My Dorm Room!

Before.....

After.....

And my closet full of clothes...

It has been a lot of fun to decorate my dorm room with my own style, something that says "Amanda". I made all of the art work pretty much and made the lamp shade. To me, as an art kid and as a student, it is important to have a hand in making what best describes you in a visual display and that is really the only way that you can capture your own sense of style . I think it is also a conversation starter. I can't tell you how many people came in my room the day after I moved in since I had my door open and asked how I did something on wanted to comment on the layout of the room. While I really have yet to meet most of the people on my floor, I think having a space that is my personality makes it easier to identify with and remember a person. I also think it is essential to make sure that the space is "homey" enough so that you don't feel like you are alone in a strange, new place.

In college you have to able to show who you are and love who you are no matter what.

Pre-College Thoughts

It is scary not knowing what lies ahead but it is even scarier if you let what lies ahead pass you by. I am starting a new adventure in life. I am going to college in less then a week now. I am excited yet scared and anxious to start my life. It is hard working up to this point in time. This kind of upcoming deadline that can't be stopped from happening is kind of scary. I just want to get it over with haha. Sure I have been in different states, even different countries then my parents but I knew I would always be coming home. Now I am going away and I have no idea as to when I will be home. Home will never be the same "home" as it use to be. I am excited though for the next four years of not knowing what is going to come next. What is going to happen and how I am going to change and grow as a person, an artist, and as a student in general. I am excited for the endless possibilities and the constant change that will forever keep me on my toes. How I am going to meet new people and make new friends. So many scenarios lie ahead, paths with many different directions are in sight. And I am ready for it.

Fall Trends 2011

While I have been shopping for fall clothing and fabric for the past few weeks and have had visions of the fall collection hitting stores since late February when they premiered, I have had yet to post a list of the trends. And then write a follow up as to how to dress on trend without looking too extreme on the sidewalk (then again I am all about being extreme). Anyways here is what I have seen, fell in love with and been so happy about for the past few weeks.

• · Prints charming- Mash-ups of prints, textures, colors and shapes are VERY hot this season. With animal and dark floral the mixtures of choice for most (and also proving to be the strongest stand alone prints too). Lace is also a popular texture de jour

• · Long, dark and beautiful- Maxis are SOOOO in for fall. Whether it is skirts, dresses, or floor length cardigans. So long as they are soft, flowing and luxurious you are good

• · Color form- Rich jewel tones and rich neon color variations are hot especially when mixed with muted pinks, grays, or camel. My favorites: royal purple and emerald green

• · Fur purr- There is no faux pas wearing faux fur this season. Whether it be a full coat of it or the trim on a collar or sleeve, furs in all colors (neutral or neon pastels are the best bet) are beautiful and luxurious yet easy to make casual with a contrasting color or fabric (see 1^st trend)

• · Connect the dots- Small or medium sized polka dots of all types on any piece of clothing are hot for fall. Though the print looks best on flowing silk or sheer fabrics and simple shapes, it is a look anyone can pull off easily

• · Royal red- Bright red dresses, pants, skirts, jackets and accessories are a must for this fall and looks great on all. A touch of glitter or glam makes it thought (orange is super popular too)

• · 60’s minute- Mod dresses, cocoon silhouettes, tent dresses and peter pan collars are all a major trend for this season. Dark colors and simple designs on structured pieces make it modern. And who doesn’t love a pillbox hat?

• · Suit yourself- Perfectly tailored long blazers and the perfect flared trouser are not only on trend for now but a wardrobe staple. Don’t match the pants with the blazer though (refer to trend #1)

• · Coat of many styles- Outerwear seems to be a big thing this year. With a beautiful and fashionable version of a parka or a chunky knit heavy jacket or faux leather tailored biker jacket there are lots of options in this category. Chose a neutral color, black and camel are very in now.

So there you go, if you still are shopping for last minute things look for stuff like this and add accessories to fit your style or mood. Own it!

DIY Dorm: Lamp

So I was trying to think of a way to make my desktop lamp unique so I did a collage on it!

Heres how I did it:

1. Start with a clean and cheap white lamp shade, a pile of old sewing patterns, a crappy paintbrush, and some gel medium or modge podge.
2. Cut out the pattern pieces that you like or things you find interesting in the pattern description.
3. Cover the lamp shade with modge podge using the paintbrush and start layering on the pattern pieces. Paint each layer of pattern paper with more modge podge. Make about 2-3 layers of pattern paper on the shade. Don't worry if the paper starts to crinkle that's what makes it unique. Top off the final layer with a little thicker coat of modge podge to secure it all in place.
4. Let the modge podge dry completely, about 24 hours, before placing the shade on the lamp base.
5. Ta-dah! Done!

