Just a Heads Up

Today starts my crazy moving around bit. I'll be going to IN for the weekend and then on Sunday I'll be moving to IL. Monday I meet with the costume people to work out my schedule and will finally be all settled by that weekend. But just a heads up that I probably won't be posting for a week or so, unless there's something that is just way too amazing to not write about, in which case then I'll write! Hope everyone has a lovely end of May & beginning of June, summer is upon us.

Exhibit & Book: Thea Porter

The inside of my book.

 While in London I went to the Fashion and Textile Museum a couple of times. The first time was for an exhibit titled "Knitwear Chanel to Westwood." Then the second was for an exhibit on the designer Thea Porter. It was called "Thea Porter 70s Bohemian Chic" and it was lovely and I enjoyed the variety of pieces they had and how they displayed them in the exhibition space. When you first walked in it was aminly pictures and a few stand alone pieces. then the ones in the main spaces were in cases set up each with their own personalities. One 'box' was set up like her dining room and another like her shop. It was just great and i loved all of the different patterns and colors Thea Porter had used in her designs. She did one of a kind pieces in different styles and also worked with interior design for a bit. her main seven looks included: the Abaya & kaftan, the Faye dress, the Gipsy dress, the wrap over dress, the brocade panel dress, the Chazara jacket, and the Sirwal skirt. i definitely reccomend looking more into Thea Porter and her designs! She wasn't great with the business end of things and that's why she stopped running her shops but she was a brilliant designer.

A glimpse of her shop.

While I was in Bath, which happened to be during Bath in fashion Week, my friend and I managed to snag tickets to the talk on Thea Porter & the exhibit. it was supposed to be held by Porter's daughter and the curator of the exhibit, Laura McLaws Helms, but was only held by the curator. She gave a great presentation and it was really interesting to see how someone goes about curating an exhibit and hearing what goes in to pulling it off and it turning out amazing. My friend Amanda and both ended up buying the book on the exhibit, especially since we had gone to see it in London, and we got them signed by Laura. It's pretty cool to have a signed book, especially a fashion book. It's a good read and has a lot of references and great pictures. If you can, check it out!

Perfect Pattern

If you've read more of my blog then you know I love the pattern houndstooth, especially when it's black & white. While I was in London one of my classes, British Cultural Studies, went to a vintage store during class and I snapped this picture. To me it's a great selection, to others they're all the same. I like the variety that a same colored pattern can have despite sharing the same basics. They're all black and white, all blazers, and all houndstooth but they each have their own vibe. i think it's great and I really wish we had had more time in the store because I would have tried to get one. I did buy a hat that I plan on fixing and using in my senior collection next year. 

My France Shoes

 While I was in France on my spring break from my semester at the London College of Fashion, I bought a pair of shoes that I am still in love with every time I wear them out. They cost me a little bit more than I wanted to spend but they were my splurge item I had planned on from the beginning of my trip. I bought them at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris and they're by Claudie Pierlot, a brand that rocks a lot of black & white combinations. I'm definitely going to somehow include these bad boys in my senior collection even if they're the shoes I wear during the fashion show. I'm really hoping I find some great models that wear US 8's because I've just been collecting and hoarding shoes I think might work for my senior collection for a while now and they're all around a size 8.

Collection: Figures

My latest Pop! figures came in the mail yesterday and I am just so thrilled to add them to my collection. Before these three my most recent addition was a Harley Quinn from Batman. along with these I have Batman, Spiderman, Captain America, Green Lantern, Iron Man, and Sookie from True Blood. I'm hoping to get more of the Avengers and also an old school Batman & Robin. In the future I'd like to get a few more True Blood & Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters as well as other monsters to go with Dracula and the Firefly team. I know that's a lot, but hey it's a collection so it needs to grow and expand. I just love how they're so tiny, and some of them simple in design, but they manage to capture the characters so well. Besides that I think they just fun to have and look great with all of my books! I'm pretty excited to have all of them out on my bookshelves next year in my apartment at school. 

