LOST IN TRANSLATION...

     I was looking through some art gallery pieces online and decided, hey, I should use this random artwork as inspiration for a fashion design! And so it began. This beautiful piece is from the Luhring Augustine gallery in New York City and was created by Josh Smith. Though my lack of many in-between-shades colored pencils did not allow me to fully execute what I imagined, I think I came pretty close. I took the colors and prints I saw and essentially stamped them on a structured, short-sleeve coat paired with some ridiculously eccentric yet slightly matching pants. Yes-I am crazy. People do not wear articles of clothing such as these, but I couldn't help myself! Have fun comparing the original artwork to my sketch! Also, if you would like to try this look out, give me a large sum of money and send me down the runway ;)!

By the way, yes-my model is wearing orange lipstick and blush!

LOOKS I LOVE...Isabella Blow's extravagant head wear!

     

     Deviantly lavish. Isabella Blow and her hats were exactly that sprinkled with a little bit of aberrance and an overwhelming amount of phenomenal. Though her initial reason for wearing hats was to cover the face she thought to be ugly, these hats were one of many feats that made Blow a fashion icon. I, myself, would feel a bit odd wearing perhaps a "frisbee-lookin'" hat or even a...castle, but Isabella Blow made wearing eccentric hats her unique style symbol that would never be forgotten.

     Not too sure how vision of any sort was possible with these crazily concocted head pieces! As a very prone-to-injury individual, wearing even the simplest of hats would have me walking into people, walls, and street signs alike. Blow must have had the grace of a gazelle-or maybe x-ray vision? Not sure which one, but I applaud her nonetheless for successfully carrying this out!
     Willing to try this out? Make sure you look both ways before crossing the street. Actually, look up, down and backwards as well-you never know what could be hiding behind that frisbee cap of yours!

LOOKS LIKE...I've got a case of green envy!

     Though my sketches do not photograph well, I wanted to put another of my ideas out there for at least semi-public (thanks mommy) eyes to see. As one can not so clearly tell, I wanted to contrast a deep emerald green with a "splotchy gray" backdrop as opposed to the usual black one. The pattern climbing up the side of the dress is essentially green rectangles dog-eared near the bust and layered at a funky angle to contrast the flowy nature of the dress with a harsh, geometric pattern. The layering falls around to the other side of the dress to assure continuity and fluidity within the design (hey, ladies, I've got your backs; we're all about balance around these parts). I added a forward-leaning bun with a hairnet and some cobalt blue feathers for extra funsies. I thought these elements really added a quirky layer to this slightly whacked-out look. Who wants just one thing goin' on, anyways (not me)??

LOOKS LIKE...it's back to the future...I mean the 70's!

  
     Super retro/modern/straight-lined/clean-cut styles are in...along with...the 70's? Though I'm not too sure who decided space goggles and bell bottoms could coincide in the same fashion century, let alone season, I find myself oddly attracted to these flowy, flowery, and fluffy collections-especially one by Emilio Pucci.  Love rainbows and tie dye? Looking to relive your past as a young spirit? Eh-sorry, can't help you there. Pucci is not a time machine, only a fashion freak.
     This Spring 2011 collection morphed together the sleekness of modern fashion with the carefree nature of times when many of our parents were "peacin' it."I'm glad to see some good ol' Pucci blues in the mix-especially in this collection, they bring out a Grecian-esque/boho flair that I have fallen in looove with! Leather pants and leggings have been huge this season with the modern collections but Pucci apparently does not conform to the norm-why not slap em' on to the 70's runway for "funsies" as well? If you're walking down the street wearing any of these fancy frocks, you surely won't be mistaken for a nostalgic, past your day, recycled undergarment wearin' fella-Pucci does hippie the right way.

LOOKS LIKE...Rodarte is drawing inspiration from, the dead?

 

     It's the lipstick. At first, I thought it might have been the stern looks on these models' faces that was making me strongly anticipate the keeling over of a lovely lady or two. I was wrong-once again, it's the lipstick. Emergency-911, we need some facial coloration delivered to this runway, pronto!
     Though I initially thought gold always brightened faces, I am quickly seeing the drawbacks of essentially washing one's face in such a shade (these models were bronzed to the max!). The yellowed eyelids that accompany this lipstick shade seem to make these ladies appear to be incredibly sleep deprived! I do understand the appeal to try this idea, and it did work on a few blondes, but as for the rest of the less-fortunate lipstick wearers, luck has run out.
     The first model especially looks as though she is in "la-la land," as my 8th grade Spanish teacher used to say. Was the death stare present on their faces prescribed as part of the runway experience? I do realize that much of their inspiration comes from the darker side, though I have to wonder, was their spring 2011 source the living dead?
    I absolutely admire Rodarte to the greatest extent and take no credit away from their masterpieces, but I'm sure a few people and their cousins were raising eyebrows at this trend.

