Pattern research

As I've said in previous post. I'm going to get four dresses made with digital printed design on for my final project. I don't have the expertise in constructing garments so I'm going to research into asking a seamstress to create them for me, but I obviously need to find a pattern. I wanted to find a on-line digital pattern, so I could put it onto photoshop if I wanted without hassle. I couldn't really find one, or a style of dress I wanted. So my tutor suggested going on http://www.burdastyle.com/. Its one of the best sites I've seen when it comes to the amount of digital pattern choices. Most patterns you have to pay so many dollars for, very cheap though. They have a good images of nearly all the patterns in context and rank each pattern depending on how complex it is. A very first time pattern buyer friendly. They have bang on spring/summer trend patterns. I chose a pattern named '02/2011 shirt dress with pockets' by Burda style magazine. Its the closest I could get to the simple, shift dress style that's around at the moment.

Shape trend for S/S 11

Shape forcast taken from View publications,

This shape forecast image is from View publications magazine. Its a really useful source of material for future trends for womenswear, menswear, fabric styles and print forecast. Gives real in depth information on all design trends. I wanted to find now/future shape trends to get an idea of the kind of dress to create for my major project. My conclusion that 70s is massive hit for summer 2011 and simple shapes have taken over. So I'm going to look for simple shift style dresses.

http://www.view-publications.com/content.html

Theme board research

My strongest point has never been at presenting my work on boards to show my work off in the best light. I wanted to create 3 theme boards so people can easily see what contexts I'm working with within my brief. Flora and fruits, colour themes and Fashion now. So I decided to just get some inspiration from theme boards that I've looked up, just to get an idea of layouts etc.
It goes with out saying really that a theme board is meant to be visually exciting where your context comes across clearly. So from my researched I have come to the conclusion that  its good to have images and objects of other context to get your message across, and to have 3d visual exciting objects/images that link with the context in question. So by doing this little bit of research I am now clearer  on how to present my theme boards and hopefully they should come across well. I will find out in my next group tutorial.

Samples of my primary drawings.

As Karen and Julie both mentioned that some of my primary drawings reminded them f Andy Warhols work/ style that I would show two samples that I think show his style well. When I get into the development stage I think I may look at Andy Warhol further, because I'm looking at prints clashing within my work, and also for the fact colour is my main drive, like Warhol.

Citrus rain - digital printers

I decided to get back in contact with Citrus rain, who are based not too far away, Denton, to create my digital prints for me for my final outcome of dresses for my final major project. I thought as I had already built up a relationship/communication with them that it would save me time, and what they produce seems a really high standard.

Julie, tutor for the day.

Left: Primary drawing on a dragon fruit.  Right: Printed grapefruit primary drawing.

Julie who also came to give us a few lessons on how to approach drawing in different ways last year, came back to give me and my group  feedback and ideas about who to look at and be inspired by for our primary drawings. Julie also commented on the fact my crazy colour choices and unison of repeats and prints reminded her of Andy Warhol. She also picked up on how textural my work was, with 3d layers aspect which was good to hear as I decided to focus a little more on texture for my drawings, to pick up fruit aspect more, and to give my work a bit of a fresh twist, as its something I don't tend to explore. Julie also suggested a few artist to look at. Also because I was looking at fruit and the texture, she gave me the idea of drawing in pen on the fruit pieces I cut up. To then capture it by photos. Something I would of never thought of doing in a million years, but its something I may try in the future.

Karen Little, tutor for the day.

Karen Little

http://www.littledesigns.info/

I had another  positive experience of Karen Little joining my group as tutor for the day. An excellent chance to run past my brief idea for final major project and to give feedback on primary drawing. Even though she has more expertise in the interior side of the design industry rather than fashion, she still has had experience in the design industry and will know strong designs and drawings and what works with what etc. I had positive feedback and she said I had good use of colour, very creative and my work reminded her of Andy Warhol. So I'm going to look more into his work for future inspiration for my work in my current brief, as he is a lover of colour just like myself.

