The Mind Block

Design development ! sigh! I really do dread sketching. My worst nightmare. People automatically assume that designers are really good at illustrations, let me tell you that it's not true at all. I have a huge mind block when it comes to this phase of my process. Though we have had classes on illustration I am not very skilled at translating my design ideas into sketches. It is a huge drawback because as a designer if I cannot convey my designs then there is no point. One of the main reasons the 'jury aftermath' phase dragged on for so long was because I couldn't sketch out my ideas and for a fourth year design student it puts me in a very embarrassing position. Not being able to sketch is what washes out my confidence the most. 

I believe that I can understand design and can analyse and interpret brands and their requirements, trends , fabrics , clients , and every other aspect of the process but completely fail to illustrate my ideas. I managed to sketch out 50 odd designs and after a quite a few pep talk sessions with my mentor, she got me  to let go of that mental block and select my range. The best part is my mentor knows when to let go and let me laze around and waste time for a bit because she also knows that eventually I  pull up my socks and work my butt off! But If she hadn't pushed me to select my range , I would have dilly dallied for a bit longer and lost out on crucial time.

MY RANGE 

I have tried my best to balance out the number of tie dye pieces, the number of knits, the embroideries , the leather and the shear fabrics. I should be able balance my range better once I get done with my mocks. I would rather spend more time editing my designs once I get done with the toile garments.

MY MINI STUDIO

Ad Campaign Shoot - Radisson Blue Temple Bay

 4 A.M wake up call  on a Monday morning ! What a start to the week.( no sarcasm intended ) I was the first to be picked up for the shoot  and then we went on to pick up the stylist and one of the models for the ad shoot. It was a long and sleepy drive to the shoot location - Radisson blu Temple bay .
Once the entire team arrived we got started on sorting out the clothes and getting them ready for the shoot. The Stylist, Priyanka Gopal whom I was assisting, had sourced different looks for each of the models based on the shoot brief she was given.  As the clothes were being sorted the models were getting their hair and make up done whilst the photographer , Hemant Kumar and his team were getting the sets ready .

As we got done with the first shoot , the pace picked up and the rest of the shoots just kept falling into place one after the other , without much delay . We took a break for lunch , filled our stomachs with mouthwatering desserts and got right back to work . The last shot for the day was taken around 6 pm and then it was a wrap ! A long days work with a lot of fun and exiting new people to keep us entertained through the day .

It was a whole new experience for me since this was the first time I was working with kids in a photoshoot. They are quite tech savy for their age . It was a tad bit embarrassing because I still cant figure out how to use a touch phone or an Ipad and they were going at it like they've been doing it for years. But all in all it was good day filled with great memories .

RADISSON BLU TEMPLE BAY - SUMMER CHILLERS 13' CAMPAIGN : Oh ! and I got to be in the shot as well, playing the role of  an office secretary 

 A PIC WITH THE CELEBS: Naseeruddin shah , sylitst ; Priyanka Gopal  and Amitabh Bachchan 

BREAK TIME - Mr.Bachahan caught between , Saasu Maa killing her Bahu  and a love scene between Naseeruddin shah and Vidya Balan ( Fun shots taking in between shoots )

HOW HIP ARE WE ? :P

THE INFINITY POOL OVERLOOKING THE BEACH . THE PERFECT WAY TO END THE DAY 

The Jury Aftermath

It's been over a week since our jury took place and all I've done for the last 10 days is watch back to back episodes of  suits :)  we work so much the week of the Jury that all you want to do after that is sleep and not touch any work related to your process. happens every time.
It's the Jury aftermath routine : SLEEP + EAT JUNK FOOD ( before you say anything.... yes ! I do eat! ) +  NON-STOP SITCOMS

Has anyone ever wondered how similar Patrick J Admas and  Neil Patrick Harris look ?? 

         

Sigh! finally after another super long break , I got back to working on my collection . But I couldn't really focus on it till i had a constant reminder of how little time we have left , so i had no other choice but to bring out the post-it's ! my favorite thing in the world. what would I ever do without them :D
I converted the living room wall into a post it wall . check it out !

THE 'POST- IT WALL'- The pink post it's are for me and the purple one's are for my cousin Vaish

Now I'm ready to get back into Work-o-holic mode !

xoxo
-skinnydramaqueen

It's Shoot time!

