The Jennifer Blouse - Part 1

Inspired by my time in the patternmaking department at Anna Sui, I purchased this beautiful fabric 

100% Silk - Gorgeous

Unintentionally the same colour scheme - 100% Cotton

The Interns corner

the evolution on post-it

....to design this wee blouse I sketched up during a quiet moment between tracing off patterns and photocopying spec sheets.

Months later, it’s nearly a year since I arrived in NY to live my life a Newyorker in fashion.,  on returning to Australia, I’ve taken time out and 'waltzed' once again with costume, but the 'tango' of Fashion has seduced me back to create.

So I thought I would blog my way through the realization of this wee blouse. 

I’ve decided to call it the Jennifer blouse!

So where have I started. 

As I said, my inspiration has come from the amazing pattern makers at Anna Sui,

Make a front from an existing block in calico

Pin the top onto the mannequin & 

Draw the design onto the toile. (Once I am happy I will cut and add seam allowance to another toile)

Make the centre tab and bunny ears

Experiment how to attach the ‘bunny ears’

 I attempted 4 different styles and have opted for inserting 
the ties into a seam that will be attached to the neck band.

At this stage I will use a button hole tie rather 
than knot so that the bunny ears will sit just so.

The tie through will be hidden by a piped from tab 
that will be held down by a decorative button.

Or should I just  knot the fabric?

What do you think - feed back welcome?

So far so good. will Blog as and when I find the time to progress.

Fashion Is my Lover

It started with the necklace!

I once said to my family, I’m don’t do fashion, I do style, My brother      burst out laughing saying that was the most pretentious fashion thing I could say. The fact is it’s true, some would describe me as fashionable, I can be if the fashion suits me but what is more important to me is that the outfit goes together , its coordinated or the clash is complimenting the outfit not at war with it.

So what am I going on about? After nearly a year of no blogging I’m back here thinking  - ‘ok what have I read about making you blog exciting, readable. How do I get a following’.

I‘m thinking:

It’s a full time job - I work full time

I need to create a new collection

I need to market myself differently to get the customers.

So what should I write about, my time at Anna Sui as an intern, no not now maybe soon

The Wizard of Oz – since May this has taken up my time. The opportunity to costume a full musical has been energizing. But that old lover of my life beckons, it whispers, it seduces me back to the fold. Fashion is calling me once again.

So I ‘ve decided to write about Fashion – my lover,

I've ‘googled’ this and found blog sites entitled ‘a fashion love affair’ or 'passion for fashion' or statements such as 'Fashion Is My One Love'.

From as long as I could hold a pencil in my hand, I chose to sit in the corner drawing, designing, putting my creative ideas down on paper. I slept with Cinerella under the pillow, it was the dresses I loved and memorized each one by heart.

It’s always been there, the designs fly about in my head, the cut of a skirt the detail on a collar, its all there crying out to be created. So I entered the world of fashion and the reality was anything but beautiful. The insecurities of the fashionistas, the greed of the manufacturers and monotony of the day robbed me of the joy.

So I went done other paths, styling, costume and teaching, but still Fashion whispered in my soul. I’ve often heard other fashion designers say I love fashion I just don’t like the industry. I know what they mean!

So after my internship at the age of 43 having had 20 years of life experience, I walked away disillusioned, but very satisfied it was off the bucket list, Fashion went into hibernation, but now it is spring, and its woken up. So what will this new season bring?

High Tea me thinks. I’ve had my ramble, I have no answers but I’m looking forward to having that love affair with fashion all over again.

Precious Opaque

Since I last blogged I've been to NY and back, Lived life as an intern, seen how one fashion designer does it and met some wonderful folk and made some precious memories. On returning to Oz over a month ago, I've moved house, nearly killed myself twice, all car related and started to look for that all important job in Fashion.
I'm exhausted even just writing the last 3 months into one short paragraph. This blog is meant to be away of marketing my creativity, it's a way of promoting myself when I can't afford the marketing guru.
So far, I've broken a few of the rules that I looked up on 'how to write a successful blog'.
You are meant to keep it updated - last blog was December - Its now March
Your meant to share expertise and interesting facts - when was the last time I did that?

Look back at:
http://alexzvi.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/heres-technique-if-youre-interested.html

So for this blog; I'll share my musings about Fashion:

I've been told that fashion is a bit like osmosis (the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge, etc.: what she knows of the blue-blood set she learned not through birthright, not even through wealth, but through osmosis). Where do we get the inspiration, why are a lot of collections similar in theme? Yes the predictions aid this, but I remember being a 1992 fashion graduate,on browsing through a Vogue I stopped in amazement at a Marc Jacobs ruffled blouse in sage green. 5 months previously I'd designed and made a sage green ruffled blouse as part of my Final collection. Based on my own theme, inspired by Regency dandies and furnishing fabrics. I had deliberately not looked at the up-coming season. So as pretentious as it sound Fashion often happens by Osmosis.

So with this in mind, over the last couple of weeks clean and edgy ruffles have been grabbing my attention, either on the red carpet, or on the net. Last night I was over tired, couldn't think straight. It was only 8am, too early for bed. What did I do?

I googled 'colour & trend predictions for fall 2013/14'. Before I knew it it was 10.30pm. I'd proceeded to produce a mood board ready to start a new Collection, the adrenaline rush was magnificent, perhaps for those who love to run, it was like  having completed a marathon - perhaps not? 

So here it is:

The excitement and creative juices are bubbling, I'm looking forward in to putting every thing I saw and learnt at Anna Sui into action.