My day as a photographers assistant

Yesterday I spent my day assisting local photographer Chris Bulezuik in a commissioned Look Book shoot for Brighton designer Louise O'Mahoney.

Oh My Honey is a vintage inspired brand, local to Brighton whose last collection gained great recognition at Brighton Fashion Week 2013. We were shooting her wedding collection and the 1950's silhouettes were a perfect fit for our location at Stanmer House.

Part of my five year plan is to become proficient in the art of photography so that I can capture my work in images as an extension of my fashion practice, so I was there to assist and learn and I am grateful that Chris takes the time to explain as he is going along.

So here's a quick shot from our day...shot with fully automatic function today, I need add. This was simply because it wasn't my job to take photographs that day ( I just sneaked them in) it was just to assist.

We had a great day, lots of hard work and Chris has some amazing shots in there. I think Louise will have some great look book shots in there and some lovely lifestyle shots that are definitely magazine-worthy.
 

Tulle Couture

Recently I have found a new love for tulle.

Last month I designed and made a vintage styled lilac prom dress with a gathered tulle overlay. My first ever impression of tulle was as the classic ballet tutu,

And although I have created a few dresses with tulle overlays before, this particular time it got me thinking about tulle in a whole new way:

As a contrast overlay it adds dynamism , and the changing density of colour great textures. The tulle overlay can evoke ruffled romanticism

Or crisp style lines

Whether it's ruched, gathered or shredded tulle is ultra feminine.

B ut, no matter how classic a material is, it's always due a reinvention.

Debutante dresses

A bit of a chilled day today, just some net gathering and bikini making planned for later. I am supposed to be having a day off after all!

This morning with my wake up mug of coffee I watched an amazing documentary on 'Debutantes', part of the Timewatch series on the BBC. There are some really great stories and insights from some real posh characters, and of course....the frocks!


Watching it really took me back to an exhibition at Kenny Palace called Débutante where they had genuine dresses from the last Débutante Ball in the 1950's. So here I am going to relive some of my favourite dresses from that exhibition, and how it is totally relevant to the collection 'Fleurs Du Mal' which I have been working on.

These are so pleasurable because they are so girly, almost demure. The detailing I love, particularly the pale blue roses and silver beading.

I'm so looking forward to revealing my final pieces, in time, and similarly enjoying sharing some of my thoughts, trials and tribulations along the way.

A step closer to product

Here I am again, I think if I write up what I did in the morning it's more likely to get done!

Yesterday was a mixed up bag of work, I had clients work to do all day so I didn't really get going on my AFW collection until about 8pm after Riley (my baby) had gone off to sleep.

I really want to do a fan lacing corset in my collection this year, and it being the most unknown to me...it is the first one I am tackling. I have talked about fan lacing corsets in a previous blog beauty-of-fan-lacing if you want to refresh your memory. I have previously made a long line corset that I am basing the pattern on, so the first thing I do is tweak the pattern to acheive the size and shape that I want. As always I have my sketch to guide me.

I am making this corset to go with the neck corset I finished yesterday, so it will follow similar stylelines and use the same fabric.

Although I didn't get much of the construction done, I have also been thinking about details and decoration, and looking through my archive of fashion books I have been delving into 50's couture for inspiration...I found a particularly amazing use of applique lace which I intend to utilise on a dress by Michael Sherard made in 1958.

I adore the detailing of this dress, it is so simple and so effective and it totally works with the styling I have in mind for Fleurs Du Mal. So I will use that as my basis and move on from there. So here was my work from yesterday as it now stands in my workshop.