Well, I don’t suppose this demonstrates process in a strict chronological way. But it does show one thing I like about working digitally, which is being able to play with layers. As one would with different pieces of tracing paper in a traditional sense, you can almost have more fun with in a digital sense, in that you’re playing with colour and various states of being rendered.
Do I like the first image better? In a way I do find it more interesting. Less literal. Her hair implied instead of given. Her mouth highly rendered in comparison to the other components. Imagine creating portraits like this. How would those commissioning a piece react? It might be interesting to play with the layers of finished portraits some more, working backwards in a way, to come up with something different. More interesting? Hmm. Perhaps a future project idea..
This illustration was created for The Style Notebook. Rita Liefhebber is a Toronto designer, and former fashion editor at Flare magazine. Click here to read the interview.
Alber Elbaz has been working wonders as the Artistic Director for Lanvin since 2001. And he’s also a great illustrator!
Pictured above are some stamps my friend brought me from Paris featuring his drawings. So great! His illustrations have been featured on the backdrop for this Acne Lanvin collaboration photoshoot, on numerous Lanvin products, and apparently he has illustrated a song for Mika, which I would love to see.
Personally, in terms of design, his shoes have always tempted me. Have you seen this crystal-embellished satin ballerina flat? Or maybe these leather boots? Size 9 thanks.
So the silk I bought for the skirt is pretty cinematic, right? (second photo)
With the help of the lovely Kristiann at The Workroom, I was able to finish the skirt I drafted this summer – so awesome. It’s a split tulip skirt and let me tell you, it was a lot of work. The fabric was easy to work with, but a little sheer. I used silk for the drape, and also because I would probably make everything out of silk given the choice. But as I had a bit of a Lady Di sheer skirt, backlit experience at Fashion Week back in March (don’t ask), creating a lining was important. Since lining the front wasn’t much of an option, I created a lining for the back panel only, which did the job of helping reduce the amount of light passing through the fabric.
The waistband was probably the most time-consuming. First I drafted a curved band that when straightened, was supposed to undulate elegantly. But it ended up looking a bit weak. So then I redrafted, adding knife pleats, which gave it more Valentino-like ruffles I thought.
In the end I was so happy to have it sewn together that I didn’t get a chance to iron the hem before the photoshoot, hence the wavy and flipped over a bit front panel in the last picture. But overall, pretty good for a first try at pattern drafting, right?
Here’s the latest illustration I created for The Style Notebook. Kealan Sullivan is owner of 69 Vintage and you can check out the interview with her here!
A little local shop is closing quietly on Saturday. I first visited Finn a few years ago after missing a flight to Paris. And it made me feel a bit better. Owner, Amalie Bruun, was having a sample sale for some Scandinavian designers and I picked up a white collarless pinstripe shirt with unusual detailing by Resteröds.
This week I had to visit and say goodbye, and couldn’t leave without this amazing yellow hand-printed silk tank from California-based designer Jesse Kamm. It is so beautiful in person and is perfect for this weather. With a cardigan it will easily take me through to next season.
When I complimented Amalie on the white bird earring stand in the shop, she took the earrings off and gave it to me. Isn’t it sweet?
Amalie was also the one to tell me about Dessert Lady, who in addition to making beautiful cakes (and selling gorgeous sugar-based orchids – upcoming wedding cakes anyone?), make lovely all natural ice creams – including honey lavender.
If you’re in the neighborhood on Saturday, stop by Finn to wish Amalie luck in her new ventures, and if you’re feeling sad about discovering this special shop too late, then you can always drown your sorrows with ice cream a few steps away at Dessert Lady!
Canadian designer Anastasia Lomonova is featured on The Style Notebook today. For the illustration, her outfit (what little of it you see in the drawing) was based on one of the designs from her SS 2010 collection. It’s a dress with a deep v that really made me think of V Magazine covers.
In other illustration news, my good friend Elisheva Marcus created some drawings for a new line of tshirts – check it out here!
I recently discovered Calla Haynes when I was asked to create this illustration for The Style Notebook. Calla is a Canadian-born fashion designer based in Paris. And her work is fantastic.
I completely love the description of her collections as “relaxed luxury”. Overall that is a term I would use to describe my own personal style (or maybe just the relaxed part).
Needless to say, I am a huge fan of Calla – her pieces are very special. She creates lovely prints and surface pattern design work, and has collaborated with Jeremy Laing on prints for several of his collections. I have admired these prints for years without knowing they were hers!
At the India Flint workshop last week, everyone made an apron out of a men’s white dress shirt. I was following the instructions, like everyone else, and then I had an idea, which led to other ideas, which led to an apron that people thought was a dress that I had made on some other occasion and just brought to the workshop! So funny!
First we all cut up the shirt by removing the sleeves. We then cut along beside the buttons and button holes on either side to make straps for the apron. Like I said, I made it more feminine with other folding details, bustle, etc. I then dyed the whole thing in logwood (well, karyn offered to dye it for me in logwood), and then I took one of my samples that I had dyed during the workshop with various local plants and flowers, and with a running stitch and some embroidery thread, created a stripe down the middle of the apron.
Karyn posted a picture of the final product here. I think it turned out really pretty, even if it doesn’t look like an apron…
I’ve had a small beading loom like this one for a number of years – my grandmother beaded many accessories in her time and passed the loom on to me. It didn’t come with a manual, but there were some books with project patterns. I’d just never gotten around to exploring it much; to be honest I wasn’t that interested…until now!
I love these beaded Balmain sandals (picture taken at, in my opinion, one of the best edited shoe stores in Toronto). I’m thinking, maybe there is something I could do with that loom! So last week my friend and textile designer Alana showed me how to use it.
Pictured above is her non-shoe-related work-in-process in green, brown and white, as well as the coral beads she used as a demo. I could see this getting a bit addictive – though time consuming for sure!
