Sewing

It's been about 5 weeks into the school year, which adds up to about 70 hours of Fashion Design class! We've spent a majority of this time learning how to sew- both hand sewing and with machines. Even with industry machines, it still takes an incredible amount of work to produce a garment. I never realized either how much hand sewing is still necessary because it can't be reached by machine. In haute couture, 100% of the garment is hand sewn, which justifies the price a little more in my mind. Although I knew about haute couture before, I thought "handmade" meant basic sewing machines being used by hand, with no fancy programs controlling them or anything. In reality, handmade means no machines at all whatsoever. I'm sure this is to make the garment more expensive, because a machine is capable of producing a tighter and straighter stitch. I also know now that being a couturier is not the job for me, because hand sewing is tedious as fuck and I have very little patience for it.

Gucci SS 17

Gucci's womenswear collection for Spring Summer 2017 is getting drowned out by their menswear. However, the show was still very enjoyable to watch and showed intricate design with incredible attention to detail. 

collage by nickverrreos.blogspot.com

The collection was very much up to trend: I noticed deep v's, cropped trousers, flatforms, oversized outerwear, jewel tones, and high waisted shapes-- all of which have been common this season. What made this collection stand out was that the silhouettes were heavily 80's inspired, with most designs featuring the shoulders. Overall, the  show was structured and angular with the lines, but still came across as feminine due to the prints and light materials.

from elle.com

Community Service

Community service is important, not just for the people being served, but for the people serving too. This is because it builds skills that are necessary to thrive in the 21st century, such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. Working with other volunteers and community leaders is a great way to build connections too.
Last Friday, our fashion design class took a field trip to help set up the annual SVQA Harvest Quilt and Fiber Arts show. It was a lot of fun getting to see the behind-the-scenes of how an event is run, and it felt good to know that we were an important part of the show coming together!

image from www.morganhilltimes.com

fashion CHALLENGES

I love a good challenge. It doesn't even matter what it is- brain games, math problems, races- chances are you've got me hooked. I'm the kind of person will do just about anything if you start the sentence with "I bet you can't...".
However, my favorite challenges are fashion challenges. This is what I call when you have a super specific occasion and must think of an outfit to meet the potentially oxymoranic situation. Here's some examples:
*I should make a polyvore account and create these outfits. maybe later* *also I'll add more when I have more time*

1. You're going to an outdoor concert with your girls, and must be warm but slutty at the same time

1. High waisted shorts with sheer tights & thigh highs, plus a bra top with an oversized distressed denim jacket

You're having dinner with your family, and then to the club straight after

1. Nude strapless bodycon dress with a long navy peacoat and black stilettos  

It's Crazy Day at school, and you know you're gonna run into bae

1. Keep a controlled color palette. Like choose one crazy print and pull all your colors from it. Wear a cute and bright bikini top over a tank top and patterned spandex over bright tights. 

Comment if you have a situation, and I will think of an outfit for it! This is literally so much fun for me

T-shirts

Ever since the 50's, t-shirts have gone from a military undergarment to a closet staple. Like most styles of the century, the t-shirt rose to popularity after people saw it on the big screen in movies such as A Streetcar Named Desire and Rebel Without a Cause.  
Just about everyone has worn a t-shirt, and it's not hard to see why. T-shirts are cheap, comfortable, casual, and can be worn with just about anything. 
The rise of screen printing made it possible to have custom t-shirts made for any occasion. It wasn't long before marketers started using printed t-shirts to advertise too. 
I doubt the classic t-shirt will ever go out of fashion. They might not be considered faionable, but these easily customizable, casual garments have quickly become a part of American culture. 

Sharon Stone wearing a Gap T-shirt on the red carpet in 1996
from usmagazine.com

I have to write a blog post but I don't know what to write about

FASHION 

Reshma Quereshi on NYFW - a different opinion

Yesterday, Reshma Quereshi, an acid attack survivor, walked the FTL Moda show during New York Fashion Week to raise awareness about acid attacks and to fight against the sale of cheap concentrated acid. These acid attacks are a common form of harassment towards women in India and some Middle Eastern countries, and are devastating for the victims.
Although I do believe Quereshi is remarkably strong, am in awe of her achievements, and wholeheartedly stand behind her goal of raising awareness for a crime that usually gets a blind eye, I have mixed feelings about writing this post. This is because I agree with the idea that the way to accept diversity is to stop making a big deal out of it, so that models who don't match the typical Euro-centric beauty standard become a norm, instead of an anomaly. We don't want this to become one-time thing, or a designer's special quirk.  I, personally, would love to see a world where models of all sizes, ages, and backgrounds are the standard for a fashion show, instead of having "that one person to make it politically correct." We're close, and we're getting closer! But we're not quite there yet.
Thank you to Reshma for the help you've brought women around the globe.

from www.reuters.com

What is a fashion classic?