Sweater Weather? Always

While walking around the mall on a lazy day I decided I just had to go in to Hot Topic and boy am I glad I did. I manged to snag this lovely sweater featuring Harley Quinn on it in her red & black! They were buy one get one free outerwear and though I couldn't find another piece for myself I did however grab one for my friend's birthday in the fall. I'm pretty excited about this sweater. It looks really professional and then BAM Harley Q patch. Despite the heat and it not really being sweater weather, I wore my sweater at work in the cool AC and it is just wonderful. Just another subtle way to show my dorky side :)

LCF Grades Arrived!

I finally got my grades back from my study abroad semester at the London College of Fashion! I've been really anxious about getting them because the grading system for London is different than the US. I'm really proud of what I managed to pull off, it's not straight A's like I had wanted but it's close and that's great. During orientation we were told that barely any A+'s were given and that no one ever got straight A's, so even just getting an A+ is amazing!

I managed to get an A+ in Corsetry, an A in Fashion, History, Art & Artifact (my journal was graded for this class) as well as an A in British Cultural Studies. Then I got 3 B+'s: Theoretical & Contemporary Fashion Studies, Creative Footwear, and Mastering Millinery. Overall I'm pretty thrilled with the results of the semester. I know my journal turned out well and that's such a relief. Also to see I did well enough with my presentations, mainly my pecha kutcha and then my shoe collection presentation. I'm just in awe of actually doing well since I wasn't really prepared for a different grading system and how they get transferred into credits at Purdue and go in with my GPA. Hopefully I manage to do well my last year & finish strong! 

Magazine News

I've been waiting until it actually happened, but it it's available now so I have to tell: I'm in  the June issue of Fashion A. Magazine! It's an e-magazine, but a magazine nonetheless & it's a pretty awesome read. Fashion A is a "bohemian androgynous magazine and it is about expressing yourself through fashion without gender boundaries." It's different than your stereotypical fashion magazine, but then again the fashion world is constantly changing and there's a rich variety out there, though sometimes difficult to find the ones you want to read. Well if you're on Facebook check out the page for Fashion A. Magazine, and if you want to purchase one of their issues you can through their link on their Facebook page. I might be able to post a screenshot of one of my pictures from my work so stay tuned for more!

New Glasses!

One of the things I had on my to do while I've been home was to get my eyes checked. After going and getting my new prescription I decided I might as well try a new look if I was getting new glasses. So here is my new pair of glasses! They're black & white cat-eye style glasses and I am loving wearing them! They're just so exciting compared to my old black and red rectangular ones. I did get 2 back up pairs, the same pair I had plus a larger rectangular pair (think wayfarers). I probably don't need even more patterns to deal with, but these are just perfect! Well, just wanted to share my new, super cool, artsy looking glasses :)

Spring Fashion: Sustainability

In between shows. 
Me (L) & Gabby (R).

One of the "requirements" for when you study abroad during a spring semester is that you still have to participate in the fashion show. This year they had wanted a separate section of the show to be purely for sustainability, so we had to make a look for either the runway or the art gallery that fulfilled the requirements for being sustainable. I chose right away that I wanted to put my piece, whatever it ended up being, on the runway. I enlisted the help of  my friend Gabby, who had been my model my sophomore year (& will hopefully be a model for my senior collection) and she agreed to model my look. I wasn't sure if I'd be there for the fashion show but I planned my trip abroad so I could make it and see everyone, and help Gabby if she needed it on the day of the fashion show. I was really glad I made it back, it was amazing and I got o see my friends' senior collections and others' pieces on the runway & in the gallery. It was also cool to see how they managed to pull it off in the new area it was held- the co-rec gyms. Overall it was amazing and I'm really glad I got to see the first show & hang out with my friends, and treat Gabby to Starbucks in between the shows since it's always a crazy day.

Back View: Gabby on the runway.

