Creating.

A magical thing happened last week when I was staying with my old fashion buddies - I made something! That doesn't sound magical I know, however it has been about a year and half since I last used my sewing skills and actually made something and I’m telling you now, it felt good! I completely forgot how much I love designing and making clothes and the pride that comes with standing back and admiring a finished garment. It all started when I went with my friend Rachel to a fabric shop as she was looking for viscose jersey. I found some really nice off white ribbed fabric and the store assistant told me that all fabrics on those rails were a pound a meter. One thing you need to know about me is that I am an absolute fabric junkie! If I find fabric that I like then I HAVE to buy it, regardless of whether I need it or not - so as you can imagine being told that the fabric in front of me was so cheap I couldn’t resist the urge to spend some money. That is when I came across the beautiful mint green textured fabric that helped me produce my first piece since leaving uni. I wanted it and for once I knew that it was going to be turned into something. Below I’ve added photos of the process of making my jacket; my ideas came from biker jackets and parkas but softened by pastel colours and an unconventional fabric for those styles -

I did actually buy a book of coat patterns a few weeks ago that I was going to take with me however I left it at home so this was also a test of my drafting and pattern cutting abilities because all I had to work with was a basic bodice and collar block. Also as a side note - the dress underneath is one Rachel made in college I just could not be bothered to take it off of her mannequin!

This was the finished toile of the jacket, as you can probably see I didn't try neatening it - I wanted to get the jacket finished as soon as possible seeing as I only had a few days until I went home. As you will see below the final thing looks a bit different due to the fabric type used and the added interfacing and topstitching detail.

This is the finished garment, however without the drawstring cord as I had to do that on the train home. It looks very different on a person and I am aiming to get an outfit post done that will contain it, I did wear it a few days ago paired with black jeans, white sandals and a white tee but I didn't have time to take a picture. IT's probably the best thing I have ever made and it was nice to actually be able to make something without university tutors watching everything I did and trying to make me change it.

Hey it's ANOTHER fashion blog.

A new day and a new blog, i previously owned Lulabelle in Fashion Wonderland but that was in a different time and i never quite kept up to date with it so this is my fresh start. Yes i know, i know, EVERYONE has a fashion blog these days...but then what harm is one more, really?

The title of this new blog is due to me inevitably quitting my BA fashion degree to go out into the world alone. It was a difficult decision that caused many a sleepless night but i knew it was the right one. I love fashion and i loved my ideas and the work that i produced but i didn't feel that i had the support that i was entitled to, nor that my tutors really cared what i wanted. It felt like if it wasn't to their tastes then it was wrong. What a suffocating idea to have to work with right? Exactly. So i took it up with my head of course, because at this point i'd stopped going in, and even the idea of going near the front door made me anxious. My head of course, as helpful as she tried to be, told me that 'most of the people who do this course don't even get to be designers anyway'. Wow. Let me stay on your obviously fantastic and opportunity packed course!

So i quit (well technically i took a gap year and i still need to send in withdrawal letter) to pursue a more mentally soothing approach into my chosen career, which i'm not even sure on yet. I currently work within the finance industry, it's a mind numbing (what was that about mentally soothing?) job but it pays very nicely into my savings and i am hoping to go travelling. Still, i keep proactive by taking pictures, drawing, painting, thinking, writing and buying clothes.

And whilst i was thinking about the fact that all my friends will have a degree in fashion by October and probably a platform into the industry i also thought about the people that never completed their fashion education. I also started researching this brand new blog name and that is when i came across this article from business insider about Michael Kors - here.

A man that now has a billionaire company and yet surprise surprise he left his fashion design course!!! Though i do have to add that he did go bankrupt along the way but what does that matter because that man did not let anything stop him from becoming who he wanted to be! That's more inspiring than anything i learnt at university, more than the dead beat tutors who clearly had no career promises of their own or the ridiculous way they tell you that you are doing it wrong no matter what you do. I can't say i am particularly a fan of his designs but i am definitely a fan of that work ethic. So here i am going it alone and hopefully getting somewhere one day.

This is only a quick introductory blog entry - be prepared for drawings, pictures, outfits, designs and ramblings. Lots of ramblings.