A classic is like the fashion opposite of a trend. Classics are basic items that are practical and attractive enough to survive the fashion cycle. Examples include a white T-shirt, denim jeans, tuxedo, sneakers, you get the idea. Usually with these, the exact styles of these items change year through year, such as different cuts and rises of jeans, but at the end of the day, they're still all jeans. Ironically, many items we consider classics started out as trends. The pencil skirt, for example, started in the 40's as a sexy, womanly alternative to shapeless flapper dresses. Nowadays it's a classic business casual staple. Denim also started out as a trend. Jeans had been worn by miners and cowboys for almost a century, but spread to the general public when James Dean wore them to portray an adventurous character in the 50s. They caught on quickly with rebellious teens who intentionally wanted to look unprofessional. Jeans quickly became a symbol of casual style. Having  classics like these is important because they keep fashion grounded in a world of ever-changing trends.

from sew-simple.com

from time.com

Trends

In my opinion, a fashion trend is is a style or item that is widely popular during a certain time. Nowadays, trends are often started by celebrities because they are encouraged to be experimentative with fashion and have a wide audience and a strong influence. However, trends are traditionally started by designers. Journalists watch these designer's shows and analyze them to try and find common themes, which some sites call "trend forecasting." This is because it takes time for fashions from a runway show to spread to the general public. Plus, by then, influensters such as bloggers and celebrities will have embraced or rejected the trend. 
Trends are kind of similar to memes. Internet users, often on Twitter or Reddit, will create tons of material that may or may not be funny. Popular users can facilitate the spread of a meme they find comical, and then once the general public catches on, it can go viral and even earn the status of "dank." 
Trends also follow the fashion cycle that I talked about in the post that I haven't finished yet. For example, 90's style tattoo chokers are a trend not because of a designer, but because of Gen Z's obsession with 90's fashion. However, not all 90's trends are currently in style, such as rice necklaces and slap bracelets, because the public chooses what they like and forgets what the don't. 
Now with the internet, trends gain speed faster, become bigger, and die harder. This is because the trend can reach a wider audience faster. But, the more prevalent a trend is, the faster people become sick of it, and the trend dies a brutal, cringe-worthy death. Just think of Angry Birds. They were fucking everywhere, and now you want to die a little on the inside every time you think of them. 
Back in the bad old days, trends were started by the wealthy and public, and people would copy them because they natually wanted to look like the wealthy. But without the rapid-fire communication of today, it would take years before most people found out what the cool cats were wearing, and so trends could last a lot longer.

What "Needs" do you think Haute Couture satisfies?

Based on the Maslow hierarchy of needs, haute couture satisfies a person's need for esteem and self-actualization. This is because haute couture is a status symbol in the fashion world, because it is only something the wealthiest of the wealthy can afford. It satisfies the need for self-actualization because haute couture is unique by nature and is typically expressive. It also conveys the belief that clothing should not be created unless it is absolutely desired, which would also fall into the category of self-actualization because it represents a person's beliefs. However, haute couture could also be necessary for a person's sense of belonging. Although I wouldn't assume this to be typical, I can imagine that in a wealthy family, a woman could be expected to dress in the highest of high fashion as to represent the family well.

Maslow hierarchy of needs from www.simplypsychology.org

In your opinion, is Haute Couture a dying art? Why or why not?

From what I've seen, I do believe Haute Couture is a dying art. Fast, cheap fashion is taking over because it enables consumers to keep up with the rapidly changing trends and styles. Plus, high fashion is less expected of women than it has been before. For example, people pay more attention to the first lady than who she's wearing, but what she says. As women become more and more valued in the working world, they have other things to worry about and spend their money on than fashion. Also, with the new wave of young celebrities taking over pop culture, people pay very little to wealthy socialites anymore. These socialites are the ones who usually buy in to haute couture, whereas the new tastemakers prefer streetwear brands for their day to day.

Which couturier are you going to feature in your paper? Why did you choose this person to learn more about?

Hey friends!
In Fashion class, we just got assigned our first paper. It's pretty short- 1 page- about any couturier we want. I chose Maison Margiela because I thought their designs were quirky yet beautiful. I had never heard of the brand before, nor of the "mystery man" Martin Margiela. You can learn about him here: Maison Martin Margiela | The Cult of Invisibility - Part One
Now that I'm aware of just how influential this man has been, I'm excited to write this paper and will post it when I'm finished!

both images from vogue.com

Haute Couture ss 16

Haute Couture aw 16