My friend Sanjana Jain, winner of Vogue honors 2012  got selected to showcase a mini collection at the WILL S DEBUT 2013 show.  She was asked to do a photoshoot of her garments before sending it for the next round of the competition and asked me to help her out with the styling of her garments. The photographer , Esha Chandrana rented out 'set fire' studios for the day and  Then we were ready to shoot!

HAIR & MAKE-UP-  credit: Najeeba fatima

ME ADJUSTING THE FALL OF THE JACKET  DURING THE SHOOT

LOOK 1

LOOK 2

LOOK -3 

CREDITS:

MODEL: MONICA TOMAS 

PHOTOGRAPHY: ESHA CHANDRANA 

DESIGNER: SANJANA JAIN 

STYLIST: KAVERI SHARMA

HAIR & MAKE UP : NAJEEBA FATIMA

AT THE STUDIO  - with sanjana( designer) and  monica (model)

CONGRATULATIONS ! and good luck sana for the debut show in delhi <3 super proud of you 

- skinnydramaqueen

THE JURY !

Feb 14th ! Our first process review jury for the final collection . Stayed up all night putting my process book together and trying to make some rough design sketches before the jury. A jury is where we present our work to a panel of design and technical mentors  who review our process and critique us on it . It was time to face the moment I was dreading the most . From the get go I knew for a fact that I was dealing with too many different elements in my collection , for example ; the embroidery , tie dye , applique , truck motifs , a lot of bright colours  and a wide range of fabric.. I knew that there would come a point where I would have to drop out a few of my explorations and take a decision on what to carry forward .

After my process review, it was evident that it was time for me to take that call. and stand by my decision . I had prolonged it long enough . The panel liked most of my explorations and some they didn't like so much. They felt that I had too many different fabrics and a lot happening, and will have to cut down on some of my fabric choices.  I noted down their feedback and I will work on it this coming week. 

We then went on to have a masquerade ball in college for Valentine's day . since it's our last year together , my class is a little emotional about our last few days together before we all part our separate ways. so any function or event that takes place in college , we make it a point to be a part of it and show some enthusiasm . so we all went home and made our masks and and decided to join the mini function where no other batch showed  up :D  But we still had our share of fun thanks to two of our mentors .

GOOD TIMES ! - with ; Nazcher , Ranjini , Me , Vimal and Tanushree  (left to right )

 To top that , we as a class went out for a nice quite dinner at bbq nation . something that we hadn't done together in a very long time  

OUR CLASS VALENTINE'S DAY CELEBRATIONS AT BBQ NATION 

-skinnydramaqueen <3 

Dye hard!

Yeah ! I know the title is a bit cheesy . well.... what can I say , you got to love Bruce Willis :D 

I paid a visit to a local dying unit here in Chennai  to develop some of my tie dye samples. When I showed them Iqbal ji's tie dye samples from Rajasthan , they were amazed at the patterns that he had created , I wanted them to replicate the patterns using the same technique onto different fabrics like single jersey knits, cotton twill and  Georgette. The men working at the dying unit were unaware of the technique, but were quick on grasping it once I explained it to them .

DYEING UNIT 

TYING THE FABRIC BEFORE DYEING 

THE FABRIC IS BOILED IN THE DYE SOLUTION

RINSING THE DYED FABRIC FOR THE EXCESS COLOUR TO BLEED OUT 

A DIFFERENT TIE DYE TECHNIQUE I LEARNT IN RAJASTHAN 

USING A HAIR DRIER TO CHECK THE COLOUR OF THE DYED FABRIC UNDER THE TUBE-LIGHT 

TIED FABRIC - READY TO DYE 

BOILING THE FABRIC IN  ANOTHER  DYE COLOUR

UN-TYING THE FABRIC TO REVEAL THE PATTERN OF THE TIE- DYED FABRIC 

SAMPLE OF THE TIE -DYE TECHNIQUE  I LEARNT IN RAJASTHAN 

SAMPLE : TIE - DYE PATTERN (MARBLE TECHNIQUE )

SAMPLE : 3 COLOUR VARIATION SAMPLE

The best part about tie dye is when you cut open the tied knots and reveal the fabric.  It's kinda like unwrapping your birthday presents ! There always is an element of surprise to it.

- skinnydramaqueen

PHOTO CREDITS : Pavithra Bailey  <3

A long overdue!

