18 Oct 2012

Creating New Shapes & Silhouettes

Apologies for the lame updates lately, been really busy working on the new addition to the blog! Feel free to check it out anytime and comment if you wish to, either ask or add something! 

On Monday I continued my work on the Shirt and Silhouette project, we were asked to create new shapes and silhouettes inspired by our research. All these paper experimentations were done on a half scale, it was both fun and challenging. It was fun to have a look around every now and again to see what my fellow students were working on. We all did something complete different, eventhough we have all to some extend been looking at the same things for our inspiration. Interesting how we all interpret things differently. 
Which "design" is you favourite? And which was is you least favourite? Remember to explain why! ;) 

/Hannah

17 Oct 2012

New Edition

Check out a new edition to the website! It's another blog completely dedicated to the insights of fashion shops, designers, subcultures and magazines! Just click on the tab and it will redirect you to all the fashion insights you could ever dream of! 

/Hannah



13 Oct 2012

Keep Smiling!



Don't you just love...
  1. Ringing Transport for London and complaining about not being able to log in, when it's really your own fault, because you didn't click on the Oyster 18+ section! Embarrassing! 
  2. Having to pay £8.70 for 3 stops and a return to Hampstead?!
  3. Locking yourself out of your own flat, because you forgot the keys, before you left... 
  4. Having to walk half an hour to the nearest Royal Mail Delivery Office?
  5. Then having to stand and wait for a good 15-20 minutes to get served, only to find out that you need to bring a photo ID to pick up your parcel?! Since when do you have to do that?!
  6. Going into a panic because you suddenly can't find your bag in Sainbury's only to find out that it's been hanging on your shoulder all the time... 
  7. Treating yourself to a hot chocolate, only to find out that you really struggle drinking from one of those take away cups, and spilling it half way down yourself... 
  8. Coming home from a rough morning and wanting to do the laundry, only to discover how much of a struggle it is to carry it all down there, just to find out that none of the machine are available. Damn Saturday lunchtime rushhour at the landurette! 
On a more postive note: don't you just love... 
  1. Getting your first internship within the first week of term at uni. 
  2. Getting the internship via Twitter!
  3. Having a good first week at uni. 
  4. The fact that Miss Magpie, which you've only spent a day with, wants to revamp your CV, because it "needs a bit of work". 
  5. That Miss Magpie says that I should put her down, as one of the people future employees can get a reference from if they find me interesting. 
How was your week? Anything to add to list?

/Hannah 

11 Oct 2012

MAC LAB & Miss Magpie

Picture taken from: Miss Magpie Fashion Spy

Yesterday I had my first MAC LAB session and guess what, I have to make a blog! A new one, not allowed to carry on with this one... well I am, but just not regarding this project. We'll be doing different assignments related to this blog, for instance this week I have to visit some more shops and write shop reports on them all. 
To follow that project visit: THE ABC OF FASHION LONDON. At the moment there's not really much to the blog, but I'll give some TLC during the weekend. 

Sophie, my flatmate, who also has a blog, has been raving about getting a Twitter account. And follow all the right people. So I did spend a few minutes creating a Twitter account, took down the names Sophie suggested. A couple of days later I scored myself a ONE day internship with Miss Magpie Fashion Spy! Ha, can you imagine that?!
So today I spend the day with Niki Groom in her London Bridge studio. She was super sweet and it was great to get a little sneak peek into what it's like to be a freelance fashion designer. Niki even told me to stay in contact! Such an exciting day! 

Now I'm going to mentally prepare myself for a mega long day tomorrow filled with Fashion, Cultural, Contexts and Presentation. 

/Hannah

8 Oct 2012

First Day

My first day at Middlesex University. My first proper day with lectures and actual teaching, last week was a bit of an icebreaker project (the Treasure Trail in London). 
As I mentioned in the previous post we were also given our first project that actually counts for module points, it's called Shirt & Silhouette. 

Here's the introduction to the project: 
"The Silhouette of a garment or outfit is one of many aspects to fashion that you have to consider in your development to become a successful designer. This could be in relation to how a shoulder, a hip or any other area of the body could be remodelled to create a certain 'look'. 

Look at designers such as: Maison Martin Margiela, Comme Des Garcons, Viktor and Rold, Junya Watanabe, Gareth Pugh, Ann Demeulemeester, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Yohji Yamamoto... 

For this brief you should visit at least one of the buildings from the list of interesting architecture in and around London below. It is essential that you have initial research and responses to bring to your first design session during week one." 