My look for the show consisted of two pieces: a layered lace skirt and a button down top. The skirt was made from a dress. I took the dress apart and recreated it into a skirt. It was also a XXL so I redid the waist completely and hand stitched the ribbon waistband that ties into a bow in the back. I was hesitant (and insanely lucky it fit) because I didn't include any closures on the skirt. Luckily I got the measurements perfect and she could pull it over her head, tuck the shirt in, and tie the bow. For the top I took a button down blue & white striped shirt I had gotten from the costume shop sale and made it my own. After washing and ironing it I decided I wanted the look to be kind of retro and cutesy feeling. I cut a heart in the back of it, had a tiny pleat at the bottom of the heart, and sewed a turquoise fabric for the heart area. I also got the fabric at the costume sale for free and it's see through with glitter turquoise dots on it. I outlined the heart with a curvy white ribbon and also added the same ribbon to the front of the shirt on the left breast pocket. I had a few other ideas but I didn't want to go overboard and I also did a lot by hand and only had the fall semester to finish the look. I completed everything in time and it all fit and looked great! I'm really happy I decided to put it on the runway because it was one of the only fun outfits, and by fun I just mean that a lot of peoples' looks were more edgy or sophisticated and mine was just this lacy pouf skirt and bowling-esque shirt. The whole show looked great & it was neat to see everyone's take on sustainability and how it can be more included in fashion. Freshman year we had done a goodwill project and this reminded me of it and I'm definitely one of those people that already takes things they bought at goodwill & redoes some of it. Sustainability doesn't just mean making dresses out of newspapers or duct tape, it has a lot of different ways it can be done & it's wonderful to witness the variety!

Good Books & A Classic Scent

If you're read my blog t any time in the past then you know I love Coco Chanel and really admire the work she did while she was alive as well as the legacy that is the House of Chanel. I own a handful of books on Chanel, ranging from how to construct a classic Chanel jacket the couture way to a fictional piece titled "Coco, the Novel" by Patricia Soliman. The two books pictured above are ones I think are worth sharing. A while ago I wrote about "The Gospel According to Chanel" but I wasn't quite done with it. To read more go to my article titled, Chanel's Words. Well I finished it and it's definitely a good read, worth your time. 

The other book, "Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life," by Lisa Chaney, is one I haven't finished yet. The book uncovers the truth about Chanel and how her life wasn't what you might think. On Amazon the book review states that, "Chaney's fascinating biography paints a more nuanced picture of Coco Chanel than any other so far. Movingly, it explores the origins, the creative power, and the secret suffering of this exceptional and often misunderstood woman." You can check the rest out here on Amazon.com. Basically, both books are worth it! 

Lastly, because it was such a good find, I'm going to point out the bottle of Chanel N5. I snagged this expensive perfume at a second hand shop near my house for $15. They keep the designer items behind the counter and I couldn't quite tell what it was from a distance but it looked really familiar and I asked the sales woman if I could see it and the price. For $15 it was a steal and while I had just spent more than I wanted on shoes I couldn't quite bring myself to spend more even though I knew it would be worth it. My grandma bought it for me as a gift and so far I've used it quite a lot. I loved the videos on the perfume and the smell is calming. It smells slightly like baby powder, but it lasts all day and I think it's different from the other perfumes I own (which is really just a variety of sprays from places like Bath & Body Works and VS). I'm pretty stoked about owning this perfume and it makes me feel great when I wear it. 

Basically, if you're not a Chanel fan, that's okay, to each their own. But if you are, check out the books and always keep your eyes peeled at second hand stores because you'll never know what you may find!

Collection: Postcards

When I went to the exhibit on Rudi Gernreich at the Cincinnati Museum titled "The Total Look" I had a blast! You weren't allowed to take photographs while in the exhibit, so I got the two awesome postcards of two of the looks in the exhibit. The model is Peggy Moffitt and the photographer is William Claxton while the outfits were done by Rudi. One of the information boards in the exhibit was on Peggy and one of the fun facts I walked away with was that she did her own makeup for the shoots. Another tidbit was that when she modeled the infamous topless bikini she only agreed to do it if Claxton, her husband, took the photos. Once again, I really enjoyed the exhibit and the looks they chose to feature. It had such a rich variety and showcased the different styles of the sixties. Also, the fashion video was amazing to watch, cool and comical.