LOOKS LIKE...somebody's walking on thin ice-I mean brittle bones

     Missing: 2 sections of some unfortunate human's spinal chord. Found: on shoes from dsquared2's Fall/Winter 2010 collection. I realize this is not exactly recent, but how could I pass up on the opportunity to blog about such a feat? Sure, they are "cool," but there is a multitude of reasons as to why these strange stilettos give me the eebie jeebies.
1-They actually look real. Maybe you are comfortable wearing part of someone's skeletal system, but I am not.
2-I am not convinced that these shaky lookin' bones are going to hold me up at four inches higher than my normal heights.
3-Do you consider these classy? Would Chanel approve? I think not.
     Anyways, if you would like to go ahead and try these suckers out, let me know how long you remain upright and how many odd stares and/or curious questions you receive from the public :).

SHOUT OUT TO MORGAN GOLUMBUK for finding these shoes for me :)

Sketchedy sketch sketch sketch...

    
     Here is another sketch I slapped onto paper the other day...I really love blending unexpected colors together hence the purple and orange hombre-ish effect unexpectedly complemented by a monstrously sized, blue, "scaled" necklace. In honor of free-flowing, airy looks coming back into style, this easy-breathin', layered dress is all chiffon, baby!
     Still working on eliminating black lines in my drawings-in real life, I am not outlined, so why should my designs be?

Sketches...with pwetty colors!

     "Success is the best revenge." Tavi Gevinson, like, said exactly this to Katie Couric while being, like, interviewed for Glamour magazine after giving an...unconventional set of, like, quirky responses. By the way, she likes to say "like." Anyways-this quote absolutely inspired me to, inside my head, tell my elementary school art teacher who consistently gave me "S's" for "Satisfactory" to "suck it." Though my skills are far from being perfected and I am apparently unable to write my name in a straight line, I do believe this deserves at least a golf clap. 

     This look features a multi-layered, deep purple and fuchsia, chiffon top over a puffed-out-to-the-max skirt tied at the bottom that may be able to bring geometry lovers and fashionistas to have a square millimeter of common ground. When designing this look, I wanted to contrast the soft curvature of spring flowers with an appropriate amount harsh lines and a modern neon yellow pop. 

Warning: If you choose to try out a look similar to this, keep the accessories to just simple metals without too much extra jazz on the side. The result of failing to do so is you walkin' down the street lookin' like a retro art exhibit expelled its innards onto you. 

LOOKS I LOVE...gnarly nylon in Proenza Schouler's Spring 2011 collection!

    
     Gnarly nylon never needs nothin' to it...at least, not to me and not in this sickeningly gorgeous spring collection by Proenza Schouler. The daringly eccentric colors and cuts shown absolutely blow me away. Who said tulle was only good for a tutu? Well, I guess there are a few tutu-esque things in the collection, but you get the point! This collection was all about flattering lines-the hourglass shape was emphasized in almost every look without squeezing the models into size "negative four," body con, industrial strength bandage dresses. The rich colors and flowy cuts are contrasted by the black backdrop incorporated into each outfit.

Warning: Don't go overboard with the nylon. You will be mistaken for an oversized birthday gift bow and may be asked to hop on top of a present (hey, it could happen).

More sketches!

  
     Shading with a mechanical pencil is the equivalent of picking your teeth with a tree trunk, but I had to make do. So, here is another attempt to improve my sketching technique by creating a little invention I like to call the "pre-constructed shawl."  Instead of wrapping a loose piece of fabric around your neck, why not have a pre-made, freely hanging accent piece to wear with your evening gown all night? This piece hangs off the shoulders and takes to the natural shoulder form. It has layers descending from the middle of the shawl that add dimension! I guess you could pin it as a cross between a flimsy poncho coat and just a regular shirt, then again I'm not sure this a classifiable piece.
     It all began when I was sketching a t-shirt with a back cut highly from the bottom up. I, for some reason, couldn't seem to decide what kind of pants to pair with this top, so I decided to turn it into an accent piece to be worn over a simple, black maxi dress. Love at first sight it was! Since I still have no access to colored pencils, I proceeded in explaining the color palette off to the side of the sketch.
     Why is this sketch just of her back? Not sure. Still trying to draw from angles, but until you try, you don't realize how tricky it is! Anyways, my inspiration for this came from Lanvin's Fall 2010 line I posted about a few weeks ago. Bright accent colors on a black back drop are like Dove chocolates to me-can't have just five, need about 10.

Sketchin' fun!

     
     Who does homework when you could be sketching fashion designs? Kiddddinggg, mother :).
Anyways, I was merely taking a homework break when I decided to sketch a spring look of my own for "funsies." My love of pop colors paired with deep, rich tones will never die and neither will my obsession with hardware on clothes! This look pairs a saturated, eggplant colored mesh skirt with an electric salmon top accented with structured, puff-sleves trimmed with zippers.

