Researching

Today I was researching fashion throughout the 20th century, and posting photos on my Tumblr, I also sorted through personal photos, this gave me a personal insight into the late 20th century, i enjoyed doing this and gathering my research this way. i will need to look at a lot more photos to understand more about the period, i plan to focus on pre sixties when i look tomorrow.
I also want to doing some further research into photography in the 20th century and do some posts on how it developed and the introduction of colour and television.

why i chose to use tumblr as my sketchbook

I chose to use Tumblr instead of a sketchbook so that i could play around with my layouts more and i enjoy doing work digitally. My sketchbook  has always been my weakest work and i feel that i can really improve my work by using tumblr, it means i can layer images and collections together easily and edit my work simply. below is a screen shot from my Tumblr, i chose this layout as it was like a collection of photographs, this relates back to my theme of lost and found photographs, the theme means that i can put collections of photos together with similar themes so that i can talk about them as a whole.

Link to my digital sketchbook

http://ellywoodfmp.tumblr.com

Planning for FMP

I have started planning my FMP, these are my original notes from planning, i knew i wanted to do something to do with fashion history and photography as photography is something i want to develop my skills in and fashion history is my favourite topic.

FMP

Lost And Found 

Trends (evaluation)

Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this project and found it a different type of project to what i was used to, i do not however feel that my group worked well, this was because 2 members weren't here for most of the 3 weeks and i do not feel we were able to communicate our ideas well enough so we all had different ideas about the trend. i feel like i could have produced a better outcome if i had worked in a smaller group were we were communicating well.

Although i did like how my shoot turned out, however i feel that it could have been improved vastly and explored further.

Trends (photo shoot)

make up inspiration 

Chanel, bold graffiti eye make up, i wanted to create a very bold eye look with  muted face and lips

These are my favourite images from the shoot, i love how the shoot came out, the styling really suits my trend and i like how the trend is shown from a male and female perspective. 

if i was to reshoot it i would like to do it on location, i would love to see how it would stand out from a background. i would also like to try a lot more styling ideas, if i had had more time i would have liked to play around with hair and make up more to see what different effects I could get. 

The shoot i decided would look best/ suit Tatler the most, so i then researched the layout of the magazine and got some inspiration for how i would like to set out the piece. below is an example from the magazine, i liked the small photos layered up together and the font in the corner, so i felt this would be a good way to introduce the trend in the magazine.

Trends (research)

Trends Round Up:

Researching trends:

The first thing I did was create a mood board about London (below) 

 in our group we thought about all areas of London and what London has to offer. London has a lot of variety so we had a lot of ideas about our trend. 

we decided to create our trend for young working professionals in the creative industry, we thought this would be a very good selection of people as we could create a colourful trend. we were inspired by the 1950s style of a nipped in waist and full hips. our first research was to look in Vogue from the 1950s and create a mood board. 

(images above collected from Vogue 1957 jan-dec) 

Then i created two moodboards to put together my ideas. 

 Women's trend inspiration

Men's trend inspiration

Sportswear Round Up

Sportswear Round Up:

Planning and Research:

I started out by looking at sportswear in department stores to get an idea of what was available, I found out a lot about what was new in sportswear and what materials and colours were being used.

I decided to do Yoga as my sport, because it was a sport that has a lot of new developments in and something I do a lot so I already knew a lot about it. I started off with looking at high end yoga wear, to see how much people are willing to spend on their yoga wear. I looked at Lululemon first; this brand has created a lot of controversy for themselves by claiming that they only designed for “skinny” people and not for larger people.  I also looked on net-a-porter and Selfridges to look at designer’s yoga collections, like Alexander Wang.

Brands I Researched:

-       Nike

-       Lululemon

-       SwettyBetty

-       Victoria Secret

-       Gap

-       Gilly Hicks

I then looked at yoga across the world to see how it was seen around the world, I looked at monks in mediation and then looked at Hindu symbols and traditional practices so that I could get an understanding of all areas of yoga.

From all of this I decided to write a series of articles around yoga, I thought that a magazine like Elle would be correct for this style of article. So I then went on to research Elle and the people that read it.

I also looked at relaxed poses for the photographs to go along with my articles; I wanted them to incorporate sportswear but also to look stylish.

Articles and Photos:

I wrote 3 articles; Yoga as a trend, does yoga really help your mental and physical wellbeing and yoga as a business.

Yoga As A Trend:

Yoga wear has come more into the fashion scene over the past couple of years. The street style and sports luxe trends have been in and out of fashion for the past couple of decades but now more than ever the trend has seen a lot of presence during fashion weeks and stylish work out wear is incredibly popular and high in demand, with some brands earning billions in profits from the sales. Company’s such as Nike and Adidas has turned their companies into fashion houses instead of being just for people partaking in sport. It’s a way to be fashionable and comfortable in day-to-day life.

