As I sat down to watch this past week’s episode of Project Runway, I was already feeling creatively stumped. But the second they announced the challenge (but only after making the designers run around an indoor track) I had no ideas whatsoever. The task assigned was to create an outfit – actually three, but I’m only one person here not a team – using denim and/or suede to be worn with Heidi’s upcoming line of New Balance sneakers.
It quickly became apparent that Heidi wasn’t looking for something athletic, but rather an outfit that felt right with the shoes. A serious challenge. Out the window went my past strategy of sketching along during the show and in came the oh-my-god-I-need-to-make-SOMETHING mentality. After about three attempts while sitting down at the HP Touch Screen 610, I came up with this:
I created a sleeveless knee-length ombre suede dress in a tan to olive gradient. It features a deep scoop neck, off-center front slit, and oversize armholes. I then topped it with a cropped black denim jacket with three quarter length sleeves, a banded collar, and copper stud work along the front. To complete the challenge I paired it all with the 410 sneaker in black.
If you haven’t watched Episode 5 yet, catch up right here. You can also see all of my past designs here.
Full Disclosure: HP provided me with a TouchSmart 610 for use. All content and opinions are mine. I have not been financially compensated by HP or Project Runway.
There is no greater design terror than being charged with creating something specifically for your boss’s personal use.
Enter the Nina Garcia Day-to-Night Challenge and my least favorite judge. The garment we were creating needed to be something that would easily transition from day to night wear.
Turns out Nina was a nightmare client (shocking) and started by immediately rambling off a long list of what she does not like – pattern, color, basically anything of interest. Luckily, each contestant was treated to a one-on-one consultation with Ms. Garcia after the sketch phase. To which she showed up wearing a bright orange blouse with patterned sweater vest. Oh, the hypocrisy! Nina then proceeded to lead each and every designer down a path of wrong direction.
After making notes and sketches while watching the episode, I got to work on the HP Touch Smart 610. This is the first week where my final garment ended up diverting from my sketch fairly drastically. I blame some of this on the overly opinionated eye of my naked assistant who was heavy with the over the shoulder critiques.
I started off with a sort of A-line shift, fitted on top and created out of heavy black canvas. A risqué and edgy choice of material perhaps, but I’ve played it fairly safe so far. I then lined the piece in gold silk and added a one inch wide zipper about four inches off-center to the entire length of the piece. When zipped the dress remains corporate, yet sassy. And when unzipped slightly the neckline folds over to reveal the gold lining and play up a little sex appeal.
If you haven’t caught episode 4 you can watch it right here.
Full Disclosure: HP provided me with a TouchSmart 610 for use. All content and opinions are mine. I have not been financially compensated by HP or Project Runway.
One thing that tends to end up at the back of the line on Design Crush are my own creations, but that’s something I’m hoping to incorporate more often and more regularly. Not so much designs from my 9-to-5, but the pieces I do on the side.
Starting with this birth announcement for tiny Leo Friedman.
My friend Molly hit me up to create this for her client – Amy – after a failed attempt from another designer. Cause, you know, sometimes that happens. It’s not always a match. From the get-go we were on the same page, minimal and clean. (Her daughter’s announcement was a Picasso-esque sketch of a pregnant belly.) I sent over four options and Amy chose my favorite, this paper plane rendering. Some might argue that all of the grey is too cold for something so happy, but I say if it fits and feels right you go with it. Lucky for me Amy agreed, and I sent this off to the printer last Wednesday!
Three weeks into the Project Runway challenge and I feel like I’m getting the hang of this thing. I feel much more inspired if I sketch out ideas as I’m watching the show, and creating my design on the HP TouchScreen 610 is taking significantly less time. This week the contestants were tasked with creating a garment for a stiltwalker. I know. Not only were they fighting the shear height of the model, but they also had to take into consideration that it’s easy to get tripped up – literally – while walking in too much fabric. (The PR contestants were paired off for this challenge, I’m working solo.) After a brainstorming session everyone was off to Mood with a $500 budget.
Right off the bat I knew that I wanted something with movement and volume. Color blocking also seemed like a great idea. I started off by making a long strapless A-line dress in bright poppy red raw silk. With the dress form considerably more close-fitting than the volume I was about to create, I hoped to lessen the chance of the model falling. Once finished I started attaching tiers of gathered matching red netting from the waist down, then I proceeded to attach neon pink in the opposite direction from the waist up. No need for killer shoes with this outfit, so I finished everything off with a skinny snake belt from the Piperlime wall. Here’s the result:
Full Disclosure: HP provided me with a TouchSmart 610 for use. All content and opinions are mine. I have not been financially compensated by HP or Project Runway.
After watching this week’s episode of Project Runway, I felt much more inspired and confident than the last. I actually started sketching ideas out and making notes while I was watching and tweeting and I think that was the biggest help. I also felt better acquainted with my HP TouchSmart 610, and more of my attention was focused on my design instead of how to create my design.
