DenverbyDesign Fashion Show

I have no good excuse for my long absence. I have a lot of good REASONS, but none of them are really that good of an excuse. I moved twice (with no help), had mouth surgery, became addicted to Netflix online, and did a few fashion projects/custom orders, but none of those are what I would consider good excuses for not spending a few hours every couple of days online.

But with that said, let's move on.

At the end of February I was asked to do a fashion show for Mod Livin's DenverbyDesign event on March 12th. Despite my obvious time crunch, I decided to create a new mini collection for the show. I immediately knew I wanted to do a collection inspired by the space itself. I felt inspired by the idea of modern accessorizing but with slightly mod/retro silhouettes, all inspired by furniture. I used silhouettes and details used for couches and chairs, such as tufting, couch buttons, zippers, and piping.

I wanted some of the pieces to be very wearable with a fun little nod to the theme, but then have others that were a more high end interpretation of the furniture. I used faux leather, shiny vinyl, upholstery fabric, and plain satins that could be built on to. I knew I wanted some hats to add a modern touch, so I had a friend knit/crochet some hats inspired by furniture coverings/details. I only ended up using two of the hats, but I had multiple to choose from.

Because of the time limit, I ended up having to simplify many of my designs. In my original designs, many of the skirts were to be paired with long sleeve shirts with cuffs and collars. I ended up switching these out with decorated t-shirts and tanks so that I could spend more time focusing on quality and craftsmanship, rather than just throwing things together. Another thing I had to settle a bit on was fabric choice. Money was tight (when is it not?) so I tried to use fabric I already had around and cheaper versions of the fabrics I wanted.

All of the pieces I created were inspired by furniture in some way, but some pieces were less obvious than others. One example is a red dress with piping and lace down the front. When inspected closely, you see that the lace is in the shape of couches. I tried to make the collection like a great guessing game for the audience.

Hair and makeup was a challenge for me. I knew I wanted each model to have a different version of a braided updo, but was not completely sure on what kind of makeup I wanted. I ended up giving Rebelle Salon creative control. The result was a great mixture of Renaissance, Victorian, and modern inspired braids, with the makeup being an all nude face, to give the models a slightly creepy look.

For the show itself I had the models walk down the runway and then pose next to a chair that the outfit was inspired by, or looked a lot like. The chairs ranged from shiny plastic chairs to a faux leather chair that reminded me of bondage gear. Though it was very difficult to get the show together in such a short period of time, I was very happy with the outcome, and the audience really seemed to enjoy the collection. Check out all the pictures below!

Poster Design

Hair Inspiration Pictures

The Runway Show

Zoe wears a faux leather tent dress with front piping and covered buttons. Full metal side zipper.

Kailee wears a decorated tank and double layered skirt with furniture silhouettes and braided tassel trim.

Erin wears a decorated tee and satin skirt with furniture silhouettes, removable bow, and ric-rac. Crochet hat.

Alyssa wears a satin shift dress with faux collar, piping, covered buttons, and couch lace.

Jordan wears a cracked faux leather shift with side piping and couch nails and a full back metal zipper. Knitted hat.

Kinsey wears an hourglass detailed dress with piping, faux quilting, upholstery fabric, and removable bow.

Taylor wears a silk dupioni dress with puff sleeve, piping, and couch nails around hem and down bottom half of sleeve.

Dana wears a satin dress with hundreds of shiny vinyl chairs positioned to look like lace.

Bryce wears a decorated tee with a couch collar and a faux leather skirt with piping and skinny belt.

Group Shots

Pictures all by Meghan Savage Photography

-Melissa

Inspiration Song- Lucky by My Brightest Diamond/ We Carry On by Portishead

Back in 2007 I had a job in retail that sometimes required me to come in before the sun came up. One day I had to come in particularly early and the sky was completely dark and the ground completely covered in snow. As I was approaching a big hill I noticed that there were people standing at the top. I was really inspired by the dark figures against the white ground. The effect was dark and mysterious, but still beautiful. I knew right away that I wanted to do a collection inspired by this dark image. The collection would use dark colors, such as black, purple, and blood red. Along with the visuals from the figures on the snow I would also be inspired by religious cults and vampires. (Now mind you, this was before vampires were "trendy.")

I began to design the collection but I never went forward with it because I had a very specific idea for the runway show and there is not a space that I know of in Denver that would work. So I have saved this inspiration idea for a future time when I think I can create it to the best of my ability and make it everything I want it to be.

I am very inspired by music and have recently found the perfect songs to represent this future collection. My Brightest Diamond's cover of Radiohead's Lucky and Portishead's We Carry On have the perfect level of darkness while still having a beat one can walk to. Check out the songs below!

Here are a few inspiration pictures for the collection:

Vampires and Cults

Modern Goth

Color Palette and Flowers

-Melissa

Lanvin Spring 2011 Collection

I am a fan of wearable drama, which is why I love Lanvin so much. Alber Elbaz's use of ruffles and fullness really inspires me which is why I had to check out his collection for Spring 2011. This collection was not as feminine and romantic as some of his other collections have been, but it just as dramatic. The collection seemed to be all about strength and showing skin. There were exposed metal zippers, leather belts, two toned dresses, draping, and leather harnessing- all done in a way that was both feminine and strong. Strength seemed to be a major part of the message because the models really stomped down the runway.