Yoga wear has come more into fashion in recent years, with companies such as Lululemon creating fashionable but practical pieces. Although Lululemon has created a lot of controversy for its company by saying they only cater for “skinny” people, as they’re the only ones who look good in yoga pants.  The Victoria Secret fashion show has been increasing in popularity too, although always popular in America the show is now watched world wide and the PINK label has a yoga line, the pants especially are seen not only as a practical piece of workout wear but also as a fashion statement with their bold patterns and glittery lettering.

Yoga is defiantly a new comer to the sportsluxe trend but it is slowly making its mark. It is not unusual now to see people in yoga wear out and about, especially in summer, due to the materials used yoga wear is perfect for summer time as its designed to keep the cool and dry.

Yoga wear is also becoming a social standing, like a clique you want to be part of. By wearing yoga wear day to day you’re giving the world the message “yes I do do yoga to keep fit” this can be seen as snobby but isn’t that why it’s a trend, it’s a social status something to slide into daily conversation, or boost about? Yoga has become so popular with 24-40 year olds that there have been so many trends surrounding it. Obviously you want to be comfortable when doing yoga, but you will feel better about it if you know you’re wearing £150 Alexander Wang yoga shorts.

In the media yoga is represented as being a social status too, with the most idolized doing it, so many celebrities are snapped leaving yoga studios looked refreshed, that it encourages us to try it. Most trends we get from celebrities are damaging but this is one that can only be beneficial, it’s a trend that’s actually helping us. Even if some people are only doing to say they’re doing it, they’re still benefitting from yoga and exercising more can never be a bad thing.

Does yoga really help your mental and physical wellbeing

Yoga is very popular with the city workers the over stressed workers of banks and big companies who just don’t have time to relax, and they say yoga is the answer, its both exercise and relaxation. There is a debate to whether or not yoga truly helps with your mental wellbeing, does it cure stress and anxiety or is it all just a hyped placebo?

Psychologists would say that is can help to aid the affects of stress on the mind but doesn’t really cure it. The mediation side of yoga can be very helpful to get a person to relax and clear their mind but it wont make their job any less stressful. It is true however that exercise releases endorphins, which make a person happier, and means they will feel a lot better after their yoga session.

If yoga and mediation makes a person feel like they are better able to deal with there life then it is a positive however some may use it as an escape and that’s where psychology feels some problems should be dealt with so they can be solved rather than the person “losing their subconscious” and being at the stage of ‘enlightment’.

It is obvious that yoga is very good for your body and helps with flexibility and core strength, which help you to maintain a healthy body weight. The new trend of hot yoga could be considered very unsafe, it involves doing intense and very hard yoga moves whilst in a room the temperature of the average sauna. This can lead to serve dehydration if you haven’t consumed at least 3 liters of water that day and continuously drink through out the session (normally 1 hour 30 minutes). There is also the matter of hygiene in this scenario of 30 or so people being packed into a small space incredibly sweaty, this is the perfect place for bacteria to spread, so it is highly advised to take a shower straight after your session and to only partake is completely healthy (no current infections or undressed open wounds). If you have drunk a lot of water beforehand and during the exercise it is a great experience, which leaves you feeling very refreshed, but also you feel like you’ve had a great workout.

Incorporating yoga into your work out routine can have great benefits and really helps to improve balance and focus, which can help you improve in many other sports and exercises. Yoga however is not about losing weight it is about detoxifying the body, which is why it is best, combined with other exercises if you want to lose weight. 

Overall yoga is great for all ages and for all fitness levels, and a great way to kick start back into a fitness routine or just to give you a bit of relaxing time after a long workweek, it can also be enjoyed as a family or completely alone (as there is no speaking during a yoga teaching).

Yoga as a business

Due to increasing interest in yoga the business is booming, the yoga market grew by 25% just last year and is predicted to continue this way. New yoga studios are popping up everywhere (Antarctica included), each offering a different type of yoga; forest, bikrim etc. these studios can be pretty costly, some offer lessons for around £20 an hour to £60 an hour. Inside of a yoga studio you have all the other moneymaking ploys, there’s the juice stations, claiming amazing health benefits, which are “perfect after your sessions”. Women are competitive in all areas, and inside a yoga studio it doesn’t stop.  Women spend hundreds on the latest yoga wear from the top designers, such as Alexander Wang or Emma Cook. Even the high-street sports wear can be costly, an entire outfit from Lululemon or Sweaty Betty can cost up to £200.

Yoga at home is popular too and you can buy a whole multitude of equipment for at home practice, Yoga mats can cost anything from £5 to £100 depending on where you go.

I interviewed an avid yoga participant aged 40,

What is your opinion on yoga as a whole?

