New Directions

Okay, okay so I have not written in a long time please forgive me. This past year has been amazingly busy. It was my senior year of college so of course it was full of homework, projects, bad caf food, backstabbing bitches, stress, and of course my senior line!

Most people who are not Fashion Design majors have no idea the kind of stress we have to create our "final line." Most majors have a 30 page thesis or final exams to go through. As fashion design majors not only do we have final exams and tons of papers to do we also have about a month to completely create a whole line not to mention doing our portfolios.

So while most people were just doing dresses or sportswear I decided that I loved stressing myself out so much that I created 3 suits for guys. Needless to say through out the process and even after the line was created I had dreams thinking about welt pockets and how to piece the front collar to the jacket. No bueno.

First though I had to really find my inspiration for the suits. I was concerned that if the inspiration was wrong I would not have the ability to continue through to the end. I mean when you are looking at suits for 4 weeks straight and working on them at least 10 hours a day you need to be devoted to them. So I started to think what guys really like and what they would really wear. Then it hit me! Video games!!!!!!!!!! Oh my god it was brilliant, but which video game would I choose. It took me a while but after I looked at the color forecasting for next year it was a no brainer. Gray, Black, Red, it had to be the original NES Nintendo controller. It served as an amazing inspiration.

For the first week or so I created all of my patterns and picked out the fabric that I wanted. (If you want some amazing fabric for low cost go to fashionfabricsclub.com, they are amazing!) Then I literally had 3 weeks to make the suits. So I took one day and just did ties and a shirt. Then I took it in stages. Pants...check, shirts...check, ties...check, vests...check.... and finally jackets...thank god check!

It took a lot of coffee and a lot of late nights to do it but the end result was better than I imagined, I even took home the menswear award. The most rewarding part was that I did something I never thought I could get done and people really loved the end result.

So here is the thing that caught me by surprise though....I don't think I want to be a costume designer anymore, I think I want to be a menswear designer. (DON, DON, DON).

So for all of you readers out there if you know of any menswear or really any fashion jobs out there for a recent college grad let me know about it!

My Teen Choice Awards Extravaganza

So lately I've been working at my internship and having a blast, more on that to come, but i took a break this past week to go on a trip I won through Fox. I won a trip for two to L.A to see the Teen Choice Awards. I was so excited that I would get to meet all of these stars and be in the sun. Unfortunately despite the fact that Fox hosts the event every year and pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for all of the stars that come, their winners of the contests they have get crappy seats.

Here I was expecting something fantastic only to be disappointed. I figured hey this is Fox's show and the contest is through Fox so why wouldn't we get great seats? Not only were the seats not near the stars but they were not even near the stage. We were literally 4 rows from the back of the theatre. We'll put it this way....even with my sister's zoom on her camera we still could not really see the stars or what was going on on the stage.

I guess I cannot really complain seeing as how I won the trip and all but I still have to pay taxes on the prize and I saw more when it aired on television than i did while I was there. However, some of the really great parts were cut out of the show. Let me just say I love Dane Cook and I'm sad they edited out his snarky yet witty comment about Vanessa Hudgens. Although be glad they edited out some of Miley Cyrus' dance. Not only did she sound horrific but her less than teenage dance moves left both my sister and I with our mouths on the ground in horror and disgust.

The show was great though and we really loved the performance by the Black Eyed Peas. So I guess all in all it was a good trip....just a little disappointing.

Does anyone want to give me an internship?

So I have not written a blog for a while thanks to my hectic school schedule and well a lack of interesting topics to choose from. However, in the past few months (i.e. forever) I have been applying for internships. Internships are a part of my college's program in order to graduate. I thought at first wow this sounds great! I can work with a real fashion design company or work for a theatre or on a movie or television set, meet new people, and find connections for a future job. Well as it turns out internships are not easy to come by these days.

I knew that with our economy going down the crapper that jobs would be hard to find. Case and point my sister, who is graduating with honors from one of the best schools in the country, is trying to find a job as a social studies teacher and has been on over 10 interviews and has come up empty handed. However, I figured it would not be as hard to find an internship considering well, I'M WORKING FOR FREE!!!!!

Anyway, I have applied to over 20 different companies and theatres and I still have nothing. I've had a few interviews. I was even told by one company, who I have wanted to work for my whole life, that I was the best candidate for the job. I had two interviews with them, they checked my references, and apparently I was among the top contenders but I did not get the internship. If I had a nickle for ever time I have heard that in the past few months I could just buy an internship of my choice.

Some of my friends have found an internship but they aren't the best kind of internship. They settled for working with a small boutique or a company just getting off the ground. Honestly, considering we have to pay a substantial amount to the college for the credits for the internship I would rather have an internship that will help me learn something new and get me a better job in the future. Maybe I am being to picky but paying $4,000 for an internship that will not help me at all is not what I consider in my best interest.

So if anyone out there knows of a good internship for costume design please let me know!

Will Catwalks Become A Thing Of The Past?

So we all know that everyone is strapped for cash these days, but who would have thought that high-end fashion designers were feeling it too. According to a United Kingdom newspaper, Telegraph, some designers are so strapped for cash these days that they are finding other ways to promote their fashions instead of a catwalk. Some designers are, "Considering static presentations, webcasts or studio visits as a cheaper alternative."