P.S. If I had colored pencils, this would all make a little more sense. But, I am merely a youngster and do not have easy access to transportation and the money tree that I hear of.

Warning: Actually, I have no warning for this post. If I did, why would I have drawn my creation, anyways? If you feel like creating this look for me, gimme a call and we can celebrate over a college dining hall dinner!

LOOKS I LIKE...China Glaze's Crackle Glaze nail polish!

     Crack...ed nails. China Glaze came up with this idea called Crackle Glaze to let you do just that (not wrecking the actual nails, of course). This polish lets you put on a base nail color with a different crackled color right on top! Wondering about an easy way to add some bling to that boring outfit? Need to spice up that unnecessarily high-cut blouse? Crackle on.
     Throughout the years, nails have gone from just pink and conservative to wild and crazy with colors ranging from neon yellow to black and now...Crackle Glaze! It looks pretty easy to do and even comes with an instructional video for the slightly less skilled portion of us nail polish users (including me, of course).

Warning: If you are a nail biter and think this polish is a good way to cover that up, I will find you and eye-ball you until those tortured appendages of yours are re-manicured properly.

LOOKS LIKE...nightmares, not dreams, really do come true!

     Jeremy Scott. Words to describe his creations aren't exactly readily available at my fingertips. If given a moment, I would pull out the words alien, aberrant, and slightly ridiculous.
     Scott's Spring 2011 collection is trash, literally. These models look a little like something out of a horror movie to me. If I was sitting in the front row at that fashion show, I'd keep my pepper spray clenched in my fist...just in case. Though I love the idea of the collection and the incredible originality that comes with it, I believe high fashion should have just a little bit of class and "wearability."
     Willing to try this out? Be sure not to stand next to the garbage bins outside. You may be dumped into the truck alongside the trash bins. Also, maybe you'd like to let the rollers out of your hair before you walked outside. I realize the bed-head look is in, but maybe not taken too literally. :)

LOOKS I LOVE...Zac Posen's feathered frocks

Feathers with a flair. That's exactly what Zac Posen did in his Spring 2011 collection that takes the utilization of feathers from frilly to ferocious (in the best way of course!). One of my two favorite trends in this collection uses feathers to emphasize the shoulders but not create a harsh line. It gives the look a dominating yet angel-like appearance that commands attention. The bright orange dress above has a sophisticated but still daring look. The asymmetrical up-do adds a dose of quirk that is complemented by the red lipstick which brings out the fiery color of the dress. I LOVE the degree of elaborateness in this collection and absolutely FEAST on the details Posen has livened his collection with.

Warning: If you wish try and wear feathers on your own, keep it to a minimal amount as you do not want to appear as though you are preparing for flight any time soon. Try a bright pop of colored feathers with a headband, some earrings, or even a bag! To recreate a version of one of these looks, try a feathered scarf with an appropriate evening gown. Wear it around your shoulders or even tied to a part of the dress as an accent.

LOOKS I LOVE...Theory's super wide-leg pants!

    
     Pants. Wide, flowy, vibrant PANTS. While flipping through the pages of one of my Glamour magazines, I came across a feature on Oliver Theyskens' Theory and his beautifully constructed, wide-leg pants. These pants are reminiscent of the 70's trend but take the look to a modern era. They elongate the leg and can be worn with anything from a basic tee to an elaborate blouse. The simple cut utilized ensures that they will flow smoothly over any unwanted curves. I LOVE the blue suit in the third photo. Its simplistic design is paired with an electric blue color that brings it from beautiful to extraordinary. The slight sheen in the fabric allows this to be a dressy or casual item if paired with the right accessories.

Idea: Wear these pants with a basic tee tucked in and a chunky statement necklace. Sling on some high wedge shoes to elongate your frame even more (no one will know you aren't actually four inches taller ;)).

Warning: Do not buy these pants too large or you will be at risk of either drowning in them or tripping on the seams and taking a hard, face-first fall onto the grounds in front of you. Also, please do not pull a "gangsta boi" on me with too large pants that need a frequent picking up from around the ankles. This is not classy. We like classy.

LOOKS LIKE...somebody jumped in the wrong clown car!

     

     Modern is in and with it is coming designers trying out...clown shoes? These clumsy lookin' platforms made by Prada and other high-end designers are being featured everywhere...even in one of my bibles, Vogue! I understand the modern, spacey seeming trend is coming on strong, but please, leave platforms to the Spice Girls! 

     These shoes go against the natural curvature of the foot and may make you resemble a certain tea pot who is "short and stout." They thicken the ankle area and "chunk up" your tootsies! I prefer shoes that elongate and emphasize the natural and delicate form of the female foot. I realize modern is represented by straight lines and simple forms, but sometimes even our feet need a little curvalicious junk in the trunk!