Image is Everything

On Wednesday David Lam presented us with our picture, this picture is so monumental as it represents me as a designer and the underlying message of my collection, so high hopes and a lot is riding on this image.

He came in and natural everyone gravitated towards the screen. Its distressing enough being alone, but with the all the beaming eyes inspecting each image it was irrevocably intense. He called my name as it flashed up in front the screen,Horror, Surprise, Excitement and Beauty all came to mind. Horror as it was not my original intention for the photoshoot, excitement as this image was beautiful and I was proud to call this mine, surprise as i didn't love it perhaps as much as i should and excitement with how remarkable it was. Very mixed emotions...

A few days later and I still feel uneasy about it, buts its growing on me. It reflects the mood of my collection perfectly, the model is exquisitely beautiful and the pose is perfection, the maiden dress appears to be lightly kissing her skin, gently cascading down to dress the body with a glimmer of the under garment jumpsuit adding to the ensemble instead of distracting from the natural beauty of the dress, the fur cape draping over her shoulders looks so effortless with the militant badges setting it apart from the obvious. With all these remarkable elements to this photograph I still have reservations; I suppose thats the ragging perfectionist inside me combined with the nagging cynic, I find it it all too easy to pick and criticse my work instead of simply enjoying it.

Striping is Hard Work

I loves stripes and so really wanted to involve some in my collection, I had decided on a delicate painted stripe by painting onto the back of a screen, however specs of colour kept coming through. So ensuring I was immaculate and clean attempted it again with success, but when i pulled it through on a final pieces flecks of fluro orange came through again.

I don't have any fabric to spare and so have to abort this, but i love stripes and how chic they look. They are classic staple in any woman's wardrobe and AW 2010 sees so many wonderful stripes, with the boundaries and perception of stripes being pushed.

Chanel in a classic sailor stripe

Erin Fetherson

Diane Von Furstenburg

Day of the Shoot

The photoshoot wasn't very successful as I wanted the photographer to use the same girl twice in two outfits, one in the maiden dress, jersey undergarment jumpsuit and fur cape and the other in the ellie jumpsuit and geddes-west blazer. I wanted her to be starring at herself in two different outfits, in a checking out/ starring the other one out manor, with the mood and look being slightly wild and hazey, with huge inspiration being drawn on the Mulberry ad campaign fall 09. But he immediately dismissed it, and basically did what he wanted. I was very skeptical as it wasn't my vision.

Pablo one of the head mac make-up artists did a fantastic job of the make-up, drawing on a moody 1920s look with deep glossy mahogany lips, matte face and black smoky intense eyes. The hair was done by myself in a back combed sweeping side bun.

Once I saw the maiden dress on combined with the hair and make-up it was actually stunning, it looked elegant, naive, subtle and very delicate- which was exactly my aim.

Also deciding that any jewelry would detract from the delicacy of this outfit, and wanting the focus to purely on the clothing.

The final shots looked breath taking my only reservation was it looked very 1940s- esque and I was anticipating this outcome, but i shall await the final picture in a few weeks... very excited and painstakingly nervous.

Vintage Wholesale

A friend of mine runs a vintage wholesale shop on 123 Bethnal Green Rd.

The front doesn't even resemble a shop, to ensure that only serious customers enter its based on appointment only basis and so remains a secret!

The phrase 'treasure trove' is a serious understatement for this place, as its a gold mine of periodic and weird and wonderful finds.

I was in need of some fur for a cape, so selected a gillet for £10, so much cheaper than buying it new and its up-cycling, so a winner all fronts.

I love the final fur cape, accompanied by the military medals it creates a form of memorabilia, meaning and story within this cape, whilst also generating depth and contrasting harshness to delicate supple fur.

Equestrian Blazer

This has been an emotional 10 days, from toiling to embroidery and the tailor making the jacket.

The waist line was too high so by dropping it by 3cm, and exaggerating the flares in sides and back creates more drama, I'm happy with the fit, shape and style, so its off to the tailor.

I collected the front right panel and took it to the embroidery's in Lowestoft, then posted it back to the tailor, so she could finish it.

The final jacket is amazing and looks so crisp and smart, getting it made was the best option as I don't have the skills to construct jackets with such precision and expertise as Alla did. I am however slightly disappointment with some hemming and finishing as there is small nick in the hem and the binding round the velvet collar is not laying flush.

Not minute detail has been overlooked with this blazer, the linings, trimmings, buttons and binding has been given attention care and careful thought.

Geddes-West Crest

I wanted to combine mine and my husbands family crests together to create a new one, celebrating a new era. These two are my final designs, and I'm leaning slightly toward the lighter as its more feminine, delicate and would feel lighter on the clothing, it also has more fun and whimsical feel to it.