Anyways, I'm pretty stoked to include these postcards in the mini collection I started in London. While I've always gotten postcards at different places, it wasn't until London that I actually thought that spending my money on so many was a great idea. They are a great resource to have, and they're pretty cheap which means I can get a lot and not feel guilty. I have quite a few from my time abroad and a small set of ones I already owned before I left. The two pictured in this post are my latest, and possibly most vibrant, of my collection of postcards.

Just a Glimpse...

I was reading earlier while laying on my floor in my study room and I looked up and saw how my clothes and just had to capture it. To me, this picture just exemplifies how chaotic and truly random my closet can be. Since I've been cleaning I have taken a wheeling rack and hung the tops I know I wear often and might pack with me for my summer as a costume intern. People always ask "What's your style?" and I never really know what to say because I have such a rich variety when I look in my closet. 

I love textures and patterns, but I love the chic all black ensemble and jeans are always a staple for me. I like to think that my closet captures how I look at life, ready to try new things and ready for adventure, but also prepared for a cozy night in or a hike in the mountains. As you can see I just from a glimpse of my wardrobe (and I do mean glimpse because I have 2 closets full and a dresser of clothing) I like having an assortment of tops where no two are alike (like snowflakes). 

Just wait to see what my senior collection will be! I know what it'll be but I've decided to try and keep it under lock down so it'll be as much of a surprise as possible. So stay tuned for more posts since in a few short weeks I will be working on "Guys and Dolls" for a theatre company!

The Total Look: 60 Stylish Sixties Fashions

Being in Cincinnati isn't as boring as it may sound. There's a lot to do, such as museums and galleries, fun restaurants, and more! Today I decided to go to the Cincinnati Art Museum and see the sixties fashion exhibit. It's titled "The Total Look" and it features fashion pieces by Rudi Gernreich. 

The View From Across the Museum.

I had written a piece on the exhibit for the website I write for, maghanitwork, but it hasn't been posted yet and since the exhibit ends soon I am unsure as to if it will be posted in time. So here is a tidbit from ym article: 

"Rudi Gernreich, most known for his visually striking minimalist garments, such as the topless bathing suit from 1964, used Peggy Moffitt as his muse and main model. Besides creating his psychedelic outfits, he also aimed to free women’s bodies by making the clothing less restrictive. The fashion exhibit will show off Gernreich’s famous “No-Bra Bra.” Along with the main mod outfits in the exhibit there are amazing photographs by William Claxton, who captured Gernreich’s work featured on Peggy Moffitt.  Lastly, the first ever fashion video, shown in 1967, will be showcased during the exhibit."

It was an amazing exhibit. I wish we were allowed to take photographs; I bought two postcards from the gift shop just to have something visual to hold on to.The outfits were colorful and fun and I loved how the exhibit illustrated the relationship between the three of them: Rudi Gernreich (designer), Peggy Moffitt (model), and her husband Willam Claxton (photographer). The video that played in a section of the exhibit was also a lot of fun to watch, I think it captured the way fashion was treated and viewed during that era perfectly. Overall I highly reccommend going to see it if you can!

Picture Troubles

Since I've been updating my blog I've realized that there are a few posts where the pictures aren't showing properly. I will be working on this over the weekend and hopefully everything will be fixed soon!

At the Palais Royal, Paris

Costume Books!

One of the best things ever is free books! When I went to Purdue recently to clean out my locker in the lab and get all of my sewing supplies, there was a huge stack of books just sitting on a table outside the room. Along with the books there were other office supply type things and a "Free" sign. I managed to snag a handful of costume books covering display techniques and terminology and even specifics such as Russian costume. Now costume is another term for dress/fashion so I have to actually go through and read them, which I was planning on anyways. I'm really excited to read these books, and it just makes my collection of fashion related books even better!
I'm hoping to write little book reviews for each of them with pictures, so stay tuned.