The 3 RRR's

This past Friday was a culminating point in my fashion design existence; I had my very first photo shoot (EVER) and my senior collection was the subject at hand, plus a few garments that had never really been in front of the camera before. My FANTASTIC photographer AJ Ragasa does amazing work so I knew from the start it would be him to shoot my work. I also enlisted my equally talented friends Alexander Aesthetic and Jake Treat to do makeup and hair respectively, and the looks are modeled by Kaylee Petter and Christina Wu-Martin. The shoot took a little over 9 hours and I am so thankful for everyone there to help! This collection is designed for Spring/ Summer 2011 and I hope you enjoy seeing my work! (Please be aware that if you click on the photos below, they will become larger and clearer!)

This is the first delivery called Revelation. There is very little structure, lots of draped fabric and pastel colors.


The next delivery, Reformation, is all about illusions with fabric layering, cut-outs and bright colors matched with muted colors.


Revolution is all about the bright and metallic colors, structured silhouettes to the extreme with a serious Lady Gaga influence.

Pin THIS Up!

I know, I know. I am so clever with my post titles. In any case, pin-up retro fashion is officially back! Flipping through this month's issue of Vogue introduced me to the most amazing editorial I have ever seen! Titled "Sweater Girl", Grace Coddington was the fashion editor for this spread and her taste is impeccable. The styling perfectly replicates every photograph from the fifties EVER. Not really but you'll see what I mean:

Model: Lara Stone

Photographers: Mert and Marcus

Slick BP

So I don't know if you've heard but there was this big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico a few months ago... just kidding of course we ALL know about the BP oil rig explosion which sparked a massive hemorrhage of oil that is basically going to kill the seafood industry in southeast America. In the August issue of Italian Vogue, Steven Meisel shot a 24 page spread of Kristen McMenamy as a wounded animal covered in oil. I feel like she interprets the effected animals really well and that this editorial was such an unexpected yet effective way to illustrate the effects of the Deepwater Horizon explosion. My favorite images are below:

Sevilla Squared

During spring break this year I took a really quick trip (like 6 full days quick!) to Spain and Morocco to visit my friend Sarah who was studying abroad in Cadiz. The first and last days of my trip were spent wandering about Sevilla and more specifically at Plaza de España. While flipping through this month's Harper's Bazaar I turned a page and there was Jessica Stam posing at the very same Plaza de España I had been at a few months earlier!

Above (from left to right): Jessica Stam just looking natural and me striking a fantastic model pose!

Just had to share and say "I'VE BEEN THERE!"

Rear Window

A couple weeks ago I saw the Alfred Hitchcock movie Rear Window for the first time while madly sewing away on a couple different projects. Basically a man, James Stewart, breaks his leg on a photography assignment and is wheelchair bound for eight weeks and while staring out his rear window he believes the man across the way murdered his wife. In the meantime his girlfriend Lisa, played by Grace Kelly visits him and also becomes obsessed with the happenings in his apartment building.

The film was made during one of my favorite eras for fashion, the fifties. With Grace Kelly as the leading lady, it was the perfect time to showcase a little fashion throughout the movie. Besides having one of the most classic beauties of all time starring in this Alfred Hitchcock movie, the legendary Edith Head did the costumes and judging by Grace Kelly's wardrobe throughout the movie it was a match made in heaven. This is one more piece of inspiration for my forthcoming pin-up inspired line!

Clockwise from the top left: A version of the Rear Window poster, Kelly in the "Paris Dress" designed by Edith Head, Kelly, Hitchcock and Head in discussion, and three more Edith Head creations.

BTW my absence in the blogging world can be blamed on the fact that I a) graduate this quarter and b) just turned 21 last week Wednesday. Just FYI!