It’s so good for your joints and muscles and helps me keep my weight the same, its great for beginners and for more advance yogis. After a long stressful week it’s great way for me to relax and forget about my stresses.

What do you think about the price of yoga?

Yoga lessons are very expensive, mine are £15 for an hour, but it is worth it as you have a very personal work out session and the yoga teacher is very focused on making sure everyone knows exactly what they’re are doing. I personally think it is well worth the money especially as I enjoy it so much.

What do you think about yoga wear?

The main thing my workout wear needs to be is comfortable! But I do like to still look stylish, so I don’t mind spending a little bit of money on it, I like to go to Nike for my yoga wear as its made from brilliant materials and stylish.

Have you ever-tried hot yoga, if yes what do you think of it?

I have tried hot yoga and found it a lot more challenging than I planned; it really is a serious work out. I did really enjoy it though as I felt very refreshed and energized afterwards. The hot yoga is better suited to people who have been doing yoga for a time and want a more intense work out, however it is also a brilliant way to detox.

Lululemon have come up with a unique way to draw in customers by offering free yoga sessions in their stores, which promotes their company and encourages people to buy their yoga wear but also introduces new comers to yoga, and helps people who may not have been sure how to take up yoga.

Sportswear A1 Boards

Deconstruction A1 Boards

layout

Deconstruction

Deconstruction Round Up:

Designing and Making:

This project was something completely new to me, although I did textiles A level I am not used to deconstructing then reconstructing garments, I found this project very challenging but very enjoyable as I enjoy learning new things. When I was first given the brief I was very confused with what to do, so I first of all created my muses, I created around 10 then picked my final 5,creating my muses using collages really helped me with the design process, I could tell what sort of person I was designing for quite quickly.

My next step was to look at clothing I had in my wardrobe that I could use, I wanted to create a colour scheme that would suit my muse. I went with black and navy to create pieces that could be used together to create outfits. I added texture with sequins.  I used various different garments, to create an interesting technique.

I first of all took apart all of the garments I brought in, I used a quick unstitch so that I could easily take them apart at the seams so that there would be a way to easily put with other pieces. I started designing by pining my pieces onto a mannequin and seeing what worked well together and what didn’t, I then drew out my design ideas, this is also something I struggled with as I am not a strong drawer but, I found it was the best way to get my idea across.

After designing my garments I safety pinned the pieces together so I could maneuver the garment and see how it sat on a person. This told me whether or not the idea was feasible and if it would fit the body well. Some of my garments did work well however there was 1, which didn’t work well so I had to rethink where I was going to put the materials.  To create a lot of different shapes and create movement I gathered lots of my pieces and layered them up so that I could create a lot of different designs when I paired my garments together.

My photo-shoot:

The premise for my photo shoot was to be snippets from a eccentric bloggers blog, so they would be “outfits of the day” incorporating the garments I created. I wanted the photos to be very simplistic so I went with a plain white background so that the garments. Hair and make up would be the main focus.

Make Up Inspiration- I wanted to have a bold lip and very heavy brows, like an exaggeration of the current trends.

Hair Inspiration- these were different for each outfit, although I did want them all to be messy updos, which looked stylish but could be worn, easily everyday.

Styling: the styling was focused around my garments, so I went for basic base clothing and black shoes and in layered outfit I decided to go for a very busy style so I added the highly decorative bag, however in the black outfit I decided to keep it very simplistic, so I went for all black and focused on the detail I created on the back of the top.

Evaluation:

If I was to redo this project I would like to have done more experimentation with colour, I would like to see how it would look in bright colours or with more textures like furs and velvet to create a lot more depth to my designs.

I would also like to improve on my drawings so that I could have created a collection of illustrations to go with my photo shoot, as I feel that would look really effective next to the photographs.

I am pleased with how my final pieces and photos came out especially as I was so nervous going into the project, due to me being a promotion student instead of a design student, I did focus more on the design element in this project rather than promotion so that I could see how I worked with designing and to see if I was able to create designs and pieces that worked well together. 

Reconstruction Week 1 (2 A1 boards)

My Muse, created using magazine cut outs i created 5 outfits to create the persona of my muse that i would use to create my final garment.

The creating process, i created in 3 stages the first row is just using the garments as they were but placing them at different points on the body. the second row is me starting to cut up my garments to create new designs. the third row continues this but now i have started to alter the pieces via gathering, the final two images on the bottom row are the beginnings of my garment  i plan to make and the materials i plan to use.

12 Days of Christmas

1. Most used items of the month 

2. Daily make up for work

 3. Much needed caffeine boost

 4.Uniform on the way home from work

5. uniform and lunch

6. Lazy day on my day off 

7. Desk set up

 8.Christmas Outfit 

9.Abusing my staff discount

10.lunch break treats 

11.Most worn piece of Jewellery 

12.More lunch time treats