I had a look at the Clapham Library, Lloyds Building, National Theatre and Serpentine Pavillon. Above are some of my research pages that I brought to my first design session today - I have about 20 pages that looks similar to these. 

So what did I think about my first day? 
I met at 2pm for my first design session (I have two on the same day), during my first session I got introduced to industrial sewing machines! Gosh, they are a bit agressive, it makes your heart race! We just went through some basic training with the sewing machine; how to thread it, sew straight lines and curved ones as well. 
Our technician was super sweet, bless her, she was a bit nervous and kept apologising for being a bit all over the place. 

During our second session we met up with Paul Rawson, he's our design lecturer. 
He's a bit of a funny one, you just don't know where you have him... Was kind of throwing the wibe of: 'I'm only here because I need the job' kind of thing. Didn't seem to bothered about given us much feedback on our work. 
Asked him if he was going to be honestly and blunt with us in the future, so we know realistically where we're standing. Paul said yes - no fussing about and just get straight to the point, apparently he's just easing us in the week, as its our first. We'll see... 

Tomorrow I don't have any lectures, but I'll be keeping myself busy for some more research for the project. Paul like collages and everything has to be printet out for each lesson, he wants to feel and touch and rip and cut. Nothing digital like I've been getting used to... I feel sorry for all the trees I'll be killing the next 3 years. 

Over and out.

/Hannah









3 Oct 2012

Treasure Trail in London


Some images are taken by Ruth one of my flat mates and the rest by me on my iPhone. 

On Monday Freshers Week started at Middlesex University. I had my introduction day, where I got to meet some of the tutors and shown around. We were also given two project briefs, one that would cover this week and one that we would start on next week. 

This weeks project brief required us to divide into groups of four - and then run around in London to find different places. Each place had a description and address, but no name of the actual place. Then there would be a task that we had to solve. 
There were 10 points of interest that we had to visit: Bond Street Tube station, V V Rouleaux (braids and trimming), Liberty (had to find my 3 favourite stockiest), Dover Street Market (famous Japanese brand), Ance (get the magazine), A.P.C (get a picture of their interior), Topshop (current collaboration),  Berwick St. (get fabric swatches), Old Compton St number 48 (by a magazine that inspires me), Start (what type of pet does the founder own?), Rivington St (more magazines to browse) and meet at Patisserie Valerie. 

The most eventful thing of the day was when we went to START and had to find out what pet the owner had. We couldn't quite understand why, until we asked a shop assistant. We then found out that the START shops (there are 3) are own my Brix Smith-Start, famous for competing against Gok Wan in the TV progamme Fashion Roadshow. Brix has two dogs called Gladys and Pixie, unfortunately they weren't in the shop today, usually they are and so is she! Such as shame, would have loved to meet her! We had a good chat with the shop assistant and found out that he also had been a fashion student, he took his BA at Manchester Metropolitan University and his MA at The Royal College of Art! 
Our jaws dropped in amazement, how did he get in?! He just said it isn't as difficult as everyone thinks it is. Just apply, have enthusiasm and drive! 

/Hannah

1 Oct 2012

Update on JV Project

It's been while since I last gave you an update on what was going on with Julie's dress. A lot has been going on the last few weeks not just for me, but Julie has also been really busy. 

Initially I did a toile in calico of Julie's dress, but that didn't work about very well! Too small, so I decided to get some fairly cheap jersey, to get an idea of how the material would work with my design. This worked out better, not only because of the material, but also because I actually got around to take her measurements! 
Which actually weren't that far from the original patterns. 

Anyway these pictures are of Julie, wearing the toile in calico, were just doing her fittings. It was a little bit too big and the front neckline needed altering. 

As I was ordering the Luxury Viscose Jersey and checked out, I got an email couple of minutes later saying that the material was out of stock! And it would take a week for it to arrive instead of a 2 days. Which totally messed up the plan of having the dress ready for Julie before I returned back to England. 

On the Friday that I left, I was able to see the lovely Julie for 5 minutes and she quickly through on the dress, with the new alterations, and it was perfect, besides the ragged edges and the fact that I hadn't had the time to stich it together properly! 

Now I'm just waiting for my Mum to send over the material, and then I need to find out if  I have to go out and purchase a sewing machine or if its going to be possible to use the studios at the university in the weekend. Either way the dress is going to with Julie on the day she needs it! 

/Hannah