Design Indaba evolves

The Design Indaba, leaves a footprint in Cape Town.
This year proved to better than the preceding years of exhibition. Does this mean that there were not several duplicates of design on exhibition? Unfortunately, there were. The overall layout of the Indaba, was quite different from the last three years I've attended. 

Compared to previous years, there was more space to move around and not actually fall over the next person.

It was a great platform for some designers, particularly students who had recently graduated and quite interesting to find out more from the questionnaire I did for Communication and Social Sciences, about new and established designers, in just about every field of design. 

Here are some pics from the Indaba  

This is one of the displays of animal skinned hand bags.

 I spoke to Amy for my questionnaire.

Pierre Cronje and Clinton Friedman coloboration.

Random picture at the Indaba

I'm awake, I'm alert, I'm alive, enthusiastic!

At least I'm trying to be awake, alert, alive and entusiastic.
Honestly, after the week I've had, I'm not the most lively person to be around.

Valentines day
Is it worth all the fuss? I'm not hating on the idea of valentines day, I mean no one says "no, thank you" to those tasty treats that someone special spoils you with. Seriously love the thought but not the fuss. If you're waiting for a particular reason to splash out, make it meaningful. Spontaneity is key. Don't overdo it.

U2 is in Cape Town and one can feel the hype as show time draws near, wish I'd planned better and organised tickets to go. 

The only thing I've managed to accomplish,  are some designs for my collection. Will keep you posted on progress on the weekend and a mini scoop of my inspiration.
Really looking forward to putting it all together.

Latest mission: Tailoring

Last week Wednesday we started making a tailored jacket. As usual, everyone is looking for ways they can somehow make the patch pocket on the one side, with the welt on the other, less obviously different, so that it would look wearable. But Ms Meiring, our Garment Technology lecturer is uncompromising on the fact that she wants this to remain a sample garment.

Which puts a damper on the fact that the FEDISA guys and girls mightv'e just started a new trend in Cape Town. 

Confession

I must admit, that I'd seriously underestimated the constructruction of the tailored jacket, and have realised that I still have much to learn, especially with technical aspects. I thought that 5days was too long to spend on this garment, now it feels as we've been seriously slow, even though most of us would give up those little breaks, and continue to work, no matter how claustaphobic it would get.

The jacket was due today however I don't think anyone really expected to have so many finer details to tend to and we were giving a mini extension till tomorrow morning.

 Just has me thinking about the time allocated per outfit for our final collection, which has to incorporate corsetry, refabrication and tailoring.

I'll load some photo's of the jacket its finishing touches.

Just thinking about all the work I still need to get to, has me stressed out. So, if I'm not blogging daily, I'm probably busy with visual studies.

If anyone has any tips on how to improve my blog, please feel free to comment

A new ball game

This should be easy, right?
If anyone has ever felt out of their element, that's exactly how I'm feeling right now. Blogging is a whole new experience for me but a challenge I am eager to pursue.
Please excuse the limited creativity, as I'm am still learning the ropes to successful blogging


Since I have never blogged before, I thought I'd tell you about the fashion design college I'm currently attending. FEDISA is a private fashion institute, situated on the corner of Buitengracht Street and Van Riebeeck Street, in the MSK house, on the 6th floor and section of the 5th floor. FEDISA is accredited and registered to offer a BA Degree in fashion design. 
If anyone ever mentioned that fashion design was glamorous or easy, they might have seriously mistaken or simply underestimated the industry. It is fast paced, challenging, requires discipline and a level of perfectionism in order to get anywhere within the industry.


A brief update

  Last year we were given a corsetry assignment which we could personalize, according to size and detail. Just before the end of the year we were given our first assignment for third year.

Last Years' Buzz

The brief was to re-create our corset 'gowns', with complimentary mens garments which would be displayed as a fashion show on the 13th of January at Cavendish Square Shopping Mall, in Cape Town. The winner, along with two finalists, along with their models would have their models entered into the J & B Met into The Most Elegant Couple catergory, and would have the opportunity to brush shoulders with the glamourous guys and dolls at the Met, tickets and refreshments, all paid for. 


The show was great and Cavendish Square gave us this amazing platform to promote our designs, not to mention the publicity was awesome for us.

Starting On The Right Foot

Mia Steenkamp, Bianca Da Silver were the finalists and I won (for the first time ever, which might I add, I hadn't realized until I got handed access tickets to the J & B MET).

Few more of FEDISA's third years students' designs were selected to be broadcast on the Espresso show on etv and three more winners were chosen to enter The Most Elegant Couple catergory, at the MET, which was amazing publicity and the entrants were deserving thereof. 

The winners of Espresso show, were Liz Stone, Carla Gordon and Mia Steenkamp.

On the 29th of January, the finalist from the Cavendish competition, the Espresso winners,  my models and I went to the MET. For the first time got to meet and greet the sometimes exciting, sometimes eccentric people all dressed up according to the theme, Larger Than Life. 

Nicole Furter designs at Cavendish Square 

The winners of the Cavendish Square competition and entrants into the Most Elegant Couple catergory

Images: Cape Times, Tuesday, 25 January 2011

The J & B MET

For me, who never really gets out much (or ever, for that matter), it was an absolutely amazing experience. I could barely contain my excitement, which had resulted in the loss of my voice for the day. The buzz of the crowd during the horse racing, the build up up to the fashion show and the excitement of the winners of the competition. The winners for the Most Elegant Competition, were truly spectacular!

A special congrats to Carla Gordon, a current third year at FEDISA, and overall winner of the Most Elegant Couple. 
 

At the MET, Carla Gordon's designs on the left, my own design in the center, Liz Stone's design to the right
 

Second week of college

Garment Technology week 

Over the next week we will be constructing a tailored jacket and for anyone who knows about what inking pattern labels is, there are more than enough to keep you busy in just about all your free time. Fortunately, we had not been expected to make a pattern for it, as we were allowed to use the lecturers tailored blocks.

  

A bit of a breakdown of our process

There are many structural details which make up tailored garments, and although a bit time consuming, when getting sections done neatly, it really looks cool.

Monday - we traced the pattern blocks over onto cardboard and labeled them 

Tuesday - we laid out fabric, traced over onto the fabric, which got pinned and cut out

Wednesday - fused the various pieces of the jacket

Thursday - we began sewing side front seam and doing the patch pocket.

Friday - did the welt pocket sample

I'll be updating this blog more regularly and would hopefully have figured out by then how to make it my own. 

First week of college

The first day of classes are always the most exciting because everyone is well rested after an awesome holiday and ready for the new assignments and getting the final study year officially started.

Visual week (week 1)

I know that the year is going to be loaded with tons of assignments, but I have to admit, I was surprised by all the assignments we were given. It is, a blessing in disguise, as I'd been eager to get back into the swing of college, and out of my partially vegged out state of being which i had adopted during the holidays.

Impatient, I guess. Can you blame me?

The most exciting part was our range concepts, which we brainstormed (several times). Watching everyone enthusiastically relay their concepts to each other is encouraging. The bar got raised and everyone is now more determined than ever to revolutionize FEDISA and amaze the fashion industry.

I can't wait to get started with actual construction of our garments.

Elements of a successful collection

Our range needs to incorporate tailoring, re-fabrication (which is just fabric manipulation i.e. pleats) and creating a show stopper, which should be a culmination of all aspects of the range in the final garment.