Dolce & Gabanna (a pecha kucha)

Greetings! By now, after already posting two of them, I hope you already know and  understand what a pecha kucha is. Here's another one that I mentioned in my previous entry. The pecha kucha is a presentation on a chosen designer (in my case, designers) and their design philosophy. I suggest you read the previous post for you to better understand the presentation. Enjoy! :-)

Reflection: Week 4

Our class discussion this week tackled different kinds of fashion designers and their respective design philosophies. As I have mentioned before, I still have not found a designer whom I could call a personal favorite, but for this activity (which also required us to dress-up) I chose the classic Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabanna.  As a child, Dolce & Gabanna was one of the luxury brands I knew that was a must-have for any fashion-conscious adult may it be a male or female. This is probably because the brand caters to both genders through the clothes and perfumes they design. Taking from that, I began to appreciate the designers knowing that they have created what I have always dreamed to have, an entire fashion empire. D&G (as you would see in the pecha kucha I will post after this entry) has most likely tackled every aspect of the clothing industry: clothes (for different markets), shoes, fragrances, hair products, beauty products, nail lacquer, and lately even gadgets.

The design philosophy I found that they go by is a mix of feminism and the idea of being different but preserving the balance of things. This design philosophy, I realized, is something that I would want to take after (but of course use it as an inspiration in forming my own). I’ve always been such a strong believer of feminism and how a woman’s body is a glorious creation of God and should be treated as such. One could also see in my personal style that I like standing-out and making a statement or expressing myself with whatever I wear; but I also believe that in dressing well, one must know how and when to dress accordingly/appropriately. After really researching about these two designers and getting to know more about themselves and their design aesthetic, I realized that they are officially part of my list (yes I know it’ll be a list) of favorite designers. Dolce and Gabanna have inspired me and reaffirmed me that no dream is too big for a creative mind and a passionate heart.

How and Why People Wear Clothes (a pecha kucha)

Hello I am back with another pecha kucha! This time, it's just half a pecha kucha (10 slides but 20 secs each) and it'll be presenting how and why I think people of the twenty-first century dress in such a way. This was based on the book full of photographs by Hans Eijkelboom entitled "People of the Twnty-First Century"

Reflection: Week 3

   This week all of the groups were assigned to read an article of and report it to the class. Our group was assigned to “The Burqa in Vogue: Fashioning Afghanistan” by Ellen McLarney (a long but really good read). The other articles tackled global fashion issues. Basically one thing I learned was that fashion and clothing plays a huge role in cultural diffusion. It was evident in the articles that either different cultures tried to influence or be influenced by others or refused to let anything in or out of their culture. Other cultures took up trends and clothing from others and vice versa. Clothing could serve as a tool to lead or follow, to be dominant or inferior. 
   What I've already learned only stands as proof that the fashion world/industry is vast in itself. That's something that most people don't see that's why they always tend to belittle people of our industry. They think that it's hard to earn money in such a field but more than the money (which you could definitely earn loads of) they fail to see its cultural and societal relevance. That it's inevitably part of the system of our world and can meaningfully contribute to it. It's articles and issues like these that push me to make an effort in educating the rest of the world about what we do and the importance of it. 

Reflection: Week 2

   This week we had a long discussion and really chewed into the topic of clothing motivations. If you were able to watch my short pecha kucha about my personal clothing motivations, you'd notice that one of the things that affects the my choice of clothing is the fact that I belong to a Catholic Charismatic community. Belonging to a religious community also means that you have to conform to its way of life. I have nothing against the our way of life, in fact I embrace it and really appreciate it. What I have been struggling with though is the compromise between being modest and being able to express myself through the clothes I wear. I do understand that there are parts of the body one should cover, that showing flesh could "provoke" the opposite sex, that keeping your body to yourself could be "more attractive", and that you should also honor your body. What still baffles me is that they believe tht if you got it, it's better not to flaunt it. I mean, showing a little skin is how I could feel beautiful in, I personally feel honored when I look good in what I am wearing whether I'm covered up entirely or exposing my parts of my legs, arms, and back. I want to be able to dress modestly and please others by it, but sometimes, it's myself that I don't get to please anymore (which forgive me but I think is more important). 