This week’s challenge started off with a trip to a discount pet supply store. Everyone (including me) immediately thought they were going to be designing for animals. Huh-uh, WRONG. Each designer was given a $300 budget and told to buy pet to supplies to create their garment, muslin was also allowed for the base fabric.
What I Bought:
• 1 leather leash
• 2 dog beds
• 10 lbs. black fish gravel
• 2 lbs. white fish gravel
First, I took the dog beds apart at the seams and created a form-fitting shift from the black fabric backing. The side seams have round edges and three inch slits. Then, creating what might be the heaviest mini-dress in history, I took the black fish gravel and hot glued it to majority of the dress. I made sure to leave a four inch wide panel untouched in the front to attached the white gravel, which I had previously spray painted gold. Then I took my leather leash, painted it gold as well, and created a crisscrossed halter to help hold (the imagined) weight of the dress up.
This week I also ventured into the land of piperlime shoes and accessories that the contestants have access to. I wanted the shoes to be dramatic without taking away from the garment. The jewelry also needed to be fairly simplistic, and I love these pieces.
So there you have it! Did you watch this week? What would you have created?
Full Disclosure: HP provided me with a TouchSmart 610 for use. All content and opinions are mine. I have not been financially compensated by HP or Project Runway.
One of my favorite parts of this community are the relationships that are built not only between bloggers and readers, but with brands. I had a chance to meet up and chat with some of the swell people behind HP just this past January when they showed me their latest line of products at Alt. One of those things was their rad TouchScreen technology that’s featured on the show Project Runway. A few weeks ago HP contacted me to see if I’d be interested in giving their TouchScreen 610 a test-run for a few months by sharing weekly posts created on it, keeping in line with the Project Runway theme for that week. Being not only a design nerd, but a tech geek I was all over it.
Having been a Mac girl for all but my freshman year of college, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from the new TouchScreen when it showed up. At all. Was it going to be massive and bulky? Have lots of cords and extra stuff that I had no idea what to do with? No and no. In fact, the set up as far as components go really reminds me of my iMac at the office. Monitor and processor happily co-exist as one piece, then there’s a wireless mouse and keyboard. Really easy setup. And get this… the monitor flat-out pivots. It makes working in the drawing program loads easier, and more like drawing on a sketchbook. And I’d be remiss not to mention the incredible 23″ monitor.
First lesson learned, I am no fashion designer. I know what I like when I see it, but I don’t have that sort of design vision. Second lesson, using the TouchSmart is very different from my beloved Adobe Creative Suite programs. You can let your fingers do the work on the screen, but I opted for a stylus (from my ancient Palm Pilot!). It took me awhile to get the hang of things, including what command stands in for Control Z on a PC. After about an hour of messing around, this is what I came up with.
For the first week I thought I’d take things very literally and go right along with the challenge. The contestants were woken up in the middle of the night for this one. I sleep in a white Hanes tee most nights and my queen-sized sheets area always white – I totally lucked out. They have access to fabric dyes, so I “dyed” my sheet poppy red and created a floor length gown out of it with a plunging neckline, pockets, and a bit of bustle in the back. My shirt got dyed a goldenrod yellow and was fashioned into a fitted, bunched belt around the waist. Not the most daring of fashion ideas, but I’m pleased with it for a first go ’round.
What would you have created?
Starting today and carrying on through the next several Mondays, this is what you’ll be seeing here. I’m going to do my best not to stick to one “formatted” technique of my take on the weekly challenge, I really want to mix it up a little and keep things interesting. I’m also really looking forward to flexing my art and design muscles in an entirely different way than I’m used to!
Full Disclosure: HP provided me with a TouchSmart 610 for use. All content and opinions are mine. I have not been financially compensated by HP or Project Runway.
One of my favorite projects from this summer has been designing the call for entries and invitations for Oklahoma City’s PRSA Uppercase Awards. Public relations is a younger group of professionals and we wanted to reflect that in a fun way. (Speaking of the design, it was actually influenced by a birth announcement a friend sent out for her son a few years ago!)
Lately I’ve realized that I never share any of my own design work with you, so I’m making an attempt at changing that. I just finished up this logo for the Deluxe Craft Weekend yesterday and am really pleased with the outcome.
If you live in the Oklahoma City area and want to know more about the event you can check it out here. It’s taking place Friday, September 25th through Sunday, September 27th. There will be ten a la carte workshops, crafting advice and support and plenty of good eats. If you’re interested jump now because registrations are limited to 30!
My boss, Jeff, surprised all of us this morning with Sony Webbie HD Cameras! We’d been talking about flip cams for months around the office and he decided to get us each our own as a thank you for all of our work.
I’m pumped to figure out how the little guy works and to put him into action in as many ways as possible. And of course that will include video making its way over to Design Crush as well. Any ideas on how you’d like to see video put into action around here?
