Mary Katrantzou S2014

Mary Katrantzou's S2014 Collection has just hit the runway in London!! This designer never ceases to amaze me.  After intensely studying and learning print design throughout my Graduate collection I can really appreciate the complexity and the amount of effort that would go into engineering all of these prints to each garment.  The range of imagery and colours is incredible and the garments act as canvases for the prints but whilst still being proportionally interesting. 

Here are some of my favourite looks from the collection;

style.com

So excited to see what is to come from this incredible designer.

Range Developments

Only two months to go until our Final Collection hand-in!  It is incredible how far my collection has come from the beginning stages throughout both the garments and the print work. 

Here is a sneak peak at my range drawings showcasing the current stage of my collection. There is still a long way to go however I am very happy with the new sophisticated approach to my digital prints and the more contemporary tailored garments.

Adele Thiel © 2013

Collection Development

Adele Thiel © 2013

It is quite amazing to see how my collection is evolving over time.  These are some developments that I have made over our break since we presented our pre-collection.  My collection is starting to appear a lot more contemporary than before due to the draping approach that I have now started to mix in with my tailoring.  I am exploring a lot more asymmetry within my looks and folding techniques to create volume.

There is still a long way to go however I finally feel as though I am heading in the right direction and want to keep exploring these looks and what they can offer.  It is really important for me to also consider how print will fit into these designs and if the prints will work within the folding techniques.

Adele Thiel © 2013

I printed out some of the motifs that I have been working on in a large scale and played with them on the mannequin in paper to get a sense of how they would look.  I quite liked how this particular placement worked on the body and it is a much more subtle approach to print than my previous explorations.  I like the new focus on texture and three dimensions.  

It will be interesting to see how much further the collection evolves as there is still a long way to go!!

Interning

I happened to come across an image on the Ginger & Smart blog recently of some behind the scenes images for their Autumn/Winter 2013 lookbook shoot.  You can see me hand sewing away in the bottom right corner!  Although this shoot was a while ago now, it reminded me the importance of interning whilst studying fashion.  It was amazing how much I learnt in my 2 years with Ginger and Smart - I learnt exactly how an Australian fashion business runs and was able to put all my technical skills from Uni to work!  It was always extremely rewarding to be a part of these shoots where you can see all of the hard work come to life and see the whole process from beginning (design) to end (production).  

Sadly, I had to stop interning in the last couple of months as I am focusing on my Graduate collection which will be complete in three months.  I am looking forward to working with the team again soon!

http://gingerandsmart.com/blog/

Future Plans

Our Graduate Fashion Show is fast approaching and it has got me thinking, what will I do once I finish my degree?  What will my purpose be as an emerging designer?

I have actually thought about this quite a lot however I do not want to set any plans in place just yet.  I want to keep my options open in case any great opportunities happen to come up.  I definitely intend to enter numerous Australian and international fashion competitions in order to gain experience and exposure as an emerging designer, which will also help to establish more important industry contacts.  Ultimately I would love to create my own label, however I think it would be ideal to work for another smaller label first (or intern) until I gain a better understanding of how fashion business's work.  I also won't rule out possibly undertaking some further study, whether it be some more short courses at Central Saint Martins or completing an MA.  I would love to further my knowledge in print design and other textiles in order to create a true point of difference within my work.  As my current collection was heavily based on the images that I took in Versailles throughout my travels, I would love to increase my image library and continue travelling to interesting places and take more photos that could translate to future collections.  

I am also applying for the NSW Business Chamber award where I will propose my business idea.  If I win the award I will receive essential help in starting my business as well as $5000.  If this happened I would definitely focus on starting my business and working to earn the funds needed to get started.  

Overall, I am leaving my options quite open, however I will enter as many competitions as possible, apply for jobs in Australia and overseas and see where it all takes me.