TWDaccountants Visit 'Affordable Expertise'

                       

TWDaccountants are a Stockport based accountants who came to talk to us about the complex issues of money and tax issues / problems when becoming self-employed. I thought it would be a very useful session to attend due to the fact of the possibility I may pursue being self employed sometime in the future.

They were really friendly and talked through what they called 'the 6 steps to getting right'. 

Which are 1: register as self employed. 2: Contact the tax credits office. 3 Implement a bookkeeping system. 4. Put money aside to pay your taxes. 5: File your tax return on time, and finally 6: Pay your tax and national insurance on time. They briefly went into depth about each point and gave us a handy  file to reference to with a lot of information but easily readable.

All in all it was a very useful session, a lot to take in granted, but I now have the sources and the knowledge that there is a company willing to help to be graduates out. 

Whiston and Wright print studio

I contacted a company called Whiston and Wright print studio is based in London and cater for fashion. They create fresh forward designs for the industry and show and sell their designs worldwide. They consist of in house designers and there trade make as they state on their website 'inventive colour is their trademark'. So again a company that would suit my work.

EyeDazzler - Textiles design studio NY

This design company visually excited me. Just from the homepage of stunning bright imagery of flora and non floral designs in bright vivid colours. Very me. There based in NewYork but from what I can gather from the website they have a 'sister' studio in London. There another company that keep play their cards close to their chest. So they don't give too much away on the website but I decided to contact them even though I got the impression they are a pretty prestigious company, but I thought it was worth a shot just for the fact they create beautiful colourful designs. Time will tell if they respond. 

Cherry Design Partners. NY

                                                                                                                                                                                     On my search for surface design company's  I came across this one. Another company from America. also based in NewYork. Deborah Shapiro and Vittoria DiRosa formed a partnership together which later became 'Cherry Designs Partners'. Deborah Shapiro had experience being a Art Director and being a graphic designer and Vittoria being a textile designer and both having great experience within the sales industry that it spelled success from the start. They specialise in all aspects of surface design from apparel to interior to stationary.  From the gallery of work on the website the work they presented seems very much down my road with good use of colour and many floral prints. So I had no hesitation in contacting them. Heres hoping for a reply because feedback from Deborah and Vittoria would with the experience they have would be very much great full. 

Creativo Design, NY

Creativo is based in NewYork. They specialise in flat Digital fashion print and have 2 in house designers and 12 designers worldwide. The website immediately catch d me due to their use of bright bold colour. My work would fit really well within their company so I definitely made the effort to ask if they would see my portfolio  So I contacted them and hope for the best.

Print house studio, LA Calafornia

I randomly discovered this studio when I wasn't intentionally looking for any. They don't give too much away at all on the website apart from their contact information and the fact there based in LA, California. It never really crossed my mind to get peoples opinions world wild, so to me this was a great time to do so.
I sent them an emailing saying I was in my last year of my degree in the UK studying surface designs for fashion using CAD and I specialise in Flora and colour etc.  Also from the fact their homepage image they used use of colour I thought It was worth a shot contacting them. So lets hope I get a response.

Moo Boutique

Moo boutique is based in Stockport, Heaton Mersey. Its a boutique that sells brands/ Independent designers such as Beaumont and Supertrash. the price range of the clothes on site varied from £35-£150+. This was a good indicator to see if my dresses/ garments would be suitable for Moo Boutique. Moo's Non mainstream brands that have a little spark to their clothing ranges. Off beat so to speak. I contacted them for the fact they seemed very open from the information I got from the website to be willing to sell new independent designers work. Plus the fact it was a boutique, sold it to me because that's the market I see myself selling my one off or short run of garments too.
So It would be good to hear something back from my email where I just explained I was a 3rd year student studying surface design and was looking to become a freelance designer creating one off/ small runs and was in the middle of creating prints for one off dresses I was going to get made so wondered if they would see my portfolio for their views on my work and if it was something they would be interested in.