Harlem Pants

Darling,
I spotted this awesome outfit as I walked towards the subway in Harlem. She had the perfect afro framing her stunning face. She wore a white down jacket, the bright orange pants, wool socks and dark brown Steve Madden boots. Awesome!
Cheers!

Shoes That Make You Smile

Darling,

I crossed paths with this girl on 3rd ave. January is a drab month and I feel surrounded by dark gloomy colours and faces. She brightened up my day. She wore an oversized grey Peacoat (she wore it much better than I can draw), covered her head with a floral scarf and displayed a wonderful smile to the world as she bounced down the street wearing BRIGHT orange shoes. She looked great! Have you seen any outfits lately that made you smile?

Cheers!

"His and Hers" - FIT Museum

Darling,
A couple weeks ago I went to the FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) museum on 27th street and 7th ave. It's free and well worth the trip. The exhibition is described as follows :

"His & Hers explores the relationship between gender and fashion over the past 250 years. Clothing can act as an immediate signifier of gender – however, while making distinctions between “masculine” and “feminine” styles of clothing may seem natural, gendering is not a biological phenomenon. While much of the show discusses the changing ideas of “appropriate” attire for each gender, it also includes examples of so-called unisex and androgynous fashion. More than 100 garments, accessories, and textiles from the Museum’s permanent collection are featured chronologically, from a seemingly “feminine” 18th-century man’s velvet suit, to a woman’s “power suit” from the 1980s. Other works include  innovative designers such as Giorgio Armani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Gianni Versace, and Vivienne Westwood. The exhibition is curated by Colleen Hill and Jennifer Farley." (via FIT)

 It's fascinating to see men and women wardrobes changes through the years. This piece was one of my favorites: an asymmetrical tuxedo by Lynda and Daniel Kinne. I loved the pouffy sleeves on the black and white checked shirt, the intricate almost fish scale like layering on the trousers and especially the one shouldered tux. I don't see any occasion where I could wear such an outfit but I like the concept.

Cheers!

Reese Witherspoon

Darling,

This outfit is worn by Reese Witherspoon in the movie "Water for Elephants" coming out sometime this year. I have high hopes for the wardrobe of this movie, the story, I don't know. You can watch the trailer here. I liked the belted high-waisted trousers with the fascinating striped halter-top.

Cheers!

Classy Subway Couple

Darling,

This is what I like to see on the train. An older couple looking stunning. (I have to work on my man drawing skills.) The women with her short silver hair styled perfectly, large gold earrings and a black tweed pencil skirt and jacket ensemble, if not Chanel an upscale copycat design. She added a pop of colour with an flame orange and gold silk scarf. Her husband, wore a black Peacoat and freshly pressed pants.  I can't remember the colour of his shirt or tie but I remember thinking it was really nice. I hope I can look this good at their age.

Cheers!

[NOTE : Sorry for the delay, I forgot to schedule the posting!]

Poison Ivy

Darling,
In Batman, the Christmas Special, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn kidnap Bruce Wayne and drag him along on a shopping spree, using him as a walking credit card. I drew two of Poison Ivy's outfits.
Drawing from cartoons is a great way of practicing new poses.

Cheers!

Original Tron Babe

Darling,

My husband being the huge Tron fan that he is, was extremely excited about the sequel that came out last December. Obviously, before (and after) seeing the new movie, we watched the original version which was released in 1982. Throughout most of the movie they are inside a corporate computer system, known as "The Grid". This outfit pops up at the final scene when the good guys have won.

Cheers!

Madonna's Golden Sweater

Darling,

We are getting to more recent sketches now. This is my next project. All I need is to pick up the wool (ordered) and find time for personal knitting. With Twain's show coming up, I can't work on anything else these days. Oh well.
This sweater is based off a gold number worn by Madonna in the Movie Who's that girl from the 1980s.

Cheers!

Little Black Dress 3

Darling,

Did you watch DollHouse, a science fiction mystery thriller show created by Joss Whedon, staring Eliza Dushku (Faith, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer)? With only 27 episodes, it was short lived but non the less managed to incorporate a stylish and varied wardrobe. This dress is from one of the episodes when Echo (Eliza Dushku)'s body is used as a vessel for the memory of a deceased rich woman to figure out who murdered her. Being at your own funeral, what a trip.

Cheers!

Oversized Sweater and Tie

Darling,

Sketch done from an outfit described by my friend Steph (her name will pop up often, she is quite the fashionista). She bought a comfy Rockefeller Sweater and what thinking of different ways of wearing it. I liked the idea switching it up from a regular button up to an improved wrap.

What do yo think?

Cheers!

Obi Style Belt

 

Darling,

Happy Martin Luther King Day! 

A quick sketch of what my friend Step was wearing one day at work: a dark sweater dress, over thick black leggings, punctuated with red accessories. The belt, a fabulous gift from yours truly, makes sure her great figure isn't lost in the comfort of the dress. 

Best part: POCKETS! Pockets transform any dress into the perfect outfit because the only problem with  a regular dress, is the lack of storage space.

Cheers!

{Best of A Year of Shoes} Silver Blue Pumps

Darling,

My mother gave me this fabulous 2011 desktop calendar for my birthday, everyday showcases great shoes from all over the world and throughout the years. 

