Getting in the Saddle again

I've been on a hiatus from doing photo shoots for nearly a year.  I had my wedding and lot of other big changes in my life, in fact I am still going through some of these changes.  With the impending deadline of my portfolio I reached out to my friend Adam to set something up.  With a test shoot in mind we unintentionally came up with a great looking story.

Before we get to the pretty pictures let me explain some etiquette on test shoots, that people may not be aware of.  A test shoot typically no one is paid for this. It is exactly what it sounds like, a test.  The group is testing to make sure everyone get's along, if they would want to continue to work together.  This group usually includes, photographer, model, stylist (in my case designer), Hair/makeup (same or separate people). Each person has their role in working together to have some great photos.  Per the test shoot open communication is a plus.  Everyone participating should get a chance to do or get something out of the photos that they wanted or needed.  I think a test shoot is harder because everyone needs to work together to give and receive where on a normal shoot there is one goal and it is usually the concept.  For me coming in as the "designer" I want good straight on photos of my work so that it is showcased rather then hair or makeup of the model or extreme lighting/set of the photo.  For me coming to a test shoot getting that great photo of the garment on the body is what I need.  For photographers I work with it has usually been to try out new formats or lighting, also meeting new models for future potential projects.  A lot of models come in needing new head shots or to get a look that isn't already in their look book, something more artistic.  Make up Artist and Hair of course want to show off their skills so usually head shots are good them as well to get the details of their craft.

Well that is my spiel on test shoots.  

Welcome to the pretty!

90% of the clothing are my garments

Photos by Adam Leigh-Manuell

Model is Leah Cultice

Hair and MUA is Lydia

Ponderings on Fashion as Art

Recently I have been dealing with some of the dark side of the business.  I will not get into details here because I want to make this a positive and thoughtful place.  Not an angst ridden rant.

That being said these bad feelings have made me more thoughtful on why I do certain things, the way I do them and how I feel about my personal work.  Truth be told I'm not doing all this to make big money.  Would it be nice, of course!  I'm into fashion because I love it, I love every single miniscule aspect of it, from the design sketch, patterns, muslin up till that final photo shoot where it shines.

Fashion or more specifically for me garments as an art is a very tricky and difficult path.  I am making things that I want to stand alone and draw attention and invoke a feeling.  Similar to how a wrong frame can compromise a great painting so can a myriad of elements do to a garment.  Just one element out of place, out of balance can cause utter catastrophe and the focus escapes where it should be. I feel like clothing as art can be the most easily misrepresented thing due to those elements.  This is why I personally am extremely selective with whom I work with in styling, photography, makeup and hair.  I have my own artistic image to preserve.  I don't just willy nilly allow anyone to rent from my collection racks either.  It may seem stuck up but that is just how much I care about my craft and image as a designer. 

I like to create garments that are sculptural so that when a person wears them it transforms them into a walking beauty.  It makes people do a double take and think wow that is amazing or interesting.  That my pieces alone can stand out and make an original impression.  I like to be on just the cusp of costume and Avant Garde.  I like my photos plain and crisp in terms of background and makeup.  I like to have hairstyles that reflect the feeling of the clothing but nothing too exaggerated or with a lot of extensions. 

My background is mostly in draping.  I view it as another form of sculpture.  It was really difficult in college for me to decide if which direction I wanted to head in either Sculpture or Fashion.  It was too much to try and do them both.  My deciding factor was that fashion could potentially be a career where as much as I love sculpture and especially stone and woodwork I could never make a career out of it.  Funny how life pans out because I haven't exactly made a living career from fashion either.    That doesn't mean I love it any less or that I will quit at it anytime soon. 

 

My preferred way to show my work are through photo shoots but also on all white mannequins at gallery events.  With the photo shoot's that I arrange I have control of majority of the elements and I chose to work with photographers that are going for the same style as I am, or who focus on the clothing being the main attraction rather then the model.   In gallery settings I always use a plain white mannequin so that everything can be displayed with the least amount of distraction from the clothing and details.

Just as I take great care in making the garments I take as much consideration and care in presenting them as well.  I think that all goes into what makes a great collection and a great designer.

All Photos taken by Adam Leigh-Manuell

Models are Rianna Topper and Amanda Tempel (Miss Ohio 2010)

Makeup by Riquina

Hair by Tosha Stimmage

Garments are all from Torn Angel

Holiday Blitz!

Wow this holiday has really kicked my ass!  I barely got anything done fashion related except some excellent shopping at Sales from Urban Outfitters and Forever 21.