Most American companies are switching to these new ways of visual presentations because they believe that runway shows are no longer the most effective or financially reasonable way to promote their fashions. Carmen Marc Valvo's last runway show in September had about 25% empty seats. Another American designer named Marc Bouwer is apparently considering doing a webcast for February's New York Fashion Week because it will save him around $140,000.

Most people in the fashion industry agree that this change is a good thing. Not only are the designers saving money, but fashion reporters and audience members do not need to wait for a show to begin. They can simply watch the fashion shows on a continuous loop and if they missed any information the first time around they can just watch the show again.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I love seeing actual runway shows. To me it is a whole different experience when you actually go and see a show versus watching it on a television or computer screen. Being able to see the fashion up close and personal makes the experience that much more wonderful. Yes it may save the designers money in the long run but who cares? As far as the reporters if they were truly good reporters they should be able to get the information they need the first time they see the show. I can only hope that the fashion industry will not ruin itself because the economy has fallen on hard times.

As part of the fashion field we have become accustomed to seeing emaciated models don the latest styles on the runway. However, after reading an article on yahoo news today I have come to realize not all models these days fit that profile. Especially not the ones in Wolfson's fashion show.

Don't know what Wolfson is? It's a children's hospital. This year marks their seventh year doing the show to raise money for the hospital and the children who cannot afford their bills within the hospital. The event is sponsored by the Women's Board of Wolfson Children's Hospital and features models who are both current and former patients. Not only does the show allow the children a break from the realities they face but it helps the hospital spotlight the children they love and helps raise money to make them better.

This year the show is called "A Circus Parade." There will be 21 "models" who range in age from 5 to 17. They will be wearing fashions from Belk (kind of like a Macy's in the South). The models will be accompanied by sponsors, who may be their physician, a corporate official or concerned community member. Information about each child, their picture and artwork will be framed and then presented to the sponsors at the show. Each of the models will have their own dresser so that parents can relax and sit in their seats and watch their children's dreams come to life.It all takes place on Saturday December 6 in Jacksonville Florida. So if you are in that area for the holidays look it up!

Hearing stores about how fashion inspires hope always makes me feel like I am in the right profession. As the holiday season is upon us I feel stories like this puts into perspective the importance of giving back, helping those less fortunate than ourselves, and truly cherishing the time we have with friends, family, and on this earth. To all the children that will be in the fashion show good luck, and have fun!

picture: official logo for the event. found at: http://www.jacksonville.com

Scarf it up!

Considering the economy is in, well a rough patch at the current moment it is understandable that clothing companies are concerned. However, conventional wisdom on the luxury market states that luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, and other well known and loved brands are more recession-resistant than other segments of the fashion industry. Mostly due to the rich still being rich while the rest of us suffer, but that's another subject. This week Hermès will test this wisdom when the high end 171-year-old French brand opens a 2,500-square-foot space in San Diego’s Fashion Valley retail center.

The store will debut during what many believe to be the worst time to expand a business. The San Diego store, however, is only one of four that are scheduled to open this coming year. One will open in Las Vegas in January 2009, one will open in Denver in March 2009, and a Hermès boutique for men will open in New York.

The decision to open new stores has been a rather difficult one for the company to make. The store openings come at a time when Hermès has been severely affected by the weak economy. On Nov. 6, Hermès of Paris went from a solid 10 percent sales increase from the previous year to a 9 percent to 10 percent increase in sales. However, the American division is still apparently doing well which is why they have decided to continue with their expansion plan.

The San Diego store is said to be reminiscent of Hermès’ Parisian flagship store. It will have mosaic stone floors, French cherry wood and a lot of windows to allow for natural sunlight to come in the store. Let's hope for Hermès’ sake the economy picks back up and their investment will pay off.

Picture (Flagship store in Paris) from: http://www.pursepage.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/hermes_paris_large.jpg

Katie Holmes= High Fashion????

At this point most people know who Katie Holmes is unless you live under a rock, in which case you have other serious problems. For those of us, however, who follow the lives of the stars Mrs. Tom Cruise has been in the news a lot lately with her new hair styles, and her jaunts to the grocery store with her daughter Suri. It appears that her new hair styles have not only captured housewives around the country but she somehow has managed to capture the attention of the high-end fashion line Miu Miu. Holmes has just signed on to become the face of the line. She follows in the footsteps of Kirsten Dunst and Vanessa Paradis. At this point there are no details are set in stone, but according to People.com Holmes will be the new face of the Italian label's 2009 spring/summer campaign.

For those of you who do not know Miu Miu is the "more affordable" clothing line from the Prada company. The line is said to be more clean and stylish designs with high quality materials for less than their Prada line.

I do not know what the rest of you think about this but personally I'm not the biggest fan of Katie Holmes. Maybe it is because I never watched Dawson's Creek, or maybe it is because she has more money than I do. However, the thing is I do not see Katie Holmes as a high fashion model. Sure she is as skinny as a toothpick, but high fashion material she is not. There are so many talented models out in the world that are busting their humps to get a chance to be in the high fashion scene. I just do not understand why they would select Katie Holmes over top of all of the models in the world.

image from: http://images.askmen.com/women/actress_60/60_katie_holmes.jpg