The set of the show was very simple, yet really made an impact. The runway was bare and dark except for a few ceiling to floor beams that went down the middle of the runway. The collection began with several high drama pieces that flowed as the models moved. After these pieces the mood switched to something slightly more wearable, with tank style dresses, trenchcoats, and lots of tight pleating. Besides tight pleating, some loose pleating was also shown. My favorite pieces in the collection (25,26, and 42) were pleated in some way. The show ended with over the top shimmer, which was mainly made of big pieces of glittery material. I really like this collection because of the range it shows. One moment it is wearable and the next it is over the top glamour. Runway should be dramatic, but it should also have a little hint towards commercialism in it. The point is, after all, to sell your pieces.

The finale walk was one of the most dramatic I have ever seen. The models all stomped towards the end of the runway at the exact same time in a big crowd. It was so smooth it almost seemed choreographed. While I do not believe this to be Lanvin's best collection, I believe it to be a very worthy one. Check out highlights below:

Looks 1,3,and 4. Shows the flowing movement in the beginning of the show.

Looks 5,6,and 7. Shows the two toned look and draping done in collection.

Looks 13, 17, and 20. Shows the easy to wear feel from a section of the collection.

Looks 22,25,26, and 28. Shows the tight pleating done in collection.

Look 30,41, and 42. Shows the looser pleating done in the collection.

Looks 36,37, and 38. Shows the sheer look from the end of the show.

Looks 44,45,46, and 47. Shows the glittery finale pieces.

Check out a video of the show to see everything in action!



-Melissa

Fashion Blogger Spotlight- Tavi Gevinson

Let's think about how often a pre-teen gets invited to sit in the front row of fashion shows, or be in fashion magazines, or get free clothing from big name designers shall we? Well, if it wasn't for Tavi Gevinson, the answer would be NEVER. Why on earth would a fashion designer give free clothing away to a 14 year old who was not a big Hollywood actress? Well, in this case, it's because she happens to be one of the most famous fashion bloggers out there.

Tavi is not the best photographer but she is a great writer and a fun dresser. Because of her age she can get away with wearing clothing that no one else can wear, including Comme des Garcons and costume sunglasses. Tavi is such a good writer that people often accuse her of having someone else write for her. Scandal! I personally do not think this though because of her childish obsession with the same things I was obsessed with when I was her age.

Tavi is fun to read because of her views on the world, her crazy outfits, and the amount of high press events she gets to attend. Back when Target had the Rodarte line, Tavi was the partial inspiration and spokesperson for the line, which is a pretty big deal. She has also been in Teen Vogue, New York Times, Pop Magazine, and French Vogue. Check out some of her crazy looks below!





Style Rookie, Tavi's site is one of my favorite fashion blogs because it is so refreshing to see a young mind discuss fashion and how fun it can be, rather than the same jaded magazine writers. You can check her blog out at the site below:

http://www.thestylerookie.com/

-Melissa

Spotlight On a Dress #2

This dress was designed far before my Spring 2011 collection was thought up but seemed a perfect fit for the collection as I was putting it together. The dress began with the thought that I wanted to combine stripes and polka dots in the same colors. After I purchased the fabric that it ended up being made of, I also realized that I wanted the stripes going in two different directions and for there to be opposite polka dots. It took some time for me to decide where I wanted the red/white polka dots and where I wanted the white/red polka dots, but at one point I just had to make a decision and stick with it. I could easily make ten different versions of this dress, but for this project I only needed one.

I chose the color combination of red and white because I think it is a classic combination and this collection was inspired by a mixture of Parisian youth and old timey circuses. Besides black and white, red and white say circus to me the loudest. I have a bit of an obsession with bows and ruffles which is how those two elements got incorporated onto the dress- and besides, what says youth better?

I chose this dress to be the opening piece for my fashion show because I thought it really summed up the collection as a whole and was one of my personal favorites. I wanted the model to walk out with a bunch of balloons because my inspiration for the collection and the music in the show was a young Parisian teenager walking through the streets with a bunch of balloons.

Besides all the elements you can see, this dress also has a back invisible zipper and hidden side pockets. I love putting pockets on my dresses so that you don't have to wear a purse if you don't want to! Check out this dress in action!

At a French Charity Event

Backstage Before the Fashion Show

-Melissa

Focus on Fall 2010 Trend- Knee High Socks

If you asked me a few years ago what I thought about knee high socks my thoughts would automatically focus on schoolgirl and cheerleading costumes. Lately though, fashion trends are taking knee high and thigh high socks out of the costume-y range and into an accessory worthy of the streets. The great thing about knee socks are that they can be styled for any season depending on what you pair them with. I have seen them pulled up to the thigh, scrunched around the ankle, or even layered.

In fashion editorials, thigh highs are often styled in a way that suggests lingerie as outerwear, but this is a hard to pull off look in real life. I would stick to the look of layering, with a great mixture of casual daytime pieces. Another way to keep this look from becoming too costume-y is to wear dark colored socks, rather than white. White suggests the school girl look too strongly, but grey or brown socks look great for everyday wear.

Some designers added their own touch to this trend, including Alexander Wang's football inspired collection that featured backless knee socks. Other designers layered socks, paired them with ankle boots, or styled the socks with more evening-like pieces.

Alexander Wang's Spring 2010 Collection

Gaspard Yurkievich's Spring 2010 Collection

Cynthia Steffe's Fall 2010 Collection

Besides the runway, this look has been featured in many fashion editorials.

Vogue Portugal

Vogue China

Assorted Magazines

There are so many fun ways to wear this trend. Here are some suggestions:

With ankle or knee high boots

With Short Shorts

With a Short Skirt

For Colder Weather

For Warmer Weather

With a Dress

Casual Daywear

Dressed Up For Evening

Layered Socks

Worn with Tights

-Melissa





*I do not own the rights to any of these pictures, most are from fashionising.com or lookbook.nu