I'm excited for this New Year because it has a lot of good things going for it already.  I've put myself back out into working on photo shoots with people I trust who are on the same level as me for quality in their own art forms.  Here are two photos.  Hair and Makeup by Epixa, Photos by Chip Willis, model is Taylor from Wings Modeling agency and of course clothing by me.

In this New year I promise better posts, more truths from my twisted little nerdy mind and better OTD's

Listing it all

These are the events that I currently have going on from now till Christmas pretty much. Keep in mind this is all while still teaching and working a part time retail job.

-Craftin' Outlaws October 17th

- 4 outfits for Halloween Highball on October 31st

- Photo shoot after Halloween Highball with Adam Leigh- Manuell

- 12-13 Looks for the Shoe Designer's Photo shoot (possibly also the weekend of October 31st but that is up in the air as of now)

- Tiny Canary November 14th & 15th pending that Lexie and I get in with our shared booth

- Final 4 garments/looks for the Substance Aspiring Designer Award by December 3rd

It seems relatively short but when I break it down further it is a huge mess!

Craftin outlaws

- need to make at least 3 more crocheted cuffs with pearls

- more bubble scarves at least 20 for the show

- sew together 4-6 new garments (patterns already done)

- needle felt some items to sell (sweets and sea creatures)

- re-print Lingerie look book to have on table with Undone Cards

- label and price everything

Halloween Highball

- finish lining leather jacket and closures

- start Costume, drape, pattern, cut, sew

- Get money for costume materials

- Make one large elizabeth collar and one smaller one

- Cast one more model and reconfirm with all the others

- figure out other 3 outfits as a combination of several things

- Make at least one dress over again from Photo shoot dresses

- Finishing knitting anemone sweater or is it skirt?

Photo Shoot with Adam

- Get all models organized and make TIME to do

- Also need to get assistant for Shoot

Shoe Designer Photo Shoot

- need to complete men's Dress shirt

- Make another men's dress shirt with contrast collars

- leather vest men's and women's

- 1 more pair of pants for women's

- 3 skirts of varying lengths and types

- Finish embellishments on one sweater

- Finish knitting sweater dress

- Make at least one HUGE show stopper dress

Tiny Canary (pending that I get in)

- replenish so that I have at least 20 bubble scarves again

- Needle felt more creatures and sweets

- Replenish any clothes that were sold

- Replenish any jewelry that was sold

Substance Aspiring Designer

- Pick up materials September 29th

- start from scratch and make 4 new looks

- draping, sewing, patterns (maybe)

- presentation and contest!

Don't forget I teach and work a part time job. Which may have to turn into No part time because I just can NOT handle the hours it looks like they are putting me on.

I'm also looking into teaching knitting and crochet Locally in Grandview. Perhaps knitting machine lessons as well.

Craftin Outlaws

I made it!

I was a bit hesitant since I didn't know my schedule or what was going on with the rest of my life but it's ok and I'm happy to have yet another opportunity to sell my wares. They were unsure about having me but I think they will see that I can hold my own and I will do alright. I only bring a clothes rack of things to show but what I really sell is my knitwear and scarves.

All the photos from the Lingerie Photo shoot came in today! As I type my photoshop is angrily uploading them all so I can see the full potential and do the cropping. It is so hard to decide what images to put into my look book because so many of them are amazing!

None of that

Sorry today is an extremely boring unfulfilled post but I feel I must make one regardless.

I am prepping for my Lingerie Trunk Show at Undone which I am also going to be showing/selling some pieces that aren't lingerie but I feel more lounge worthy. Such as the above pants. They are simple knit pants that are german military inspired. I went through my current stock and the fabrics I have and I am in good shape. No need to buy any new fabric, I just need to get it together and make the new pieces. I've also nailed down one model for a look book photo shoot for the trunk show and will shoot again with Adam Leigh-Manuell. Now I need one more model and stylist. I might leave those up to Adam but we need to discuss this all a little more and I need to get a positive YES from the current model as well as contact information. I feel doing all communication through Model Mayhem is not very professional

seeing how so many of them have failed. My biggest project for this Lingerie trunk show is to produce some a new bralet top. I think I am going to be playful also because I found all this leftover gold, black and Turquoise Lame.