WOW! Blogging isn't as  simple as I thought it would be. I constantly forget to update my blog. And the few times that I do remember ,I land up contemplating on whether to update my blog or catch up on an episode of grey's anatomy :D . I seem to be over powered by laziness.... NOT good !!

After getting back from Vizag , I couldn't wait to get started with my work .I Felt so energized and inspired that I managed to put my entire process together in a week's time and finally start with my design developments.  Here's a look of some of the things that  I worked on this week

SPRING - SUMMER 2014 TREND FORECAST  (SOURCE : www.wgsn.com) 

NECKLINES AND OTHER KEY DETAIL PREDICTIONS FOR SPRING -SUMMER 2014

COLOURS TO BE IN TREND IN SPRING -SUMMER 2014

COLOUR EVOLUTION - A process used to derive the colours for my collection , where I have picked out  colours that stood out from my visual references . I then match these colours to the colour forecast for S/S 14 and then chose the common colours that are in trend 

MATERIAL EXPLORATION :TIE DYE - Used the dyeing methods I learnt in bikaner  , onto different fabrics like  jersey knits , Georgette and a cotton twill  

FABRIC SOURCING : Sourced different fabrics that I want to use in my collection. Georgette, single jersey knit,. Ikats , cotton twill , leather , and coated jersey fabrics .  Out of these options I will have to narrow down the options. 

EMBROIDERY - out of all the embroidery samples, I shortlisted the motifs and embroidery designs that were  most prominent and I plan on using the embroidery on shoulder patches or on yokes and cuffs 

PRINT DEVELOPMENT - I looked into their applique work and embroidery visuals and picked out common motifs that they used . most of  it is very geometric and that's what i liked about it . so I tried repeating these motifs to form my own patterns and come up with some print developments 

PRINTS : Some print variations . I'm not happy with my print developments so I might not carry this forward 

PRINT SAMPLE : Converted my Doodle into a T-shirt print inspired from Rajasthan trucks 

FAMILIAR FACES - VIMALA JI : I printed vimala ji"s face on different fabric materials and then highlighted only certain  prominent features with embroidery . like her bindhi , eyebrows, eyes and earrings . I plan on using only the silhouette of her face and not a direct image of her face 

REPEAT UNITS OF UNCLE JI PRINT

MICRO SKETCHES:  Gives an idea of what kind of silhouettes and detailing I want to use in my collection . These sketches are a collaboration of  ' my interpretation of Rajasthan' and 'what is in trend' 

Next phase - Design Development !! Have to get started with my design sketches and be in a position to develop my range in time for our process review jury on 14th ! Time to put my process pages together .

- skinnydramaqueen

P.S: special thanks to my junior , sanah sharma for scanning my process pages :) 

Vizag fashion week !

'Kingfisher ultra vizag fashion week', Vizag's first ever fashion week was ready to kick start with a bang ! Storm fashion company along with 30 Models , 7 top designers , 2 show directors and an extremely enthusiastic backstage and  hair & make up crew were all set to put on a great show.  A few weeks prior to the event the organizers faced protests from the women's organisation and the Vishva Hindu Parishad  for degrading the image of women and claimed that the show was promoting obscenity  . They consider fashion shows to be disrespectful to women . The organizers took the precautionary measures necessary and removed the title " beach edition " from the show. They took extra measures  to  ensure the security  and safety of their guests and team and played safe with the garments that were to be showcased during fashion week. The first two days went off well despite the protests, but unfortunately the last day had to be cancelled. This was a decision taken after the protests were conducted on a bigger scale and offended a larger section of the society due to certain misconceptions .

DESIGNERS THAT SHOWCASED AT KINGFISHER ULTRA VIZAG FASHION WEEK 

KUVFW - Day 1 - playful yet elegant collection by designer SHRAVAN KUMAR
photo credit : VINCENT KING 

KUVFW - Day 2 - Strike a pose ! with designer  ROCKY S
photo credit : VARUN VIVEK 

MODELS HAVING FUN ! - During designer , RIYAZ GANJI'S fittings

ALL SMILES ! MODELS WITH SHOW DIRECTOR - LOVELL PRABHU
photo credit : VARUN VIVEK

HAIR and MAKE -UP
photo credit : VINCENT KING

ME WITH THE BACKSTAGE TEAM FROM PEARL ACADEMY CHENNAI

Despite the bandh on Vizag fashion week , the team at storm fashion company kept their heads held high and  made the most of the time we had left in Vizag . With a splendid venue like The Park hotel in Vizag , we couldn't have asked for a better place to enjoy an afternoon pool party  , a sunset beach volleyball game and a perfect evening with  a bonfire by the beach . And to top it , we kicked in DJ Chico's birthday at a smashing after party with the best of Bollywood and house ! 

