TUTORIALS

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Doll's Eye View: London Spring/Summer Trends '16

London fashion week is traditionally known for its hard core, edgy "concept" clothing and....Queen Mum! Not being a fan of either of those diametrically opposed poles, I'm always amazed how I'm able to find something that suits both my taste and the aesthetics of my dolls! Although I have to dig a bit, London always delivers!

ABSTRACT THOUGHTS

This is fashion as abstract art. Think about simple silhouettes as a base, embellished with a contrast of geometric cuts or even origami.

2015 SPACE ODYSEY

Talk of space travel to Mars, technological advances from Silicon Valley, a return to solar power as a source of  "green energy".... silver makes a brief appearance. