During the next 11 months I will be designing and constructing my first collection of apparel. Expect to see images and drawings of my creative process until the collection heads down the runway at New York Fashion Academy's annual fashion show in April 2012. I hope you'll join me in this intense creative journey!
Although it may seem quiet around Lavender Honey lately, I've been busy thinking about, well, thinking. To be more precise, I've been thinking about how to think about the collection I'm designing for the New York Fashion Academy's annual Spring Fashion Show. The school requires each student to design and construct a line of apparel from beginning to end, culminating with a runway presentation of the collection. Even though April 2012 is far away, we're already moving into the initial design phases, during which we try to hone in on our design aesthetic and overall direction.
This thinking about thinking thing, absurd as it seems, has proven necessary for obtaining focus. I am, for all intents and purposes, free to design the way I choose. Despite that freedom, I know that I need to establish a framework within which to begin - I can't design for everyone and every situation. So, I asked myself, how should I narrow my scope?
I began with an attempt to define my personal style and shopping habits. For example, what kinds of things do I buy and which kinds of things do I actually wear? Which colors, patterns, and pieces to do I naturally gravitate toward?
I couldn't answer these questions off the top of my head, so I took to my closet and started categorizing my clothing - pieces I just love, those that fit well, or pieces I bought and have never worn. This was the one rare instance where refusing to get rid of old stuff came in handy - I had probably a decade's worth of clothing in there! More clothes equal more data.
What I found was rather interesting. For instance, I have a lot of red-orange and light - almost slate - blue clothes. I always thought I hated reds and was uninterested in blue, but I guess not.
image above: the brightest colors I typically buy.
Other colors, like yellow, green, and purple, weren't as surprising to see. I already knew that I like those colors. Conversely, I noted that I had an unexpected number of pieces with design details like eyelets, embroidery, and crocheted lace. That seemed unusual, but maybe I just liked the texture. Aside from those details, my clothes were rather minimalist.
Perhaps the most sobering categorization I did was dividing my clothing into two piles - one pile of clothes that Chris has seen me wear at least once, and the other a pile of clothes he has never seen me wear. I decided that because Chris and I have been dating and engaged for a while, we have spent enough time together in nearly every social situation: vacations, graduations, birthdays, weddings, dinner parties, weekend lounging, work. That meant that if he hadn't seen me in a specific dress or shirt, I could reasonably conclude that it's likely he never will.
When I finished, the pile of dresses, tops, and other clothing that Chris had never seen me wear was much, much larger than I'd anticipated. Somewhat saddened as I gazed at my fashion foolishness, I came to two conclusions: 1) There is a disconnect between the clothes I buy and the clothes I wear, and 2) This closet investigation was not a superficial quest! If I keep buying things I don't wear (based on color, texture, fit, lifestyle, or whatever) I'm not only wasting my money, but I'm also wasting the resources necessary to produce that garment in the first place (i.e. environmental costs).
This "disconnect" is something I'd like to explore as I move forward. At the very least, it should give me something to think about for awhile! (haha).
Jun 22, 2011 
