What Katie Did

My most recent project. 
Looking at who I am as a designer, what makes me tick and what makes me individual. 

My design Philosophy, roughly 700 words explaining what I am about, I put this into a small book together with images and quotes that inspire me.



These are a few pages from my sketchbook.



I visited a little pleating company in north London, it was amazing they pleat all their fabric by hand! I put in a few bits of fabric to get pleated so I can work with them.

Inspiration in my sketchbook, background photograph from fireworks, I used as inspiration.

Print design experimentation on stretch jersey.

Collage ideas and visit to the V&A.

Illustration faces thinking about my muse.

Mood board.


Illustration Ideas.



Design Board

Technical Drawings

Dress.

ongoing work..


Some ongoing work that I am currently doing, Ideas for dress development. think that I will take the two on the right hand side forward.


Crazy Dinosaur Trousers!


Fun fun fun.. If not a little crazy but I love it! For my project at the moment and just because I can. The top is Gretels own but the trousers are defiantly made by me. I'm so happy with them I think I like the back better than the front I think is just the way they drape better. 


Some of my work...

Ok so I decided to take some better photographs of my work so you can see what I get up to. The first two are a recent project based on a much sportier theme for me, modeled by the lovely Katy. The quilted skirt is from 2nd year, modeled by my other lovely housemate Peg. The hareem style trousers and top are also both from a recent project. The cape is from a 2nd year project, I wear this a lot, the fur (fake obviously) is so warm and cosy. This also has a white dress with it that I made a few weeks ago although it is a bit hard to see against the white background. Then last is my all in one jumpsuit, I think this is my favorite up to this point I wish I could fit into it, hopefully I will make myself one, when I get a spare moment in time! 




A very big thank you to my two beautiful models Lottie Gretel Peg Maglaughlin and Katy Herridge. And also Pete who let me use her lovely bedroom to do my makeshift photo-shoot. Love you guys.

From old to new


little mini project from class the other day litrally took apart an old army style jupmsuit and pleated skirt (both very cheap from charity shops) And had a play about in class draping in the stand. Love doing this, working on the stand with old clothes to make newer exciting outfits! :) happy days

The original two garments (pics from phone so not high quality)

Work in progress


The finished garment



I almost forgot how fun it is to get clothes out of charity shops or your own wardrobe and re-work them into new idea. must do this more often!




My harem style trousers, made from the softest jersy and silk ever. Oh how I wish they fitted me and not the models! but I will make myself some too, They look a bit odd on the hanger but they fit my housemate so niccely an hang of the body great. If I made them again tho i think im going to make the pockets extra big.





One of the outfits from my last project, sorry for rubbish pics, there will be a photoshoot to follow soon.




Bits of my last project...



A few pages from my sketchbook
Fabric Research 
One of my design boards 


Technical Drawings 

Illustrations



my outcome for this project was very sports orientated. I feel this s a direction that I do not wish to continue at this point n my studies. Although I'm sure my designs will always have reference to this, it seems I am always influenced but what I have done in my last projects as I am by the world around me. 




Who am I?

When a tutorial goes really bad the first few days I am distraught. I finish with my boyfriend. I cry a lot. I question everything. And then slowly I think wait a minute my tutors are doing this to make me stronger, they are not just 'being mean'. I come round to the idea that perhaps I could actually learn from this. Perhaps I need to re-asses what I'm doing and focus. 
This year is already going so quickly, and I feel so lost and left behind after being out of it for some time. But I am not going to let it hold me back. It seems my 'not so good' tutorial is probably having the effect they wanted. I have decided not to hold back this year, to take a risk. My best work is always when I push myself to do creative new ideas. Fashion is defiantly what I want to do, I have no doubt in my mind. It effects my emotions on a day-to-day basis from those amazing moments where I am struck for words with excitement for the future, to those days where i question myself. But these times can only make me a stronger person. 
Prove them wrong, I am who I am.

For ali

I keep promising to make my sister something, so I am making her a mini collection. I love her a lot, she is pretty important in my life, in fact I couldn't really imagine life without her. The designs follow on from my last collection, some of the designs are similar of things that I decided against making but would still like to make now. The  fabrics are mainly stretch and I haven't completely decided on colour ways yet but I intend to use up some of the fabric that I seem to have collected under my bed. I am a Major hoarder of all things. I have started with the dress in the middle it is currently pinned to my mannequin looking a bi sorry for itself though as my over locker has broken and been taken to the lovely people that I STILL haven't heard back form to get fixed. 
I will keep you updated on my progress and uploads some piccys as i make them. I am quite excited.
Gareth Pugh: Spring/Summer Ready-to-wear


Crazy fridge

WoW! AMAZING such a cool fridge, eating all the rubbish that it was sat next to! just had to take a photo. Inspiration sometimes comes from odd place doesn't it? I think I spend a lot of my time looking around me, maybe us arty folk are more observant of such things. I found this particular fridge just around the corner from my new hose in bournemouth It reminds me almost of something that Banksy would do. Take something pretty ordinary (in this case a thrown out fridge) and make it into something more.  

note to self: take notice of everything, you can find exciting things in the most unexpected of places.

Doodely doooo


I scribble doodle, draw anywhere, everywhere and on anything I love it! i cant help it, its like some kind of disease. not that I'm complaining as some of my best ideas designs and thoughts come out of me this way. I think its because I'm a complete day dreamer! anyway so here are a few from m most recent to ones I have done a while back now...

Reflection

The start of a new accademic year and i'm increadibily excited about the year ahead. The last year has been a bot of a struggle but i think i am back on track and ready to take on anything! positive thinking for me! After missing out on a lot of lessons last year i was happy to still get a 2.1 average for my projects. i think i can improve on this though, but i must concentrate on my portfolio. my last project i enjoyed so much but i think i need to re-define my direction i think that i have concentrated too much into sportswear and have been more interested in ladieswear straight fashion recently, although i am always going to have that  edge to my work. I must remember not to get stressed this year, and have fun, if im happy it will show through my creativity i always seem to work better when i am a happy person. 
i think im going to concentrate on my pattern cutting and design. i am still motivated by the process form design to finished product, Love seeing my designs realised

Insperational Michael Van Der Ham

a/w 09 collection.
I know this was shown a while ago but i keep being drawn back to it as inspiration. It seems to stand out to me and inspires me to get my creative mind working on my final collection. a little early perhaps but it would do no harm just to think about it. I am inspired by the way he has patch worked the fabrics from the different decades together. Love love love 
his pattern cutting, its so intricate and it just amazes me, I thin
k he will be one to watch for the future. 

MMM Warm Jumper time...



OK, so having lots of time do myself at the moment, no TV, no Internet means that I'm using up all the leftover bits of fabric I seem to have collected in my room! yesterdays fabric, and the fact that I was feeling a little chilly and needed something to warm me up led me to making myself a jumper!
Not the best of photographs I must admit but I will take some less rushed ones in time. Its so so warm and cosy tho and its extra big so I can slouch around the house in it. I also broke my over locker! not so good! going to take it in to get fixed later today hopefully!

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek" Barack Obama.

Thought I should put up some very (very very) quick pics of my last project. Inspired by the quote above and the politics of the time. Loved this project, cant wait to get my dear housemate Katy (lilly Cole look alike) to do a photoshoot with me. 



Cape with very oversized hood and lovely warm cosy lining inside.



My Jumpsuit. A little crazy but very me. Looks sooooo much better on but im sure you can get the idea from this.