Fashion Show 2012

After a year of planning and manufacturing, the annual fashion show finally arrived! All last week we were sorting out our venue and rehearsing the routines for the show. In the dress rehearsals, i was so nervous, because i heard my music playing on stage, and my models weren't ready! Nightmare! With a bit of practise of getting my dresses on, all went well on both nights of the show. I thought i had better upload some images for everyone to see how it went, so any comments you have, please do let me know!



The Finished Photoshoot

As promised, here are some of the images from my photo shoot! Also, the place where i got these done is called Awol Studios, which is based in Manchester, and if you want to have a look at what that's like, this is the link http://www.awol-studios.co.uk/

Trust me, looks can be deceiving! I have to admit that when i pulled up to this old mill, and when i say old, i mean like falling down in places; i was a bit apprehensive, and thought how on earth i was going to get a good shoot from here! However, i was pleasantly surprised by how creative and inspiring the interior was, very arts and crafts style and basically a make do situation, but a fab place to be creative!

I have over 300 images, so have just picked out a few to show the different kinds of shots we got. All my other images will be in my photoshoot journal. I now have to pick out the best ones to add to my portfolio. Please do let me know what you think!

Deadline!

Today has been a fantastic day! I am so relieved to say that my photo shoot on Saturday went really well, with over 900 images being taken. Now i am awaiting to see the results, which will hopefully be this evening; so excited!

My biggest relief, is that just today, i have completely finished all my toiles, toile diaries and final garments, and they are all ready to be handed in! Phew. The last dress has got to be the most impressive i must say! Well worth the effort and the wait, its just a real shame that it wasn't finished in time for the photo shoot.

Now it's just a case of tidying up the rest of my work, including the photo shoot journal, but at least the bulk of it is all done and dusted.

Fantastic!

As soon as i get the images, i will post them and let you have a look.

Eden Springs!

Eden Springs water donation is well on its way to college! Fab! 

I have my photo shoot this coming Saturday, and i am really looking forward to seeing my dresses worn by professional models. My photographer and I are still trying to find a range of models for my shoot, but finding that models with that one look that you really desire is harder than you think. I never knew that i was that fussy about who my models were until now.

I do have to say, that my photographer is a life saver though. Over the past few weeks, i have had my makeup and hair stylist cancel on me due to unforeseen circumstances, and my model bailing on me too; so i was pretty much left with nothing but a photographer! This was daunting being as the deadline was getting closer. Luckily, Emma was on hand to sort everything out for me, which was an incredible help!!! She really is absolutely fab. Can't wait to work with her on Saturday and see what we come up with for a shoot. 

I have been having a bot of a look at makeup styles for the makeup artist, and have come to the decision to keep it fairly minimal, but highlight the eyes in a subtle way; keeping it feminine and stereotypically bridal.

Possibly something along these lines.

The 5th Completed dress

The last few weeks have seen me making a few alterations to my last two designs, not major changes but a few little ones. I have managed to finish my fifth dress, and have thankfully managed to get a HUGE discount on the trim i have used on it, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford to finish it to the standard in wanted it to be at. A little convincing goes a long way! In return for such an amazing discount, all the supplier wants is a few images of my finished gowns to put in their website, promoting both their company and myself, which is fantastic!

I have to admit, this gown has got to be my favourite so far, as it really highlights what i wanted out of my collection. Glamour, elegance and sophistication.

I am now really eager to get my final dress finished for the fast approaching deadline, and look forward to seing my collection as a whole.

We have been looking at potential hair and makeup styles for months now, and it's getting to the stage where we have to make some decisions for the fashion show. I personally like Dawn's idea of a fairly nude eye and a bold lip, as i think it would work well with a lot of our collections without overpowering them. Last years make up looked a bit dirty to me, especially after a whole day of wearing virtually black eye shadow. I have come across some images in a magazine, that support the look of the nude eye and bold lip, so would appreciate any thoughts on this idea.



Photoshoot

I have also managed to sort out my photo shoot, even though i found my photographer a few months ago! My photographer is Emma Pilkington, who is based in Manchester where she has her own studio. My photo shoot will take place in this studio setting. I have also found a hair and makeup stylist who has trained at one of Manchester's leading makeup schools, and who is willing to do this for free on the condition that she can use the images for her own portfolio. I have yet to decide on the specific looks for the photoshoot, however my makeup artist specialises in bridal hair and makeup, and has recently done a course in this field. I am awaiting some images from her to give me some inspiration on the look. I will definitely keep you posted on any ideas i have though!

