I watched the Oscars last night with my dog Manny. I like to watch them alone so I can concentrate on the gowns..I used to design Casino Attire and used this show as an inspiration.

I agree with comments that were made by other celebrity watchers  as to natural tones and beads beads beads.  I often wonder who applies all the beads to the gowns. The United States has probably not done the beading. Many, many  hours  are needed to bead a single garment

I think they still do hand beading in France, and in China of course. It is unfortunate that my industry has sent many of our factories off shore.

I like to see lighter colors worn, mostly because they photograph better than dark’s or black. The Elements and Principles of design show  better when the gown is light. Later I will discuss the Elements and Principles of design with Emphasis as the first Element. It is where everyone will look first at a gown. If you want to learn how to use these principles go to a gossip page on the Internet and examine the gowns again thinking about where the designer put the Emphasis.

 

 

Today I would like to talk about inspiration. When you were young you probably looked in fashion magazines to discover what type of clothing you liked. You also could have tried to draw your own designs based on garments you saw in magazines or on television, you tube, or on line anywhere. When I was running my own fashion program at Palm Beach Community College in Florida. I required my students to start an inspiration file, not of other clothes they liked but of architecture, art, interior designs, furniture, textiles, etc. This prompted them to think of their own ideas; not inspired by other designers. If you ever want your ideas to be noticed they should not look like anyone else,s work.  Another assignment I assigned them was to go to an art museum and design something based on a piece of art they saw. A famous fashion designer, Yves St Laurent, once designed a dress based on a piece of art by the artist Mondrian.

Before I wanted to be a fashion designer I wanted to be an architect. I was helping my father build our house that was built by the Johanna Construction Company (that was me). Like a lot of little girls I made doll clothes for my doll collection but I was also a tomboy. After that phase was over in 7th grade I found out I liked to design my prom dresses. Since my mother had been in the dance world she would make special dresses for me to wear that I designed. Needless to say my dresses were outstanding, with lots of fabric in the full skirts we wore in those days. I kept designing and learned how to sew in high school. When I entered Washington University my first teacher was a very strict seamstress that showed us factory style sewing machines that we were to use. They were so fast we were all shocked. But I did learn to use them and it was a good thing. When I started my first job I could show my seamstresses how to make something that I designed . It was my first experience working with professional seamstresses. They were fast and very good at what they did. I never doubted their skills. I set up my design department in Florida the same way.