Friday, May 29, 2015

Evolving Fashion Through A Clothing Line: Promoting

Getting exposure further than the sun for a dollar stretched as far as a brickroad is every fashion designer’s dream.  Fortunately, with that in mind, any designer’s line can be made famous for a cheap cost by relying heavily on free promotions such as networking, talk shows, and wearing conversation-starter clothing. With these methods success doesn't have to mean gawking at that stunning Elie Saab gown for years with no apparent end due to one's lack of a refreshing pile of green money, the symbol of success.
If reaching one’s goals could be as simple as climbing a ladder, they would make it to the top much faster, and, amazingly enough, networking will provide a ladder made of people necessary to know in order to make a successful clothing line. Networking can be done by being around the people one aspires to be like or simply by the use of social media. Social media provides immediate exposure and an opportunity to interest a celebrity within your potential customers.  For example, on twitter it’s very common to know a friend who is followed by a verified user, which, of course, means their new follower is of importance. So as easily as they got attention, one can receive it almost effortlessly as well by simply hashtagging something general or currently trending that relates to one’s line in an appropriate way. With this method, not only is exposure gained, but also an opportunity to obtain a helpful friend. Because networking can be a runaround at times, being invited to a talk show is also a great way to get free publicity for one’s line.
Heart rushing, as the vivid colors pop through the screen, seeing oneself on the television is a mile marker toward success. As a matter of fact, national exposure by a television show that millions of people follow like it’s the bible can be a guaranteed way for an entrepreneur’s sales to luxuriate. Although one can't just show off their line before the long desired reveal, simply hyping up viewers can leave them itching with anticipation and open up a crevice for investors. A great way to do this is by relating the line to target customers and the well known faces associated with it. Customers love hearing about how they can look primped with little to no effort so giving them what they crave in a truthful manner guarantees exuberant sales. Another guaranteed way is associating risky designs with celebrities that have worn them to give the shy customer a sense of security. Making the audience comfortable in all ways triggers joy and desire for the upcoming line within the customer, which is a great way to have one's fashion line portrayed.
As a matter of fact, fashion is all about creating a fresh look filled with admiration, youth, and inspiration, but it's also a great conversation starter.      Therefor, instead of starting a conversation about cheap horribly stitched clothing from a local mall, one can promote their clothing line by simply wearing an outfit designed and styled fresh from their own sewing room. No matter which point one is in their journey toward being a successful designer, receiving a compliment on a work of art fastidiously constructed from home can trigger a seemingly superfluous blather of words explaining one garment. As a fashion designer that may sound wonderful, but in order to keep the bait reeling in one must remember to be intriguing while also being concise.  As a matter of fact, that's just enough time to get a potential buyer for the price of nothing, nada, aucan.
Although it's no secret that building a successful clothing line is neither effortless nor affordable, with the methods of free promotion such  as networking, being on talk shows, and wearing high fashion homemade clothing, one's dream of a thriving clothing is much more palpable in money and selling aspects of it.

Evolving Fashion Through A Clothing Line: Designing

Fashion is like the hands of a clock that always inevitably hit the same points but on a different date; Great trends are continuously revolving in fashion just with a different twist each time. Constantly roaming around in my mind, this fact latches on to every pattern, cut, and neckline that generates from my brain.

I defy the nonchalant image every little girl has of themselves designing a clothing line.

Paper hurling, I toss graceful erroneously stroked balls of thinly sliced wood relentlessly to the floor. Hit and misses are okay with sports, but when putting out a clothing line that’s a foreign experience. Therefore my pencil is a vein where passion streams from my body to my paper, but the swift movement of my hands aren’t blindly advancing along it. Every mark acts as a link in a meticulously planned theme. Fuchsia pocket here, fuchsia shirt there, fuchsia shoes over there.  Fuchsia, the joint that connects my ballroom gown with my jaunty dailylook, represents the transition from frilly colors that repel the blazing heat waves of the sun during June and July to the sinister dyes, similar to a cloudy day, that grasp wavelengths creating a toasty feeling in the crisp dry air of winter.
But wait, Exactly what do I want my customers to do with my clothing? Most definitely not just pair fuchsia with the basic colors, but I’m shooting for my customers to be rejuvenated with life as they freely color block. Finally, after tossing away numerous designs, I have found the perfect theme that will be held up by stepping stones, the objective for the theme.  Regardless of all the work put in already, I’m just the piece still at the start on position en through the Candyman’s sticky path. In order to get past this point, I transfer my designs to my computer by shifting minuscule pixels in a CAD (Computer assisted Design) Program. To be sent with the CAD, I carefully weave the sharp dainty needle of my sewing machine through each piece of fabric in order to bring my designs to life. In other words, the prototype, or the last step in designing a clothing line,  is complete.

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    Surrounded with wonderful designs and anxious customers, I am forced to crank  out the supply demanded from me. Therefore, every morning my employees walk in to me managing a room inundated with fabric before the first shifts even begin. Although the salty beams of sweat and tears of joy flow from my face, I am ecstatic to know my clothing line is on it’s way to success.