You can also do this with a variety of tissue paper colors (or any other semi-transparent paper) and create and abstract pattern in the same manner. Or you could do the same thing with some feathers or lace. Endless possibilities really!

Pre-College Dress

So, I haven't been on here in a while. Sorry about that! I have been super busy getting ready for college with move-in day just 10 days away. Anyways, I am finally starting to make a few dresses for college. Here is one of the most recent ones I made

It's a coral, orange and gold print asymmetrical dress with pleated cap sleeves. I hope I can finish a few more before move-in day. Let the sewing marathons begin :)

Fall Premiers 2

So there are more things to add to the list of reasons to be excited for Fall 2011!

• Mad Fashion- Bravo TV show about Project Runway's most flamboyant contestant, Chris March, and his one-of-a-kind couture costumes

• Project Runway All Stars- 21 of the best designers that just missed the mark in previous Runway seasons are given a second chance to "make it work" for Lifetime. To premier mid-fall with new host Angela Lindvall.
• Project Accessory- Project Runway is starting a spin-off of their hit show on a smaller scale with just accessory designers taking over. Set to premier this fall

• America's Next Top Model All Stars- In its 17th season, ANTM is finally doing an all star season with 14 of the biggest drama queens from the show to premier Sept. 14

ALSO:

• Rachel Zoe Project- Bravo TV show about the "bananas" celeb stylist and her daily drama. Premiers Sept. 6
• Top Chef Just Desserts- One of Bravo's best known show, Top Chef, has a spin-off in its second season focusing on amazing pastry art. Premiers Aug. 26
• Mad Men for Banana Republic- 40's and 50's era clothing for men and women and women's accessories from the fashion drenched AMC show in a capsule collection sure to sell out fast. Out Aug. 10

Fall Premiers

I am getting super psyched for Fall fashions and all that and now I have two more reasons to be even more excited!

KARL LAGERFELD for Macy's!!!!!!

Not only is Lagerfeld one of my favorite fashion designers, he is a style icon himself and the epitome of luxury. He he is the creative director of Chanel, has his own fashion line, and is an amazing photographer too. The collection comes out on August 30th and has 45 pieces. Here are a few of the ones I love the most.

Missoni for Target is coming!!!!

The first ad has arrived and the collection hits stores September 13th and will have 4,000 plus items in the collection that ranges from clothing to accessories to home wears. Missoni is known for it's zig-zag knits and sexy haute hippie beauty as an Italian luxury brand.

Seamstress Love

Yea! Another descriptive post to get the creative juices flowing.

This is about how I feel when I go through the design/sewing process. To me there is a certain unspoken language that seamstresses and designers have with fabric that is very hard to explain. Although parts of this may be cheesy, they are true to how I feel :)

Standing in the room, surrounded by bolts of fabric and notions; this is bliss. Taking the fabric and rubbing it between her thumb and index finger she determines the weight, the flow and the texture of the fabric. This is the one; the dark navy blue with hints of metallic steel gray silk charmuse. It feels like liquid softly brushing her fingers in a silent romance that can only be felt by a seamstress and her vision. She stares at the fabric, contemplating her next move. She gently holds the bolt of fabric as she walks around the store waiting for the spine-tingling sensation if inspiration to come to her. The ideas come flying all at once and she is bombarded with flashes of designs racing though her mind. Letting her thoughts settle, she decides to make the bulky bolt of fabric into an elegantly draped gown cut on the bias so that it hangs beautifully on the female figure enveloping her in pure luxury. She goes back to her studio in the city and begins to work gingerly with the four yards of fabric that she bought. Her heart flutters as she pins the fabric to her dress form. The vision comes more clearly now. Not only will it be a bias draped dress but it will have pleats across the bodice creating an X and a long, flowing skirt that touches the floor with its train and hem gradually coming up to right below the knee. She pins and pins the fabric, marking it and taking notes as she goes so she will be able to decode her own language. She plays with fabric for hours; she is in a Zen like state, calm and at ease. Finally, she sews. The whirl and wiz of the sewing machine is a sweet song that she hums along with while she works. The fabric does as it is told while she guides the pinned seams under the presser foot watching the blur of the needle pierce the fabric and create a small stitch. She takes her time to make sure the garment is perfect. She adds detailed stitching to the dress straps and finally puts in a zipper. She puts on the dress and runs to the mirror to assess her diligent work. Pleased with how it looks, she takes it off and hangs it in her room as art, waiting for the perfect event to come along and inspire her to wear it. Whether it be to classes or a cocktail party. The passionate affair is complete for now. It is time for another visit to the fabric store to fall in love all over again.

