Latinas y Hablahispanas - Petitpoix en Español

See our new Spanish Language blog which will now run concurrently with my original Petitpoix blog and stay tuned for upcoming videos for Spanish speakers. English speakers not to worry though, Fettuccinetube will still be publishing the same upcoming videos in English!
The Spanish speakers Petit Poix / Fettuccinetube blog will not always have the same posts as the English one but the main important contents will be the same. Thank you for your patience as I am finishing some new videos to be uploaded in a few days!
As always you will continue to be able to search for and purchase Amazon.comproducts directly from either site!

Inspiring Modern Looks by Looking Back.

2000 Flapper Inspired Dress

1920s Flapper Dress

I just found a website today, mentioned in a New York Times article.  A lady who sells vintage and "reworked" vintage clothing on her own website.  http://www.shrimptoncouture.com/   I was particularly drawn to the vintage pieces.  While the articles in this webshop are one of a kind vintage clothing, some of it dating back as far as the 1920s,  I couldn´t help but become inspired to want to imitate some of these retro looks.  Here is where a designer must be careful.  It is important to know fashion history and know the work of other designers.  It is also OK to be inspired to create based on elements seen in clothing created by others.  But there is dangerous territory between being inspired and outright copying, especially when one is making more than just a basic pant or T shirt.  Even so.  Have a look at the website to be inspired by clothing from generations past.  You can do a search by era.

1980s Herve Leger

1950s Wiggle Dress

History of Fashion

To be a clothing designer it is VERY useful to understand the history of fashion and how new trends and styles develop.  Here is a link to the BBC archives to see videos of how fashions developed from the  . Watch these videos to gain insight and understanding on how to predict what will be "in" and what will be "out".  Fashion, is a sign of the times, often reflected in what is going on politically, and esthetically in the culture.  Only occasionally is a new style developed based on what a particular celebrity although many times they are the first to use a new style. 

"This unusual collection of programmes reveals what it took to be stylish through over 250 years of British history as it explores fashion from 1720 to 1982."  View Videos

The "rules" of design are often successfully broken.

What is the difference between a designer and a seamster/seamstress? Well, the first obvious answer is that designers don´t always know how to sew and vice versa. Many of the famous household name designers have hardly ever touched a sewing machine. (Can you imagine J. Lo or Lindsay Lohan sitting hunched over a sewing machine?) The designer knows how to express his concept and the seamster/seamstress follows directions.  Obviously if you are able to do both, as well as draft patterns, you have an advantage. It is also often said that no clothing is really a new design anymore. It´s all been done before, reinvented in different fabrics and colors and textures.  The more one immerses themself in the world of fashion the more apparent that becomes. Even so, a successful designer is able to put his/her own twist into the final product to make heads turn and surprise us.

I just had that experience last week at a fashion show I attended. The Argentine designer, Laurencio Adot had a trunk show here in Cordoba, some spring/summer dresses from his Cruise Line Collection 2011.  At first it was like any other show I´ve seen. Tall, beautiful women walking around a raised platform in gorgeous dresses. No question the man is as talented and as appealing as many of his mainstreamed peers.  A few vetran celebrity Argentine models were in the show as well such as Dolores Barreiro and Carolina Baldini.

Before I continue, let´s review the very "basic rules" we are often taught when we study clothing design. If you are going to use busy, bold-patterned fabric, keep the design simple. If you are going to use solid colors then go ahead and add bells and whistles and ruffles etc.... In other words, "Don´t overdo it." So when I saw a dress from his spring/summer collection I stopped dead in my tracks. A flowy saturated, bold, floral print dress with drapes and ruffles and tucks and swirls.... It was above the knee, but not super short. "Tastefully overdone" and something I would definitely wear to an evening barbecue or other summer event.

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Elie Saab Summer 2010

It is not his trademark style but I have since looked at other Laurencio Adot collections and see that he often does have one or two of these "tastefully overdone" pieces in his shows. So far though I think the one saw last week has been my favorite. I not only LOVED the dress. I was struck with instant admiration for Mr. Adot, (although I still do wish he would stop using fur). He DARED to break the rules, not once, but several times and the results were a success in my opinion.  Here are more pictures from the trunk show.  Very reminiscent of another well known designer Elie Saab.  Talk about breaking rules successfully! 

This is a lesson to all of us who want to get noticed in whatever we design. Not to copy Mr. Adot or Elie Saab of course. But to BREAK THE RULES! It is a risk. If you´ve watched all seven seasons of Project Runway like I have you will know that. But when a designer risks it and successfully pulls it off? The rewards are worth it. Another designer I admire for her "rule breaking" ways is actually one of the Project Runway contestants. I believe she was in Season Three. Uli, The German girl who was always mixing mismatched patterns and somehow always making them work.  In any given season of Project Runway you will notice that the ones who usually make it to Bryant Park are the "rulebreakers".  Get the whole collection of Project Runway and pick YOUR favorites!