between darkness and dawn

Final year of university starts, and we have a project called 'Industrial Context'. For this we have a presentation by a company from within the industry. Our company, Pyrus. (www.another-pyrus.com) The idea of this brief is for us to take their inspiration for a design season and create a collection using their ideas, colour palette, fabrics and mood for the collection.

The season - Autumn/Winter 2010/11

The mood - 1980's, synaptic brain activity, contour lines,

The colour palette - dark navy, black and grey, with flashes of white and highlights of electric blue and acid pink.

My concept - Between Darkness and Dawn, 1980's styling, Tim Hamilton, The Hunger, vampires

Photography by Leanne Nitman

lovers and other strangers

Not content with conducting work experience in London, starting a new job, moving into a new house and being part of the driving force behind the fundraising show, influenced by my work experience at Enamore as well as a ever growing love of Jack Vettriano and Gil Elvgreen I decided to create a 1940's inspired fashion collection. (workaholic you say... who, me??!)

Photography by Leanne Nitman and Tom Langford

Freshers Fundraising fash-ON Show

Back in September of last year, myself, Nikki, Chloe and a few others decided we would start our fash-ON fundraising with a fashion show, quite a suitable fundraiser you may think! We went to local Southsea businesses and asked to borrow clothing from them as well as enhancing the show with collections made by three students, Chloe, May and myself (as obviously organising the show wasn't enough work!) in the end we managed to bag, Dead Mans Glory, Rokii, Deluded, Bored, Dress Code and Beautiful Me all of Southsea fame to lend us clothes for the event. As well as tshirt producers Individual Threads. We had a range of stalls and various activities running throughout the day including a stall from Urban Spark Jewellery.

We had two shows, one at 4.30pm and one at 6.30pm and despite a few hiccups (drunken models and musical issues.. the less said the better!!) It was a highly successful event and started our fundraising off at a fantastic pace.

fash-ON

As our degree course doesn't have a link to any of the graduate shows in London, a group of hardworking (possibly/probably crazy) students have decided to create organisation fash-ON. This is to enable us to raise funds and set up our own graduate show to showcase the work produced by the fabulous students of Portsmouth University!!!

You Had Me From Hello

Last summer, I worked for a month with creative hemp company, Enamore. Based in Bath, meant I spent part of the week living and working in Bath with company owner Jenny and the rest of the time at my part-time job. Inspired by a love of 1940's pin ups - very similar to my own - Jenny and I instantly hit it off. Working on the website, photoshoots and creating a few garters and eye masks, I had the best month of my degree. I was really inspired by Jenny. She is a wonderful person with a fabulously creative mind. Her work is amazing. Check out www.enamore.co.uk.

As part of my work experience with Jenny, she asked me to help her with her London Fashion Week show in September, at first I was going to help backstage, but as it came to the event, Jenny asked a huge favour of me to model her 1940's pin up inspired underwear. The event was held at the Buddha Bar in London and was an amazing day.

Catwalk Photos courtesy of Nick Grant

anyone in the mood for tea...?

To skip forward a little, the main focus of my second year was spent on a little project called Little Ginger's Tea Shop. A wonderful project with four beautiful girls. Nikki Strange, Maria Laffafian, Rachael Palmer and Kirsty Birtley. We were put into groups based on our strengths and weaknesses, and being the only fashion student with four textiles students, instead of creating a collection of clothing, we decided to head down the kitchenware route. We set up a business, which we had to pitch to the university and create and made products to sell, our beautiful products are shown below, our range included, table runners, placemats, napkins and napkin rings. We were very successful in selling all of our products and we had a lot of interest from local business who wanted to stock our products (they just sold out too fast!)

Photography by Nathan Crossley

to rewind the clocks a little...

For this project we had to look back at regency times. As one to never follow a trend while most chose the task of a corset, I decided to challenge myself with a full Jane Austin inspired regency dress. Being a Jane Austin fan (which girl truthfully isn't!) and looking into a period which inspires and interests me, this project was a really exciting for me. Studying the work of Louis Vuitton as well as the likes of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma.

Photography by Jo Hawtree

drape my soul with a rose

For this brief we had to use draping pattern cutting skills to create a contemporary dress. Inspired by the work our tutor showed us, I looked to nature for my inspiration as well as the faithful Alexander McQueen a great love of mine for shape and colour.

Photography by Jo Hawtree

from russia with love

For this brief we had to create an outfit inspired by a country, I looked to John Paul Gaultier (a favourite of mine) and Russia for my inspiration for this project. This was the first time I tried pattern cutting from a block and instantly fell in love with the process.

Photography by Jo Hawtree

to begin at the beginning...

Well over 4 years ago, whilst on my foundation degree at the University College for the Creative Arts in Epsom, 4 young girls were put into a group together (Hayley Anne Watson, Jo Hawtree, Nadine Webster and myself) to create a look from 'recycled clothing'. The brief was simple, go to a selected charity shop and buy 4 garments to recreate into something new.

This was our first look of two, we looked into a photo shoot from i-D magazine (shown below) as our main inspiration.

The above outfit was our first, we took a beautiful(!) pair of trousers from marks and spencers and turned them into these 3/4 length high waisted trousers, styled with a classic i heart n.y. tshirt.

The second look we created from this stripy french connection jumper and a mens ralph lauren shirt, which we cut the sleeves and collar off and added to the sleeves of the jumper. We also added buttons, bows and embellishments to the jumper for extra detail.

Photography by Jo Hawtree