DIY Dorm: Wall Art

As I prepare for moving into my dorm in just these next few weeks, I have been working on making my own wall art for my room. I love creating collages so that is where I have started. So far I have made five big collages; each one is fashion themed and all the clippings are from old magazines. I thought, hey if I'm saving these pictures and articles already, why not take them out the file folders I usually keep them in and then never look at and make them something I will see every day and get daily inspiration from it all? So these past few days I have gone through about 2,000 articles and pictures (and that is no even half of my "collection")! Since I get six fashion magazines regularly and usually end up picking up one or two different ones off the news stand every month, I have a lot of material to work with.

Now there are pros and cons to having so much fashion to go through.

Pro: lots to choose from, fun to look at different magazines take on the same trend or even the same piece of clothing, never ending supply of inspiration.

Cons: it takes a LONG time to look at each page, it takes a LONG time to cut out each piece you like, it takes a LONG time to sort through everything in the end.

Now if you don't get as many fashion magazines as I do, you can always look up spreads online at fashion-spread.com, fashioneditorials.com or fashiongonerouge.com and of course style.com

Still, I love creating interesting compositions and color schemes. I also love how free and flowing a well-made collage can be. I like how easy it is to change up the composition of the piece too to suite your mood. I like that the art tells not only what you think is aesthetically pleasing but also shows your passions and most loved items. It is a conversation piece too, great when starting a new chapter in life (I need all the ice-breaking help I can get for college). Another reason to make your own dorm art is that these collages can double as mood boards or tend boards in the future too. (A mood board is essentially the first visual step in creating a fashion collection since it is where the designer places images, text and fabric textures and colors together to create a picture of the style a designer wants to achieve in their own collection. ) Now that we have that cleared up, I thought I would share a few of my collage/ mood boards that I have made thus far.

Another tip: after I get a composition I like I take a picture of it and then remove each layer and put each layer in a pile. I then reference my photo and glue the bottom layer down and work my way up. To preserve the piece (especially if it is going to be hanging on a wall) I "laminate" it by wrapping strips of clear packaging tape over the top and around the edges as a protective barrier.

Hope you like it :)

Project Runway

The fiercest show on television has arrived again! Gracing the streets of Manhattan and taking place in my favorite school, Parsons New School of Design (where I hope to be next year). "Make it work!" is ringing in my ears again and my mind is racing with fashion ideas as the show plays out on TV. As most of you know, last Thursday Project Runway season 9 premiered on Lifetime. Now anyone who knows me knows that this is my favorite television show ever. I was not big on fashion in the first season but after I started taking sewing classes in 2005, I learned of this wondrous show and fell head over heels, madly in love with it. All of it. Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, even Nina and of course the kick-ass contestants and the most amazing challenges. I find that each time I watch this show, no matter what season, I fall in love with fashion design all over again. I love that the challenges are unconventional and that the time limit and pressure is so intense you can feel the anxiety of the contestants oozing out the screen. I love most to hear about the contestants stories, what inspires them, where they are from, where they went to school, what makes them love fashion and sewing as much as I do. I love to hear the rip of fabric, snipping of scissors, the whir of sewing machines, the whoosh of fabric being opened and aired out. I love it all. Sigh

So like I was saying, the new season of Project Runway looks quiet interesting. After last seasons biggest debate ever over the winner, this season has a lot to contend with in terms of the drama and backstabbing that goes on in the workroom. I was excited though to see such a variety of designers this season though. My top picks so far are:

• Bert Ketter. At 57 he is super on trend and has a great eye for cut and style. He has a way of making difficultly constructed garments look effortless. And he went to Parsons.
• Anthony Ryan Auld. He is a southern boy with major fierceness. I love his modern and edgy clothing that look timeless at the same time. I also love that he is color blind yet he pairs colors perfectly, which I find super amazing. Plus he has survived cancer so you know he has a never-give-up attitude.
• Oliver Green. I mean who doesn't like a cute Asian with a British accent. Oh and his clothes are nice too.

This girl though just makes me mad.

• Anya Ayoung Chee

Why? Because she has been sewing for only 4 (!!!!!!) months!!!! Wtf! How in the heck do you make a freaking perfect pair of pants, her first pair of pants she had ever made mind you, and then make a cute silk top, her first time working with silk too, and not make it look like crap with only 10 hours to make it all? I personally think that she has been sewing quite a bit more then she says. I mean there is only so much god-given talent one can have when it comes to sewing. The fabric usually has a mind of it's own and tends to like to mess with people who push their luck with it. So I hope the next piece of fabric she has is mean to her. Hehe, yes I know I am mean.

Anyway, I am SUPER excited for Thursday nights now.

Auf Wiedersehen