Emma Pilkington Website: http://emmapilkington.co.uk/

Fashion Favours

With this years fashion show looming, I thought i had better organise my little fashion show favours like last years second years did. I thought it was a really nice touch to say a small thank you to the guests for coming to the show. I have just finished making mine up, and they look really beautiful; exactly how i wanted them to look. I would upload an image, but that would ruin the surprise, so you will just have to wait and see them on the day!

Things are really coming together for the show now, with all my favours done, my styling accessories bought, my music chosen for my collection, and of course... 4 of my dresses complete, with 2 to manufacture within the next month.

No problem! 

Wine and Water

I came across this offer a couple of days ago, and have just filled out the form online to try and get us 24 bottles of Eden Springs water for free, to go towards the water for the models. They are reviewing the application and are going to get back to me over the next few weeks to see if we qualify for this donation of water. The offer goes out to people who are helping a charity, so i mentioned our college charity ASAP, and how the fashion show helps this charity anually. I know this is only a small amount of the water we probably need, but at least it will save us a little bit of money that we could spend on something else!

Fingers crossed!

I have also come across some cheap wine in Asda that could potentially be a good one for the fashion show. Its called Luchana and it's £2.50. It might be cheap, but i decided to try it to see what it was like, and for that price it is lovely.

Dress number 4

Just managed to complete my fourth dress in final fabric, and it looks really great, and i must admit that these images don't really do it much justice. Only thing left to do is hem it and adjust the shoulder detail to fit the model. I now cant wait to start my fifth pattern and toile tomorrow, as the deadline for this project is fast approaching and with so much to still do its  a bit daunting!

As a bit of an update to the fund raising, the Easter raffle didn't exactly take off. There was no support what so ever which was disappointing, so now the prizes will go towards the fashion show raffle to help raise funds for ASAP. There are up and coming bag pack days which always help to raise funds, with the latest total from a recent pack standing at £211.84. One the weather picks up a bit, we are also participating in a sponsored walk/run, so hopefully friends and family will give generously!



Fashion Show Accessories

Over the past few weeks i have been doing a bit of shopping around for some accessories to style my models for the photoshoot and the fashion show. I have come across some really great finds in a charity shop in crewe who specialise in bridal wear at a very reasonable price. I did manage to find lots of shoes that i could style my models in, however at this point in time I don't know any of my models sizes.

I had a go with some different hairstyles to see what each would look like with the hair up and down, as at this time, we have not yet decided on a make-up or hairstyle for the fashion show. I also bought a pair of shoes because they were only £2 and at least one of my models should be a size 6.

I tried to go for a variety of accessories, not just veils, and i will continue to look for some different things in the run up to the fashion show.



The latest toile

As i mentioned in my last post, i haven't really been doing any pattern cutting or manufacturing for a few weeks due to focusing on my portfolio, however before i started my portfolio, i did begin my fourth toile's bodice which you can see below.

The beaded applique shown here won't actually be sewn onto the toile, but will be in place on the final gown to create a sheer strap. I will admit, this has been the most awkward bodice to produce so far, as you have to sew in the pleats over the bust so that they don't distort when worn. It's coming along well though, and i am really excited to hand in my portfolio brief and get started on the manufacturing side again!



Portfolio progress

Over the past few weeks i have abandoned my garment manufacture and pattern cutting to focus on the up and coming portfolio deadline. With all my attention on this brief in particular, it has allowed me to motor on through my pages within a few weeks. I have done a lot of research beforehand, which i was hoping would help me with my layouts and content, so i did have quite a good idea of how i wanted my portfolio to look. As a whole, i have gone for a vintage chic look, as i feel that if i ever opened a bridal boutique of my own, this is the style i would go for. I have really built on my Photoshop and Illustrator skills this year to, and have managed to produce a much more professional outcome than last year. These are just a few of my pages to date, i still have little bits of work to do on some, but these are the basics so far. Any feedback from anyone would be a bonus!

I have also began my range plan pages, which can be seen below. My designs have altered slightly since my written presentation, so all changes have been amended on Illustrator, which gave me some more practise on the programme. Overall it is going well, and i am actually enjoying being a bit more creative with this years portfolio.