Blog mode by Laura Moodley



Quote 2Notes

Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.
-Oscar Wilde

– http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fashion.html
Quote 2Notes

I think there is beauty in everything. What ‘normal’ people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it.”
— Alexander McQueen

– http://famousfashionquotes.tumblr.com/
Video

Once Upon a Time….By Karl Lagerfeld

A short film detailing the beginning of Coco Chanels Career, marking the super-brands 100 year anniversary. 

xoxo LLM



Video 2Notes

Fabric shopping in Paris.

As many a young designer must do once in a wile, I spent my afternoon searching for fabrics among the rolls and rolls available in Paris’ Marché St Pierre. One of the largest fabric stores in the specialist area of the city, you can find everything from the finest silks, brocade and French lace to leathers, feathers & even your low end costume fabrics. Hoops, buttons, ribbons & threads and EVERYTHING else are all available within a short distance in the many haberdasheries & sewing specialists  which line the block. One shop keeper will happily direct you next door, to another, if they do not stock your item and many will discount end of roll fabrics or add an extra couple of inches to your purchase just to be nice.

The Paris sewing and craft community is fairly tight knit, giving that all the main stores are based within a couple of hundred meters of each-other. Shop keepers will remember a face when they see a regular & will go out of their way to find you a suitable product in their stock room or offer advice, you can even get Text message updates on special offers from many of the little boutiques :)

Its a part of Paris well worth visiting, if you are the creative sort, its a feast for the senses with an abundance of colours and textures, With so much choice, a designer can easily while away the hours just browsing for that perfect fabric or detail without knowing that 4 hours have passed & you’d better get back to the studio! 

xoxo LLM



Video

2013 swimwear trend:The fringed swimsuit.

A current trend that Im liking is the fringed bikini because it flattering to the figure and enhances the bust line, it moves with our curved and in some cases hides unwanted lumps and bumps.

Here are some of the best online examples from ASOS, NewLook and H&M ( who will be running a summer campaign featuring Beyoncé, although they have better swimwear in store than on their website - so it could be worth a visit!)

For inspiration on swimwear accessories, check out my Eyewear Lust blog. 

xoxo LLM



Photo
First attempt at Fashion Illustration on Illustrator! Not to take all of the credit; i will admit that its a collage of images taken from the internet and chopped up then manipulated to within an inch of their lives and then put together the way I chose… Not bad for a first EVER attempt at this type of work, i think. But will defo keep practicing. The point of taking apart images which already exist then manipulating them, is that you learn how to use a much wider verity of tools while having a nice, creative outcome. This was one of many tasks that i undertook during my 3 day class, and Im sure that ill be going back for the advanced class soon :) xoxo LLM

First attempt at Fashion Illustration on Illustrator!

Not to take all of the credit; i will admit that its a collage of images taken from the internet and chopped up then manipulated to within an inch of their lives and then put together the way I chose… Not bad for a first EVER attempt at this type of work, i think. But will defo keep practicing.

The point of taking apart images which already exist then manipulating them, is that you learn how to use a much wider verity of tools while having a nice, creative outcome. This was one of many tasks that i undertook during my 3 day class, and Im sure that ill be going back for the advanced class soon :) xoxo LLM


Text

Refresher course

Once in a while its good to go back to basics and re-discover those tools & techniques that we have forgotten about.

For me, that tool is Adobe Illustrator. I have ofcourse used this program as a fashion student, however at the time it was pretty new on the curriculum  and i passed most of my course by doing everything by hand drawing or on photoshop, plus since graduating i work mostly for myself and do things my own way.

However recently things have changed for me and It came to my attention that I NEED illustrator if i want to move forward. I was always a bit afraid of it, because its pretty complicated at first, and so i have shied away from it for the past couple of years. Yesterday however, I faced the challenge by starting a 3 day beginners course, which for me is like a refresher class.

After exercises; drawing Angry Birds & Apples, I have finally gotten round to some fashion illustration which is SO MUCH FUN! I cant believe i never did it before! Anyway, a lesson well learned is that sometimes, you just need to get stuck in, and maybe you’ll have a little fun on the way! Ofcourse it helps to have a good teacher, but the boost to ones confidence, is awesome!