There was another photo shoot that was completed with Michelle Washington a Stylist and Stephanie Matthews was the Photographer and Riquina J. I'm eagerly awaiting the photos. Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to actually post them for awhile. I am learning all sorts of new stuff about the fashion world and fashion photography that I never would of thought important. Such as keeping photos that are being submitted for publication confident until after acceptance/rejection of the photo set. Like even if only one of the photos is being submitted none of them from that set should still be posted anywhere publicly. It's really a strange world that I am trying very hard not to step on anyone's toes.

Fashion photography is unlike any other art form in my opinion. First of all there are so many people involved. On this particular turn it was a Photographer, make up artist, wardrobe stylist, and model. You could add me in as the clothing designer but that all depends on the viewpoint. It's like a group project no matter who is responsible for what and since they are all artists it's like walking on eggshells because you don't want to offend anyone. Everyone has their own take an viewpoint and direction. You just hope everyone is on that same direction. It is also more a form of advertisement to get more jobs then it is art. Only the few lucky ones can do this as purely an "art" form and be able to make it their entire living. Not that people don't live off of it but there aren't many people that can make a living off of just Fashion photography shoots. Most make up artists also work a counter, weddings, touch ups for TV or commercial makeup to supplement with Fashion. Photographers same thing they have weddings, portraits, and other none fashion related work. They are lucky because I think they have a little more leeway for art because they can do nudes, or just artistic photos that aren't directly fashion related but still art related. If that makes sense. Stylists are pretty much all around stylists, they look for the clothes, concepts, trends and they clothe people whether it be for fashion or not. They make people look good and put together in general. I just make clothes both avant garde and commercial. Sometimes I get the opportunity to be my own stylist for shoots and every once in a while I do makeup as well. I am at a lose with hair and photography though.

I think I should just keep my mouth/fingers shut all the time. I feel like I am always offending people lately when I don't mean to be. It all just makes me so nervous. I apparently made a comment that I didn't think was bad in anyway but I felt like it was taken the wrong way. I really don't want to come off as some critic or anything. I'm really open to everything. I'm just happy to get good photos of my clothes and I feel everyone has their own take on the same pieces and it's just so much fun to see what different people do. I hope I apologized enough to get that across. I just don't know what more I can do lately. Not just with the photo shoot but all around in life right now I feel kind of helpless and like I am apologizing everywhere to everyone. It makes me want to be less and less social and just hide in my basement and sew till someone calls on me. A friend sent me photos of her work and I haven't even responded yet for fear of sounding critical.......... She does amazing work.

I think maybe because of all the classes lately since I have to critique the student work constantly I don't think I am doing anything wrong. I just have to constantly instill in them what makes good aesthetic designs and their level of work is far from professional. I'm not a perfectionist by far but I know what I like and don't like and what comes out appealing. I haven't seen anything from the outside that I outright do not like, I just don't know...... I am going to keep my mouth shut.

Just a little melancholy

For no good reason at all I miss Korea like crazy these days. I am still in touch with most of my friends that I made there during Yonsei-dae but that isn't what I miss. I miss the boutiques, the subways, their versions of malls, the midnight markets, the bad smells, the bargaining. I miss it all. I only have one person in Korea to actually visit which is my room mate from college but still I want to go so badly. I feel like I am missing something. It's so hard when I remember in High School I went so often to visit my Brother. Perhaps it is this High School program that I am teaching that is making me so nostalgic about everything. I definitely want to go with Hyemi sometime before I have a kid so that we can just enjoy it over there and have some fun before we become total Ajumahs. It's hard to also not have anyone to try and speak Korean with regularly. I guess somewhere I am still have some growing pains about being Korean- American. I feel that I need to get back in touch before I have kids of my own. I don't want my kids to be confused with who they are and aren't. It's such a weird thing to think about becoming the world to someone else, being all they look up to for everything. Not sure if I am totally ready for that commitment. Things will happen and I suppose when that time comes I will just have to step up to it and own it.

Enough of the deep thoughts.........

I'm farking tired out of my mind. Classes started today and my kids are WONDERFUL. I have a big challenge in front of me teaching them and setting the bar for this program elective in Fashion. I am doing new things no one has ever done before and I want to set that bar HIGH! They are more focused then my workshop was and some of them are already far better illustration drawers then I am! I will have some pics of them tomorrow.

Speaking of Tomorrow and why I am so tired I have a sudden Photo Shoot in Cincinnati with Adam Leigh-Manuel from Alias Photography. I know him through Model Mayhem and we've been going back and forth for a bit. Finally we will meet and get to work together. He is very good at correspondence so I have a great feeling about this.

I just need to go and lie down and pass out. I still have so much work to do in the morning.........