   I'm the kind of person who believes that the only ones I have to please are God, my parents and myself. My dad also has a keen sense of style and is also very open-minded. He doesn't mind it if I wear clothes that reveal a little skin as long as it isn't over-the-top. I am also very responsible when it comes to dressing in a way that my parents want me to, so I know what's a yes and what's a no when it comes to their opinion. It just saddens me that I have to limit my clothing preferences because people from community might correct me. 

   I really want to talk more about this dilemma of mine in the future so stay tuned haha. But again as of now, I still think that the line between modesty and immodesty is quite blurred and I am bound by it. The issue between the balance of modesty and still looking and feeling beautiful is something I would like to resolve as I go through my years in CT. 

Designer Inspiration: Giambatisttista Valli

     I feel that I am not yet fully educated about the design world and its gatekeepers (designers), so I still can't really pick my favorite designer also because I don't just have one. For this blog post, we were asked to talk about our favorite designer's design inspiration. For the post's sake, I chose Giambattista Valli. 

Giambattista Valli is a French designer who was raised in Italy but is now based in Paris, France. He is one of the designers I admire, because I gravitate towards his design aesthetic. The things I imagine during my past time, day dreaming and envisioning how I would like my designs to look like, he has already brought to life. His designs are something that a majority of the fashion industry really agree to and applaud but at the same time you can distinctly tell that it was designed by him. He incorporates elaborateness, volume, color, eccentricity, and femininity into his designs - something I would like to adapt as a future designer. What really caught my attention was how he executed his shows. From the hair and makeup to the ensemble itself, the shoes and the entire production of the show; everything is spotless and well thought of.

After browsing a few articles about this fashion genius, I've learned that many things contribute to his inspiration when designing. As a kid, his television was black and white and his hobby was to draw the actors and guess/imagine the colors of the clothes they were wearing. At an early age, he would copy the design sketches of Yves Saint Lauren and it was through it that he realized that the silhouette used by the designer could help determine his/her identity. He is very fond of reading books especially ones that contain photographs of celebrities and models with beautiful clothes. He has worked for several brands before establishing his own. "Valli’s muse revolves around curiosity, however inspirations that come to him are closely tied to women’s allure – imaginary or real – from Little Red Riding Hood to Peggy Guggenheim." (http://www.famousfashiondesigners.org/giambattista-valli). He believes that a woman's body should definitely be celebrated and this inspires his material preferences and craftsmanship. All in all, Giambattista Valli allows to be inspired by a lot of things and is able to then integrate these into his creations effortlessly. 

Sources:

[Photograph of Giambattista Valli]. Retrieved September 13, 2015 from: http://news.nationalpost.com/life/style/small-talk-paris-haute-couture-at-dior-giambattista-valli

[Photograph of Giambattista Valli]. Retrieved September 13, 2015 from:http://champagnemacaronsblog.com/fashion-inspiration-giambattista-valli-couture-spring-2015/

[Photograph of Giambattista Valli]. Retrieved September 13, 2015 from: http://www.famousfashiondesigners.org/giambattista-valli

[Photograph of Giambattista Valli]. Retrieved September 13, 2015 from: http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/designers/giambattista-valli/

Giambattista Valli. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2015 from: http://www.famousfashiondesigners.org/giambattista-valli

My Clothing Motivations (a pecha kucha)

    As a fashion student, I believe it is important to know what motivates you to dress-up everyday. At par with this, we were asked to make a pecha kucha showing the different factors of our clothing motivations. A pecha kucha is a presentation wherein you're given 20 slides and 20 seconds to discuss each slide. We presented our pecha kuchas to our group mates in class but I have uploaded it here for documentation. For viewing purposes, I made the slides to last only five seconds. Press play and get to know what motivates me to pick my outfit for the day.