THE VENUE FOR THE  SHOW -  THE PARK HOTEL VIZAG

BONFIRE BY THE BEACH -
photo credit : VARUN VIVEK 

CELEBRATING DJ CHICO'S BIRTHDAY
photo credit : VARUN VIVEK

     

GROUP PHOTO AT THE AFTER PARTY
- photo credit : VARUN VIVEK

A QUICK STROLL ON THE BEACH - WITH BACKSTAGE MANAGER KAWLEEN   <3

It surprises me that even in today's modern world with the fashion industry peaking at a rapid pace in India , there still lies a major section of the society that is blinded by the glamour projected in the industry that they fail to see beyond it. They talk about women wearing skimpy clothes and talk about drugs, alcohol being the highlight of the industry and forget that the actual highlight of a fashion show is to showcase a collection . I am talking about collections that designers work on for months . sourcing fabrics, choosing the right colours , designing the clothes and finally putting them into production . Why cant people see that fashion is so much more than just glamour ? 

The fashion shows that you see is a collaboration of some of the most talented people in the industry coming together to produce a masterpiece that lasts for about 3 minutes . 3 minutes of pure professionalism . It's not an easy task for models to try on clothes one after the other during back to back fitting sessions with designers . For those of you who don't know what a fitting session is, it's what we do before a show, where models try on the outfits that are to be showcased, and the designers along with the show director sit down and discuss the sequence of the show. This isn't just a one two three order that they decide on . There is a lot of planning that goes behind it . The garments are colour coordinated , they need to think about which would be the strongest look to open and close the show with and a hundred other factors that come into play . And all of this is just the beginning . A few hours prior to the show models sit for their hair and make up session where the artists create looks decided by the designers for their show. ( please note : I am referring to the hair and make up team as artists because to be able to manipulate and replicate the same look on 12 different girls with completely different facial features and hair texture isn't a joke. It's the same as  an engineer making his site plans and blue prints .. except this is even better ! it's on a 3D canvas ) After the models are ready with their hair and make up , a half hour prior to the show , there is a rehearsal . Where the show director along with the show DJ put together the entire show and the sequence of the entry with the necessary drama . Each show has a different vibe and a mood to it and the show director is responsible to bring out the right feel and look while the show DJ puts together the right music  . This is based on the type of collection the designer is showcasing . Once the rehearsal's are done the models quickly get into their first change and wait backstage for the show to start. Between all of this , there are backstage managers running around and coordinating the ironing time, alterations, fitting sessions , tagging of the garments so the right clothes go onto the right models and also setting up the green room to run a smooth show .

 During the show each model is given a helper who helps them get in and out of their changes. This might sound very silly to some of you , but the models have less than a minute to change into their next outfit and be back on the ramp with a straight face forgetting all the craziness that's happening behind the stage . 

Everything is a time crunch.  The 30  second rush of adrenaline that you get before the show, makes this whole experience worthwhile. So  yeah , I guess I am on drugs and it's a fashion drug that gives me the best high I have ever experienced ! This is the beauty of working  backstage . 

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During my stay in Vizag , we had the last day off so i spent sometime in the hotel library while working on my collection  and came across this big fat red book . Something kept drawing my attention towards that one particular book. It was about INDIA . Thought that I might as well check it out , what if there was something in there related to my collection that could inspire me . 

INDIA - The Beautiful 

So , I'm flipping through the pages , and I find an image of the same scene we clicked in Rajasthan while visiting one of the palaces in Udaipur and this is the same image that inspired me to make my mood board for my collection  . It's pure coincidence or fate . Seeing that image pulled me back towards my collection and got me so focused . After coming back to chennai I couldnt wait to get back to my collection . Everything happens for a reason . This trip to vizag was exactly what I needed , in more ways than one . 

IMAGE I FOUND IN A BOOK 

SAME IMAGE FROM MY SCRAP BOOK  - TAKEN A YEAR AGO 

MY MOOD BOARD - inspired from the above image