Laurent.

TREND BOARD

I have chosen to incorporate the monochrome trend into my designs, as it is a personal favourite and feel it would work well with my designs adding a modern twist to 19th Century menswear.

Monochrome has been seen globally on the catwalks in all forms from stripes both horizontal and vertical, abstract prints, clashing prints and panels.

Two of my favourite designers that I feel have executed this trend well are Costume National (both SS and F/13) Balenciaga (both SS and F/13) and Viktor & Rolf F/13.

Costume National

Balenciaga

Viktor & Rolf

I am now going to produce a trend board, based on Monochrome...

The target market for my collection, is high end high street. This means cut, fabric and finishing on garments would be to a higher standard than average high street stores e.g. garments may be lined.

I choose to do a case study, on a store that I felt would be apt for my collection.

My collection is aimed, at a young fashion directed individual. 

I went to the Kooples store in Manchester, to observe both store layout and garment presentation. 

The Kooples as a brand it fairly minimal with a colour palette of grey, white, black and an occasional splash of emerald green or rich red thrown in for good measure. The brand itself oozes chic rock n' roll inspired interchangeable items and this is reflected through both the garments and store.

Here are my sketchbook pages...

Here I have used Amsterdam based fashion house, Viktor & Rolf as influence for my designs. 

I feel that the work they produce and key trade features link in with the era I have been researching into.

In many of there collections they include ruffles, similar to the one I have samples. The collection I paid particular attention too was Black Light. This relfected the contrast between masculine felinity, I like the way they have incorporated the ruffle not in the most obvious places.

I will bare this in mind, when designing. 

Here I have begun to, experiment with ruffles and techniques. I have sampled a ruffle, and played around placing it on the mannequin in different variations. 

This shape development will inform details when I come to design.

I then began to research and look into neck cloths/ties that where so popular within the era. I sampled a neck tie of my own, and began placing it on the mannequin in different variations. I will use this experimentation when I come to design.