3.18.2010

Wedding Dress >> Christening Gown

In December I got an assignment to redesign and transform a wedding dress into a christening gown. The parents thought it was a shame to keep the dress packed away. "But you're not gonna wear it again - you don't want just anyone to wear it - you can't expect that your daughter would want to wear it at her possible future wedding". So they decided it should become the christening gown for their little daughter.
The cut is inspired by the cut of the wedding dress so its origin is recognizable.
 And the finished gown.
 This last picture is taken by my brother, photographer T. Kaare Smith.

3.05.2010

A couple of fashion illustrations

 
  
 

The Jacket

Recently we had a big project in school, where we made a jacket. There was certain demands; the inspiration should come from one or more secondhand products made from wool, leather or fur. This detail should in some way be incorporated in the design of the jacket. The jacket should be made of wool, have lining and a collar or hood.
Many thougths and ideas emerged but were thrown away again. We talked about different possibilities in my class and when the conversation hit gloves I knew what to use. I already had a few pairs of vintage gloves at home that I wanted to use somehow but didn't know in wich way. I made some designs for the jacket with the gloves used in different ways and found pictures for inspiration.

After many expressions and designs with a glove on the back or the side or used as decoration on a pocket I decided to put the gloves on the shoulders. 
 
 
The shape of the jacket, with the collar and the diagonal zipper, is inspired from the classic biker jacket. But it still has a sharp look like a military jacket wich is emphasized by the gloves, though the dangling fingers creates a contrast to this sharp look. 
I played with the look of the sleeves wich is divided into two parts and with another colored fabric I put in a box pleat. The color of this box pleat matches the lining wich is black with little blue/green squares. To match the sharp look I made jetted pockets and the lining peep from the opening.
With the design of jacket I hope to challenges the general conception of clothin and things original purpose.
 
 

2.13.2010

Random Summer Pics


In all this snow I think it's kinda comforting to look back on the summer and be reminded that the spring will come soon, bringing us long sunny days to spent lying in the grass eating ice cream or drinking beers with friends. So here comes a few random summer pics - From New York, Berlin, Copenhagen and  Roskilde Festival.

2.12.2010

BLESS


While everybody is going on about Fashion Week in Copenhagen I wanna show a few pics from the little shop Bless Shop Berlin - one of their flagship stores wich at the moment is "in motion" as it says on their website. Check it out here www.bless-service.de/
They have a way of turning everything upside down and inside out, making the most beautiful designs, playing with conventions and the presumption of the prupose of the products. Their things can't really be put in a box, but exists somewhere between art and design being innovative and pushing your imagination over the limit.

2.06.2010

Bruises

Copenhagen Culture Night takes place every year in October and my school are one of the contributers. Third semester creates dresses inspired by a certain theme. The project lasts 2 month and culminates with a fashionshow.
In 2009 the theme was the body and my class was the creators.
There are so many things to be inspired by from the body; cells, illnesses deformations... all of wich can seem gross but can be turned into something beautiful. On this site you can click on a name and see the inspiration and the result. http://tekstilformidler.ucc.dk/Hvadskerder/kulturnat/
My inspiration came from bruises and Egon Schiele's perception of the female body. 

1.17.2010

Exercises in fashion illustrations

I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil in my hand and I took drawing and art classes when I was a kid. Back then I drew and painted almost anything - what ever was on my mind; objects, architecture, animals, nude drawing and portraits, but later the theme of my drawings changed to being more fashion illustrations and that's mainly what I still do. 
Last year I took a class in fashion illustration and actually learned techniques behind it. I found it difficult to follow the teacher's advice because I was more comfortable with my self-taught techniques. But I stopped resisting the instructions and learned a lot from it. 
These are some of the drawings made in that class. 
These drawings all represent very different techniques. The first was a dress just hangning there. The second was drawing a live model (one of the other girls in the class) which was done without lifting the pencil from the paper. The third one was different pieces of clothes draped on a mannequin and we really had to make it realistic. The last one was started by spashing watercolour on the paper and seeing how it could grow to be a fashion illustration. 
I found that I really like being very meticulous and taking my time - it's almost like meditaion for me, which I never realised before because I'm also very impatient. 
I don't feel that secure using colors and the result is always either very good or very bad, but those that come out very good like this last one, I really love.

Pattern Magic


As we begin a new project at my school the teachers usually find us a couple of books for inspiration, and they just purchased these two; Pattern Magic vol. 1 and 2. 

The books show these amazing sculpturel patterns. they are almost like origami - and it's such a fantastic source for unlimited inspiration. 
As a fashion student you easily get nerdy about cuttings and patterns, imagining how you create products like these. I am especially crazy about the example on the first book with the squares. 
Even though the book is in Japanese the pattern development is very easy to understand so you can still use it. 
So Pattern Magic vol. 1 and 2 are just another two on the long list of books I dream about buying.

12.13.2009

Julefrokost med vennerne

I saw good old friends to christmas lunch - classic Danish julefrokost with old good friends this Saturday. It was such a great night with delicious food, beers, old anecdotes, silly hats and drinking games. They are always so good company. This is what I wore.
  

12.08.2009

It's a shorts day left

Been lazy all day so now it's time to go to school and get some work done. 
Wearing old old jeans cut to shorts and a shirt with zippers.

12.07.2009

All my shoes

I guess you have alot of shoes when they can fill up half your room. Trying to force myself to get rid of at least some of them almost hurts even though it's the ones I don't really wear anyway. 

12.06.2009

The military jacket



For my exam this summer I wrote about the military jacket and what it represents. After the death of Michael Jackson this summer, the military jacket has been everywhere, but the trend didn't start with Michael Jackson. He was inspired by another great musician; Jimi Hendrix. During the Vietnam War many artists expressed their protest against the war through songs and fashion statements. 

At Woodstock in 1969 Jimi Hendrix played his version of The Star-Spangled Banner and you would often see him wearing a military jacket he had purchased in the vintage boutique I Was Lord Kitchener’s Valet in London. A jacket that soon became famous. Among other artists he created a trend, making a fashion statement, using military clothes as a protest - an ironic comment about war and changing what the military jacket originally represents.

Inspired by this I made a jacket with military references using untraditional colors to create a contrast to the original meaning of a military jacket.
 
  
  


12.02.2009

Christmas fair '09


We just had the christmas fair at my school.
My friend Hanne Hjort took these great pics of the booth and the stuff I made. 
An overview over my booth. The closest i am to have a visiting card at the moment.
 
Blouse made from velvet with silver print.
Different styles of earrings. Fringes, Barbie shies and bowties.
 
Chain necklace made of leather. One in grey and one in black.  
Short jacket, grey with red lining.

Everything is for sale. Send me a mail if you're interested - tibbe.smith@gmail.com.