Posts tagged ‘art’
Sketches
Jason Wu
I have always loved a fashion illustration. One quick line here and a dab of red there and ta-da! it’s an outfit ready to hit the runway (or my body?).
I was going through some of my old magazine tear outs the other day and stumbled upon at least a dozen illustrations by Karl Lagerfeld, which then had me flipping through my fashion illustration book followed by some ferocious scouring on the web. How cool would it be if the designers published their sketches in a book each time they showed a collection during fashion week. I’d love to see how they translate from paper to catwalk strut.
Here’s a collection of some of my favorites but I have to say, finding designer sketches online is not an easy task.
Karl Lagerfeld
Stella McCartney
Tom Ford
Yves Saint Laurent
Fickle Fashion
Last night at dinner, my godmother asked me if all those “favorite” pieces I talk about on here are actually my favorites. At first I had no idea what she was referring to; favorite items? what favorite items? have I been repetitive recently? am I losing my mind? and all those other inevitable moments of self-doubt that comes from publishing so much of your life online.
But then as I took a moment to take a bite of my roast chicken and mashed potatoes, I realized that I do change clothing favorites and frequently no less! I equate this to my obsession with stuffed animals (and shoes) as a little girl.
One was never enough. Every night I would go to bed and line three stuffed animals — or “stuffies” as I called them — up next to me, placing them into a rotation so that each one had a night next to me before going back into the big pile. OCD? Perhaps. But I couldn’t love just one! I needed to love them all. And while some would be in more frequent rotation than others, my “favorites” changed from day-to-day and month-to-month, but I never got rid of them.
This is the same with my clothes, aside from the whole bed rotation thing because that would be weird. Even as I bring in new “favorite” pieces, I hold on to everything, because knowing me, the items that wind up in the back of my closet will sooner or later become a favorite all over again.
Right now my favorite item in my closet is this Alexander Wang bag, but who knows what tomorrow’s favorite will be because I’m just a fickle fashion kinda gal.
Early Riser
I come from a family of early risers. For the adolescent part of my life, I tried to force myself/pretend that I could sleep well through the morning and sometimes even into the afternoon. This was a constant battle…with myself. What was it about sleeping in that I thought was so cool?
Those days are long gone now as I fully embrace that I am my most productive self in the early mornings, coffee cup in hand. This post is an example of that. I woke up at 6AM, wide eyed and bushy tailed, ready to seize the day. So what did I do with those first few hours of my morning? I hung art on my walls like a crazy person. It may be a first that I’ve woken up and immediately done something involving a tape measure and hammer, but I’m quite satisfied with the results!
Now onto the rest of the day…
Art on Your Sleeve
I love when my passions collide. When Pizza Hut came out with their stuffed crust pizza I practically passed out since the crust and the cheese are my two favorite parts. My heart stopped when a pink dolphin was spotted swimming in Lake Calcasieu, Louisiana (I actually made a sculpture of a pink dolphin my senior year in college. He now lives at my brother’s apartment). And when Carven sent Bosch printed skirts, shirts and dresses d0wn their Fall 2012 runway, my head started spinning 1000 times a second. Dizzy.
But since this is a fashion blog and the last thing you want is to hear me talk about my makeout session with a stuffed crust pizza, I shall focus on the art printed fashion that tickles my fancy. Carven isn’t the first label to send art printed pieces down the runway – who could forget the famous Mondrian print YSL shift dress ca.1965 – but it’s really the first time that I’ve started to look at works of art as potential textiles. For example, how amazing would a pair of Pollock splattered pants be? Or what about Botticelli’s Primavera printed on a blazer? A colorful Matisse printed on a structured dress a la Mary Katrantzou? Whoa beans. I’m by no means a fashion designer, but what I wouldn’t give to design a pleated Toulouse Lautrec skirt!
Check out some real life art printed pieces below!
Carven F/W 2012
Rodarte S/S 2012
Yves Saint Laurent 1965
DIY: Tom Binns Painted Swarovski Jewelry
I’ve mentioned it a zillion times and I’ll mention it again: I Love Tom Binns. No, not the man himself (never met him), but his jewelry is hands down my favorite on the planet. He has a series of different collections – you’ve all seen me getting serious wear out of his safety pin bracelets – but it’s his painted swarovski crystal collections that have recently tied down my fickle eye.
Now, these beauties you see above are a bit steep for my bank account (they range between $600-$2,200) so I took matters into my own hands. I bought a bunch of cheap “crystal” necklaces, rummaged through my extensive nail polish collection for some bright colors, sat down in front of the tv and painted my very own Tom Binns inspired necklaces (and earrings!).
Jump on the DIY wagon and do it too! Here’s how:
Supplies:
- Cheap crystal necklaces you won’t mind painting (try this one or this one)
- Nail polish – preferably in bright neon colors
- Pick your colors and get painting! Try not to get too much on each crystal and keep a steady hand. Second coat is optional, though I prefer it.
- Let your colorful jewels dry!
- Wear them in every ridiculous way possible.
