Inspiration : Rebirth

Lately I've been thinking about life, and about death. We are born into this world, and it is the most beautiful, amazing miracle and yet it can be scary, because I don't know what will happen afterwards. Everyone has their own theories, but does one really know?  Once gone from this earth, then no more wondering. I don't want to sound morbid, because that's not what I'm aiming for. I just know that life is something we were all given as a gift, and to honor it. There will be times when it's hard and the emotions kick in to let me know. Then there are times when it's easy, and that's when I really take it in. We are all small in this world and yet given this huge task to find ourselves until we go. Though I am gone, a new birth takes place. It's a little crazy if you think about it. So... that is what I was thinking about when I started to sketch this (yes, I'm not the best sketcher, but it gets the point across) , and just like life, these designs will grow and evolve into something else. The designs themselves are difficult to describe. However, they represent the different emotions and thoughts that I have throughout the aging process and life, until there is a new birth.

Inspiration : Water

So I was supposed to go to a fashion show today, but I was inspired to make a dress. I think I was feeling a little removed from the fashion world today since this week-end is 9/11. I remember that day. I was in class at Parsons when our teacher announced in tears that we were under a terrorist attack. I looked out the window to see that both towers were gone. I called my parents on a pay phone to let them know I was okay, and thanked God that my good friend Christine was on a cruise instead of being in the towers that day. Anyway... I distanced myself from fashion during that time b/c it felt so vain compared to what was going on. Well.. I am sorta feelin' that again, except now I understand that I don't design out of vanity. I do it b/c it gives me peace. So here I am. Feeling inspired by an old piece of fabric, scraps from a bridesmaid dress. It moves like water. Hence, this dress is my "water" dress. I really hope I can wear it soon to something. Maybe a fashion show :)

Concept behind the dress : Make it one seam, no zipper. All points are placed there for a purpose. I really have a difficult time explaining in words. The feel of silk charmeuse combined with the color and movement reminded me of water. So I stayed with that thought.

hem is intentionally uneven

Fittings of The Gold Herringbone Dress

We're getting closer to the final stages of this dress. In the previous post, I showed the process of how this dress came about. I'm not a couturier by any means, but I am a designer, and I express this part of me by making things in a very organic way. What I mean is,  though I need some technical background to understand the pattern and have some sewing ability, I don't make my dresses the standard way. Normally when I make a collection, yes. I start with inspiration, sketch tons of designs, then continue by working with a patternmaker. However, since the dresses shown here that are for myself... I drape and sew. I like the organic process by visually watching this dress change over time, and it is one of a kind.

The inner structure is in tact so now I just need to make more adjustments to the dress, sew in the zipper, add final touches, and finish the hem. The hardest thing to do is to do fittings on myself!

Phases of the Gold Herringbone Dress

 I stopped the Basquiat project b/c I decided to make a dress for a wedding I am going to. I was inspired by the fabric itself. It's a beautiful, brown fabric with gold in it. I love it. So... here are the phases of the dress.

By the way, a master pattern maker would have a heart attack if he/she saw the way I draped and did the pattern. However, that's why designers usually hire them. However, a master designer would... actually, I don't care what a master designer would think because I really like my design. Ha! 

Finding Inspiration : Basquiat Week 2

I dug into my pile of scraps and found leftover silk georgette from a customer's cocktail dress. She ordered the "Nadja" in this taupe color (click here if you're curious which dress this is). I ripped the scraps into strips and voila. Criss cross basketweave something or rather design, all done by hand. I can't tell you why I did it, since it was just based on how I felt. As for where the inspiration came from, you can read it here or just go to the previous post. More updates next week on this dress.

Finding Inspiration : Basquiat

"He died right here", RGS said, as he leaned on the door of Jean-Michel Basquiat's studio in Soho. He began to cry. I bowed my head in silence and allowed this moment to be between the two friends. After a few minutes, RGS began to tell me about the artist's story. He loved this man. My ears were perked because I wanted to know at least 0.00001% of Basquiat's 27 years. To know something about him during his window of life was fascinating to me. One point struck me and it stayed in my memory. This was in Spring 2009, so my memory may have convoluted our conversation. To keep to the truth but remain vague, Basquiat had a set schedule. Although he was a heroin addict, he had a definitive regime, and gave himself vacation time. 

RGS also said that he was at Basquiat's grave when an elderly woman said to him that she saw him as nothing but a drug addict. I don't remember RGS' response. Perhaps one day I could email him and ask.  In my opinion, yes. He was. So was Cobain, McQueen, YSL, some of the all time greatest artists in the world. I was perplexed and asked my friend Jonny why genius creators overdose on drugs. He said that every artist has to have some form of depression to create such beautiful things. He said that most artists have it. I related that to myself. Yes, I have it too although I never took it to that extreme. So maybe I'm not a true artist, although I have to say my mood fluctuates quite a bit. Instead of drugs I just beat the crap out of a heavy bag or run until I feel like throwing up. Then I feel better. 

Anyway, here's my point to this post. After watching the Haute Couture shows, I felt a cloud ride over my head. I set an expectation and was searching for a spark that didn't ignite. Well, what does inspire me? Basquiat for one. When I walked into the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 2005, I was blown away. Ever since then, he stayed in a small compartment in my mind and my heart. I don't know if I can base it on his work ethic but I'll try. However, I will create a design on how I felt that day when I first saw his works of art up close. Emotion is like water. There is no pattern or rhyme or reason to when it moves. A Tsunami will just hit without any notice. Only the animals can sense it. I'll check back in a week with an update.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1985. Photograph © Lizzie Himmel

Haute Couture Shows for Fall 2011

I've been out of the loop lately, concentrating on other things, however, I couldn't miss all the Couture shows. I mean, come on. It's what I live for. So after I teared up at the Alexander McQueen show at The Met, I felt as if I wanted to make pieces that come from the heart. My head is filled with beadwork, silks, repurposed fabric, etc. Let's see what I come up with.

In the meantime, nymag.com has a few of the Haute Couture videos - Chanel, Elie Saab, Givenchy, Gaultier, Dior and Armani. Out of all the shows that I saw for Fall 2011, Armani is my favorite. It's only an opinion, but I feel inspiration is lacking for this season.

Armani Privé Fall 2011 (Photography : Go Runway)