I've decided to share my favorite shoes with you. 

On January 14th, I was graced with this beauty :

 "Peacock blue silk "Electra" spike with iridescent leather trim"

by Jerome C. Rousseau, 2008

Stunning, gorgeous, breathtaking! I desire these shoes. I can't even begin to imagine how much  they cost (actually a quick tour on Ebay suggests they come to somewhere around 600-700$...sigh).

Rousseau is a relatively new designer, his label was launched in Fall 2008. This Québec (represent!) born designer honed his skills in London and Los Angeles and worked along side big names such as Fiore, Williamson, John Richmond, and John Rocha. Looking through his collections, the peaked heel visible in this Peacock shoe is a recurrent theme. It's brilliant as it successfully eliminates the unfaltering gap of other designs.

Cheers!

P.S. The picture quality here doesn't do the shoe justice, I took the picture with my phone. I'll scan the next ones.

NYC Street Fashion 6

Darling,
The diversity of style you can see simply walking down one street in NYC is incredible. Within two blocks, I saw a Gothic Lolita, a pink polka dot skirt and Retro-chic lace. I love this town.
Cheers!

Speedo LZR Racer Student Collaboration Video

For some unknown technological glitch, I was unable to embed the video in my previous post. Here it is now for your personal enjoyment.

Cheers!

Upcycling Speedo LZR Racer

An incredible demonstration of ingenuity, creativity and green mentality. Taking the obsolete Speedo LZR racer (the open piece swimsuit Michael Phelps to break his own world record) and upcycling it into cutting edge fashion for all occasions.

Fantastic. Here's a link to the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGsSa3uMgX4&feature=player_embedded

Will these designs ever hit the racks? Who knows. To see some of the pictures from the photo shoot, check out this article by Jasmin M. Chua of Ecouterre.

Cheers!


Source:

Chua, Jasmin M. "U.K Students Recycle Surplus Speedo Swimsuits Into Cutting Edge Fashion". Ecouterre. Dec 10, 2010 [Online] Jan 13, 2011. http://www.ecouterre.com/u-k-students-recycle-surplus-speedo-swimsuits-into-cutting-edge-fashion/
Picture via

Catalytic Clothing - to help us breathe more beautifully

Would you believeme if I told you your clothes may one day play a part in a global effort for carbon sequestration? Well Darling, the technology is there: Catalytic Clothing.

Born from the collaboration of the University of Sheffield, London College of Fashion and the University of Ulster, this dress made from sprayed concrete and "purifying technology" is part of a larger project, one to raise public awareness towards the science of Environmental Pollution.

This textile sculpture is called "Herself" ans as you can read on the wall behind it, is part of a long term and pioneering project to explore how textiles might purify the air by removing certain environmental pollutants. The concept at this stage is still highly experimental. Their slogan, however, is on point: "...So That We Can Breathe More Beautifully".



Cheers!

Source & Picture Credit:
Chua, Jasmin M. "Meet "Herself", the World's First Air-Purifying Dress". Ecouterre.Jan 7th, 2011 [Online]Jan 13th 2011. http://www.ecouterre.com/meet-herself-the-worlds-first-air-purifying-dress/

Tops Galore

Darling,
Here's a busy sketch. The girl on the far left was seen in a Montreal metro (a.k.a Subway) and the three tops are Love Garden Design originals I made as Christmas presents for three of my ladies. I really must get them to send me pictures so I can post them here. They were made by upcycling thrifted (and washed) T-shirts.
Cheers!

Mama Knows Best - Yogurt For Your Health

Did I tell you? I am now a Contributing Writer for Suite 101. Isn't it exciting?I even got a great comment from the Section Editor about my first post. It's so nice to get feedback. My first article is about yogurt and health, please check it out by clicking on the following link.

Mama Knows Best - Yogurt For Your Health

Take care!

Darling,
This woman LOVES the colour Red because everything she owned was red : shoes, tights, dress, feathery coat (yeah those pouffs around the collar and sleeves are bright red feathers), head band, lip stick, travel bag, purse AND wallet. If she had checked luggage you can bet it was red too.
Cheers!

T -Strap Dress form Wizards of Waverly Place

Layered Jean Dress

Plarn Purses

Darling,

Visit Purple Carrots and Fairy Smoke to read an interview with a fascinating lady and discover what so special about these bags.

Cheers!

"Well this car is automatic, it's systematic, it's hydromatic. Why it's greased lightnin!"

My Favorite American Apparel Dresses

Open Back Tank Top

New Year's Resolution

Darling,

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to what's to come in 2011. The next big event for Love Garden Design will be New York Fashion Week in February. Unfortunately I'm not the one with the runway show but I will be behind the scenes and going to other shows as Twain's assistant. I'm very excited. I'll try to take pictures or sketch things I see.

For 2011, I will try to post a fashion sketch every week day for one year. I got a wonderful book about fashion sketching for Christmas and I'm going to try out various styles and techniques in hopes of improving my skills. For this month, I'm going to cheat a little by posting sketches from 2009 and 2010 - Twain's got me working double time to prepare for Fashion Week. I'd love to get some feedback on both the sketching and the outfits. I will be posting sketches of looks I've seen on T.V., in the movies, on the streets and original Love Garden Design pieces.

Happy New Year!

Cheers!