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Fall Fashion Sketch By Alexia Moore

Evolvinng Fashion Through a Clothing Line: Sketching


Perfect figures, elongated legs, and stunning outfits are a necessity for all types of fashion sketches whether it’s for a young, old, thick, or skinny person. Due to this, at a first glance fashion sketches can be mistaken as just a tool to spark a wave of inspiration for the designer and his use only, but in reality sketches can determine the success of one’s clothing line. The sketches do this by allowing others to see the full talent of the designer and provide a guide for those bringing the sketches to life.
   
As a matter of fact, starting a clothing line can be extremely hard without stunning sketches because investors will refuse to fund anyone who cannot sketch well. This is because, as Ms. Gipe said, they can’t truly see the vision they are funding. Unlike getting a small loan for a car, a designer of a clothing line has to get a large loan in order to start a business for manufacturing. Therefore, by having a polished sketch investors get an idea of the success to come or not to come.
         
Giving a manufacturer a design that is unclear is like a blind person playing a game of heads up, it just won’t work out. Because foreign manufacturers are cheaper, as an upcoming fashion designer many people seek that route, but unfortunately they are unable to travel back and forth to thoroughly explain their own vision. Therefore, it’s essential for the sketches sent to the manufacturer to show things from fabric patterns to fabric folds. Without being extremely meticulous with detailing while sketching, major gaps of misunderstanding can arise. This was really evident when Ms. Gipe said, “ I would have made you a pair of leggings,” during our interview because my vision included harem pants, which are  far from leggings,while she could clearly tell my intentions in the same more detailed sketch.
Perfect figures, elongated legs, and stunning outfits are a necessity for all types of fashion sketches whether it’s for a young, old, thick, or skinny person. Due to this, at a first glance fashion sketches can be mistaken as just a tool to spark a wave of inspiration for the designer and his use only, but in reality sketches can determine the success of one’s clothing line. The sketches do this by allowing others to see the full talent of the designer and provide a guide for those bringing the sketches to life.
   
As a matter of fact, starting a clothing line can be extremely hard without stunning sketches because investors will refuse to fund anyone who cannot sketch well. This is because, as Ms. Gipe said, they can’t truly see the vision they are funding. Unlike getting a small loan for a car, a designer of a clothing line has to get a large loan in order to start a business for manufacturing. Therefore, by having a polished sketch investors get an idea of the success to come or not to come.
         
Giving a manufacturer a design that is unclear is like a blind person playing a game of heads up, it 
just won’t work out. Because foreign manufacturers are cheaper, as an upcoming fashion designer many people seek that route, but unfortunately they are unable to travel back and forth to thoroughly explain their own vision. Therefore, it’s essential for the sketches sent to the manufacturer to show things from fabric patterns to fabric folds. Without being extremely meticulous with detailing while sketching, major gaps of misunderstanding can arise. This was really evident when Ms. Gipe said, “ I would have made you a pair of leggings,” during our interview because my vision included harem pants, which are  far from leggings,while she could clearly tell my intentions in the same more detailed sketch.



Thursday, May 21, 2015

My Reading Life.

1. Did I meet my reading goal?

                Although I didn't meet my goal of 16 books, I came pretty close with eight books and an enormous textbook that I completed. 

2. So, what does a girl like me read?
     
               Honestly, being forced to read just made me resent reading so much more, and despite that I  am actually very glad I was. As paradoxical as that may seem, if I hadn't been forced to read I would have never opened such wonderful books (listed below):
                  

  • Midwinter BLOOD by Marcus Sedgwick
  • The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
  • The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
  • Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran
  • A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
  • He's Just Not That Into You by Liz Tuccillo and Greg Brehrendt 
  • The Room by Emma Donoghue 
  • The Canon by Natalie Angier
  • America's History
  • Unwind by Neal Shusterman (Abandoned, but it was a great book and I will be finishing it)
3. Which book was the sweetest?
                 
             The Devil Wears Prada  was my favorite book out of all ten books listed. Maybe it was simply because I hope to one day be consumed by the world of fashion and turn into the very mouth that ate me, or maybe it was the unexpected ending. Also besides those two factors, a nice cherry on top was Andrea getting free designer clothes. Although the events in the book were just fictional, I still felt a rush of joy and love as if I were the one actually receiving those precious garments.

4. Which book was the most brain busting?

              That would definitely have to be The Canon.  Although I loved learning interesting facts like why my hair seems to defy gravity after wearing my beautifully woven beanie, the process was a lot more challenging than most books I've read. To add the kerosene to the fire, Angier mixed in higher level vocabulary with technical scientific names for things such as heat.

5. What's my reading superpower?

              I've grown tremendously with my ability to spot the rhetorical devices authors use to put emphases on certain aspects that are clues to the overall theme.

6. What's my kryptonite? 

             I'm still very weak when I have to read quickly, so I definitely need to improve my reading speed to a much faster pace.

7. Did I need guidance during my reading journey?

             The reading conferences with my teacher were really helpful with making me aware of my areas that still needed improvement. Although I could give a prize winning summary of the books I was currently reading, when she asked me certain questions to see evidence of thinking as I read, my eyes opened up to what I needed to work on as I read because I couldn't answer all her questions correctly.

8. Who did I turn to as a support group during my reading journey?

             Being apart of a reading community filled with my AVID peers was really beneficial because, for the first, I was actually able to have an intellectual conversation with people just as into it as I was. Also with other readers, like myself, I could see another trusted perspective on the same or similar book topics and themes.

9.

                                    
He's Just Not That Into You book cover by Chelsea Dagger