So my final word is to advise anyone out there who is afraid of something that you NEED to do - go do it! Its  such a good feeling when you come out the other side! 

xoxo LLM

I may post illustration photos later, depending how they turn out :p 


Photo 1Notes
Preparing a mannequin for dress making - u need to measure and mark out every line and curve - this is only the basics. Then I have to mark out the lines of the dress/top, whatever that im making in a different colour… If u need to change the chest size or the stomach for a pregnant woman etc, you can pad the mannequin out with a special foam-like material to get the right shape. This is a standard UK12 or FR38/40 xoxo LLM

Preparing a mannequin for dress making - u need to measure and mark out every line and curve - this is only the basics. Then I have to mark out the lines of the dress/top, whatever that im making in a different colour…

If u need to change the chest size or the stomach for a pregnant woman etc, you can pad the mannequin out with a special foam-like material to get the right shape. This is a standard UK12 or FR38/40

xoxo LLM


Video

Work in Progress

I started this Pencil & Chalk drawing a couple of weeks ago. Its ever changing and evolving as its the first piece that ive done, where it all comes from my imagination. 

Obviously its the Buddha, but many of the other details come from my dreams and imaginings. 

xoxo LM



Photo
H&M Conscious The collection of the year at H&M using all recycled materials, and including a new service of recycling YOUR old, unwanted fashion items. The collection has been on sale for a few weeks now and the service will be available till June, but a little birdie told me that it has been very successful - not surprising when  you get a 5€ voucher to use in store, when you choose to recycle 3 old garments with them! For full details see www.H&M.fr xoxo LLM Zoom

H&M Conscious

The collection of the year at H&M using all recycled materials, and including a new service of recycling YOUR old, unwanted fashion items.

The collection has been on sale for a few weeks now and the service will be available till June, but a little birdie told me that it has been very successful - not surprising when  you get a 5€ voucher to use in store, when you choose to recycle 3 old garments with them!

For full details see www.H&M.fr

xoxo LLM


Video

Fashion Illustration at H&M

xoxo LLM



Photo 1Notes
Water & Chalk. Just a quick sketch from years ago, where i mixed water with chalk pastels, and I quite liked the effect. Give something new a go a see what happens!  xoxo LLM Zoom

Water & Chalk.

Just a quick sketch from years ago, where i mixed water with chalk pastels, and I quite liked the effect. Give something new a go a see what happens! 

xoxo LLM


Video

Secrets of a designers sketchpad:

Everything from sketches, paintings, story boards, Print ideas and collage, this is how we get inspired. Just pick up some arts or craft materials and play around until you feel those proverbial juices flowing.

Maybe I do a bit of photography, or draw what I see out of my window or paint something that I imagined & next thing I know; im off designing my next collection!

Paint on paper or try something new like leather, Use water on chalk pastels to see the effect, collage together some magazine images and off you go! .., Thats the research part of this job begun, even when your lacking inspiration :) 

Extracts from some of my own past Sketchbooks 

xoxo LLM



Photo
Inside of a designers Journal:  Im hoping to turn this years journal into a work of art by decorating each page with symbols, images and borders. This one is surrounded by blue flames (work in progress). Each decoration will have something to do with the days events, seasonal changes, celebrations etc etc. I got a bit sick of seeing my old journals filled with nothing but scrolls and scrolls of writing, so hopefully this will make writing, a pleasure again :)  xoxo LLM Zoom

Inside of a designers Journal: 

Im hoping to turn this years journal into a work of art by decorating each page with symbols, images and borders. This one is surrounded by blue flames (work in progress).

Each decoration will have something to do with the days events, seasonal changes, celebrations etc etc. I got a bit sick of seeing my old journals filled with nothing but scrolls and scrolls of writing, so hopefully this will make writing, a pleasure again :) 

xoxo LLM


Photo 1Notes
Quote: Coco Chanel xoxo LLM Zoom

Quote: Coco Chanel

xoxo LLM