Merry Christmas to me.......

So i'm just going to put it out there........i LOVE christmas for the simple fact i get presents, selfish i no, but i still give.... and when you love bags there's only one thing to ask for from santa!!

this year i got this gorgeous Louis Vuitton - Never Full Bag

I cant wait to use in the summer especially on holiday, I love Louis Vuitton accessories because they match every out fit.

Last year i got this gorgeous Mulberry 'hobo' bag. Once again a 'staple' bag that can be worn with many outfits, I dont like over the top bags......less is more!!

Ive still got a Vivienne Westwood bag which i got for christmas also which ive still not got :( its stuck in the courier sorting office due to the snow!! I should have just went into the boutique but because of the snow i just bought it online and still not got it!!! this is all i have till it comes.....

snowed in.......

so....for three weeks of this month i have been snowed in!!! it was all fun and games to begin with but that didn't last long, missing college for three weeks due to the fact i couldnt get out my street and no trains running became a bit of a pain to say the least

this is my poor car stuck at the bottom of my street....it sat there for three weeks!

this picture was taken on the first day of snow...

The igloo....to be honest i think i went outside twice in the three weeks so cant really take graduate for this masterpiece, my boyfriend and little sister done all the hard work.....i watched from the window, while watching christmas films 

Portfolio (AD203)

This is a few images from my folio for AD203, and i feel this section of my work is extremely poor! i will defiantly be redoing and even scrapping some of this work and produce new work...

 using photoshop and illustrator to produce these two x A3 sheets

Thumbnails

Sketchbook (AD203)

Within the AD203 project to design an evening wear garment for a local designer 'Anh Mao' we had to document our thoughts and process through a sketch book (raw ideas) and develop these ideas into a portfolio, here are a few images from my sketch book...

 two page spread documenting Anh Mao's designs

 Key Trends of S/S 2011 - 1970's being one.

Getting inspiration from Construction and Steel frames 

I would defiantly say i need to work into my sketch book a bit more introducing more drawings and annotation....

j'adore paris......

My birthday weekend, and my amazing boyfriend surprised me with a trip to PARIS!!! I LOVE France, being there countless times on family holidays, visiting Brittany, Loire Valley, south region and spent many times in Paris also but the last time I had spent time in France was 7 years ago!! so when i was told on the wednesday that on friday we were flying out to paris, i nearly cried.....but before i got to Paris we had a quick overnight stay in the Malmasion in newcastle before catching our flight out to Charles de Gaulle!!

The Mal in Newcastle

Boarding our flight in sunny newcastle

David outside the Louvre

The weather was horrible when we got to Paris, did not stop raining, but still loved the trip

First stop was Rue Cambon......straight to CHANEL!! 

Thats Alexadra Burke running out the shop, didnt mean to take a picture of her, she must have thought i was some sad tourist!!

 I have never been in a shop or boutique like chanel, as we were walking in a french women was walking out with SIX store assistants lined in a row carrying two bags each to her Schaeffer driven car.....each assistant acknowledged us as they walked past, 'bonjour madam, bonjour monsouir'

This embellished bust, covered in fine jewellery and gems was in the window on Dolce and Gabbana

French architecture and the buildings in Paris in particular amaze me, everything just looks used and lived in. the tall building with dozens of shuttered windows symmetrical positioned making everything look so neat but at the same time each building has its own look making the buildings so unique. The Paris street look very miss-matched but pull together with the same look.  

me infront of the glass pyramid at the louvre

Just outside our hotel.

This is a photograph i took of the Eiffel Tower, quite proud of my photography skills here....

There was alot i didnt get the chance to see, and many districts i wanted to visit, hopefully get back out to Paris in the summer and explore a bit more......

Audrey Tautou.....Chanel No.5

i love this the new Chanel No.5 advert with Audrey Tautou, this advert and Audrey Tautou herself, i feel define fashion. The French actress, who also stars in coco before channel has such presence and is so chic and glamorous.......

......I especially love the all in one garment Audrey Tautou is wearing at the end of the advert!!

 Tautou in the movie 'coco before chanel' standing on the stairs where Chanel would run catwalk shows within the chanel house. I LOVE this film, watching it over and over again. 

Audrey Tautou, to me this IS glamour.....less is more!!!

Pret-a-Porter (Ready to Wear)

Ready to wear/ Pret-a-porter (RTW) is the term for factory-made clothing, sold in finished condition, in standardized sizes, as distinct from made to measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a particular persons frame.

Ready to wear has rather different connotations in the spheres of fashion and classic clothing. In the fashion industry, designers produce ready to wear clothing intended to be worn without significant alteration, because clothing made to standard sizes fits most people. They use standard patterns, factory equipment, and faster construction techniques to keep costs low, compared to a custom-sewn version of the same item.


Some fashion houses and fashion designers produce mass-produce and industry manufactured ready to wear lines, while others offer garments that, while not unique, are produced in limited numbers.


Collections are shown twice a year Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer......

Jill Sander Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

diane von furstenberg Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

Oscar de la Renta Spring/Summer 2009 RTW

Oscar de la Renta Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

First Project - Art and Design Method (AD203)

We were set the task over summer to research 'haute couture' and 'pret-a-porter' to give us a base for our next project - art and design method (AD203) 


This research was there to help with a project on behalf of Anh Mao Couture, A local designer specialising in evening and prom
ware who started in the corner of her garage with two very old sewing machines in 2006. She has also designed and made dresses
for the miss england competition.


We were asked hand in a sketch book, folio and diary reflecting our own thoughts and progression with research, drawings, historical reference and design development of evening wear.


Haute Couture


French for 'High Sewing' or 'High Dressmaking' refers to the creation of exclusive custom - fitted clothing. haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high quality, expensive fabrics and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish by the most experienced and capable seamstresses, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. In France, the term Haute Couture is protected by law and is defined by the chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris, based in paris.


Members of Chambre Syndicate de la haute couture :

• Chanel
• Adeline Andre
• Christian Dior
• Givenchy
• Jean Paul Gaultiar
• Valentino

...........to name a few.

Versace Atelier Silk faille ball gown with fitted bodice and open back

Givenchy Haute Couture dress of asymmetrically draped silk crepon, embroidered with bands of silver metal sequins, beads and crystals.

Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Long draped-chiffon dress with fur sleeves.

Armani Prive bustier dress with multilayered damask jacquard skirt and hat.