Work exp.

This summer I have tried again and again to get some work experience, considering we had about 4 months off i thought it would give me ample time to find some. I was out of luck, it appears most people want you to have a lot of existing experience before taking you on and unfortunately I have minimal. Last summer I worked with Natasha at Beau Couture, which I really enjoyed and was really hoping to find a larger brand to see the the contrast in a smaller and larger business. With the lack of replies to my many emails sent out, along with me needing to work to earn money and pay back my debts work experience never came around.

I am going to continue keeping my eye out for positions so maybe when Christmas comes round I can try again...hopefully with a better result. Even with the non existence of work experience, I feel like I have kept on top of things by looking more closely at the things I like and wish to try within design and construction.

Details.

Again from my trip to london, these photos show different details I enjoyed in some of the garments in the fashion section of the V&A. There is a selection of menswear and womenswear, as I am still undecided on which route to take...I love them both equally! I definitely have an attraction to surface embellishment, which can be seen from these shots.

The sequin detail on the dress below is just beautiful, I love the colours and the pattern that's created. I just love garments with embroidery, beading and sequins...I'm like a magpie, drawn to there texture.




The small details on menswear is what makes them interesting, it's all in the detail! The tassels and buttons make a simple outfit something exciting. The embroidery on the jacket below is gorgeous, very intricate and delicate in appearance giving a sophisticated look to the garment.

Damn it...

I am gutted that I missed the Martin Margeila exhibition at Somerset House! When I went up to London on Wednesday I honestly thought it was still open.....but no...I missed out. Having spoken to a few people who went and reading some reviews I'm even more annoyed, apparently it was really good. Damn me and my mixing up of dates. I will have to continue searching the web for glimpses in to what was inside the exhibition, and draw something from that.

London town.

Yesterday me and Emily went to a few exhibitions to try and get some more inspiration. We went to Grace Kelly exhibit at the V&A, there were some beautiful outfits and accessories. The selection of hats were gorgeous, I really liked the turban shapes and the delicate details they had to make the designs more intricate. I really liked many of the garments on show and the era that Grace Kelly was dominant in, very sophisticated and elegant. We also went to the Horrockses Fashions exhibit at the Fashion and Textile Museum, which was awesome! It made me really excited for print possibilities and the 40's/50's shape in dresses, really feminine with cinched in waists and flared out skirts. I think that I'd like to explore types of print when I get back to uni, it can make simple silhouettes extra exciting, creating pattern and amazing mixes in colour.



This pineapple drawing is amazing! I would love this on a summer dress.



I love this pattern, and how its such a small image but made in to a slightly geometric design, with it being in straight lines. Beautiful!

Valencia.

I've just returned from my holidays in Valencia, Spain. I had such an amazing time! Plenty of time was spent in the sunshine, exploring the city as well as spending time on the beach. The architecture there was beautiful, so many old buildings with intricate stone work. This was wildly contrasted by the area they call 'The city of arts and sciences', where the science museum and oceanarium resided. There was so much stuff to see, I got a bit snap happy! Loads of inspiration for shapes and paneling with the architecture, and colour choices and texture from the coral and fish. I felt very inspired to design on my return! Now to post the LARGE amount of photos...these are a select few:

In Bruges.

Over the summer I took an impromptu trip with some of my friends to Bruges....it was awesome! Along with drinking a lot of beer and eating lots of chocolate, we visited the tower in the main market square, went on a Segway tour of the city (the best thing we did) visited a chocolate museum and moseyed on round the other streets. It is such a beautiful place, no modern buildings in site! I loved it. On our tour we learnt how the steps on top of buildings signified how wealthy the family were inside. I really liked the pattern created from these....





The beer was in a place called 'the beer wall'...literally walls and walls of different flavours and strengths of beer. ALSO...they had the biggest glass I have ever seen. 3 LITRES! You weren't allowed to get it unless there were three of you, so of course my friends thought this was a brilliant idea!


Every road you went down there were about twenty chocolate shops and twenty lace shops, selling lace doilies and table clothes. It's just crazy how each business keeps afloat with so much competition. It rained for the majority of our trip, so I would love to go back in the sunshine and explore more of the city and maybe take a trip down one of the many canals. : ]

Paper skirts for 'The Girls'.

Finally got a shot of 'The Girls' in my paper skirts during there exhibition in April! Took a while to get a copy but finally I have. Basically I made two paper skirts, layered with various thicknesses of paper and calico, which I then painted and burnt to get a distressed look. They really loved them and wore them numerous times over the month they exhibited in the 'ultralounge' at Selfridges.