Sunday, November 22, 2009

Merlin Boots


For Christmas I am hoping for some new boots! J has messaged everyone in our families to ask them to club together.. but I keep finding more boots to choose from! I love the current trend over the knee boots, but I would like something more wearable for the everyday uni days, something that will last for years without dating, or at least something that suits me and the styles that I wear. Tall boots can make me loose my legs!

...My inspiration came from watching Merlin, the BBC series..
www.bbc.co.uk/merlin/


From Free People (who now ship to UK, finally!), these are perfect, but perhaps over priced, and coming from USA I can't try them on or return them.. Brit Boot £148
http://www.freepeople.com/index.cfm/fuseAction/products.detail/_/Brit-Boot/productID/548ef12f-db87-4e0d-9a2f-0200f87317ab/productOptionIDs/0b6e9cad-a8f4-4ccf-8a37-466219f4ea95/categoryID/9bc28317-1ea4-460d-a375-7bd1806ebb71/cmCategoryID/8a61524b-907c-474c-ab37-f357c9ae11e3/&detailcross


From Dune, these are great on the screen but crap on my feet! Tiff £90


House of Fraser has a brill range, I headed in the direction of Kurt Geiger even tho they tend to be expensive and found these, they looked fabulous in the shop and on my feet but they are brown instead of black and also heeled.. hmmm


Which are your favourite??

Friday, October 30, 2009

Gap Year beginnings

The release of 'Pirates of the Caribean' caused a rippling of trends accross designer and high street brands alike. Primark are still stocking the same knee high suede effect boots that they began to sell in high volumes 2 years ago, and harem trousers were even more popular this summer than last.

Above: Lily Cole modeling Jean Paul Gaultier
Below: Similar to popular Primark boots


The next Resa Smith collection (note: amended spelling, word now translates to mean laughter, and also links to the word Yield - useful when my hubby's freelance company is called Yield) was to be a black autumn/winter trend, until that idea was splashed all across the magazines for this years trend - making it become old news by the time I have it finished for next years winter. 
2010 will see the release of 'Prince of Persia'. What better idea than to take inspirations from the few images I could find from this film and translate them into fashion ideas?
I will begin injecting colour to my very black looking collection and be making use of my fabulous costume book that Rosh gave me :)

Friday, September 4, 2009

Wedding Day

Our beautiful wedding day

Our ceremony at Citygate Church, Bournemouth


Culeaze manor house complete with duck pond and rowing boat!

Barn dancing

Husband and wife!

At the stables

Gorgeous photography by Rachel Walkden

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Commissions available!

If you have found a pattern you like and don't feel you have the confidence or time to make the garment, send it along my way.
Heres an example....



Most often, the customer will purchase the pattern, fabric and extras such as zips or interfacing. I then return the completed garment and any spare fabrics.

I charge £7 per hour + p&p @ £3.50

To browse patterns visit: http://www.mccall.com

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Funky Little Waistcoat

Tailored but slouchy, this waistcoat is taking shape. Should be finished by tomorrow, along with the jeans I have just dyed. 2 Garments down, 7 to go !!


After the final crit on May 12th I will find out if my collection is going to be in the show and for sale in Beales. Below: Dress toile, now on it's way in silk cotton

Another Textiles Collaboration

Today I worked with Charlotte from Textiles to help her create a dress for her final project. 
Charlotte had printed some space inspired fabric and as for the shape, our inspiration was this amazing dress from all saints.

Here's what we came up with. It flows on the bias of the fabric, with a boned corset style under-structure and raw edges. Charlotte is now going to bead it and next week we will do a photoshoot for it.

The pictures just don't do it justice!

all saints reference:
http://www.allsaintsshop.co.uk/product/parachute_dress/?searchtext=&category_id=22&page=1&position=50&all=1

Friday, March 27, 2009

REASA SMITH Logo




My first development of a logo for REASA SMITH
This will be used for my Professional Project
I will use ultra to print labels and tags for the garments.
Colours will change dependent on how it suits the collection. I may also change the wording so 'Ombre for Beales' is less prominent.

The following was inspired by oriental art as seen at Freer and Sackler Gallery, Washington DC


Thursday, March 19, 2009

Wedding Bunting

Our wedding has a Bohemian theme which doesn't just inspire my dress and style - but also the look of the whole event. We have found a gorgeous garden, not too formal with a rustic country feel to it. We are having a BBQ and barn dance, and decorating the place with this bunting I have started to make.

Using garden string (29p for 500yards, Wilko) I plaited it into a rope and machine stitched the triangle flags on. Each night or so I bead another flag to build up a nice variety of colours and styles. We are going to collect tall sticks to use as poles for the bunting.


Top middle photo and bottom left from google images
All others my own

Monday, March 9, 2009

Thursday, February 5, 2009

WestFields


"WESTFIELD shopping centre is causing a seven-day rush hour with huge traffic jams across west London, residents claimed today.

Roads surrounding the 23-acre mall were in chaos last night with up to mile-long tailbacks on major routes out of London, despite a £200million upgrade to the local transport infrastructure."


My Shepard's Bush fabric kingdom has been discovered by the world! Noo! Since the new year people traffic at Shepard's Bush tube station has increased by 60% ! Westfields, a shopping monstrosity has taken over, full of every store imaginable, affordable and designer, All Satins, Bershaka, Pull and Bear and Swaroski to name a few. Oxford street just isn't enough anymore.

At first sight it is nothing more than a massive retail therapy theatre, but the councils real reasons for plonking this thing here are only slightly better - to increase the value of properties and land in Shepherds bush area. 

Despite my upset at my favorite fabric shopping cave being invaded, the shopping centre is an architectural work of art. The light, space and even sound quality creates an uplifting experience even for those poor students who can afford to by absolutely nought.


Instructions for best results: Gaze at the incredible glass ceiling, take the escalator and visit the windows of swarovski. Gander round the fashion retail stores and then get a haircut at hershesons (next to house of fraser) Grab a coffee and relax on the stone cubes outside until 1am.


Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Structured Freedom... Freedom Structure?

This week I began to explore ideas for my final major project at uni. Of course, as it's fashion, rather than a lush clothes making course, I have to be trend aware and stick to some of the rules.... ahhhh!

So. I'm going to break away from the colours I'm normally drawn to and use a new theme: Obsession, described as beetle black, diamond teal, nude and fleshpot shade with a shot of spice shade. 

Shapewise, I'm going to look at the balance and clash between freedom and structure, boned, perhaps stiff and even strong fabrics worked against soft flowing tulles, chiffons and silks. Grungy thick denims with sheer organza and lace.

Structure: Architecture
Freedom: Plants and birds

Other trends to consider: Embellishmentalism! and Exoticism, both verging on boho.



I'm also going to experiment with Ombres; fabrics that fade and shade different colours. I was going to name my collection: Rustic Ombre, but it has been suggested that this sounds autumn, rather than Summer 2009.

Time for some sketching.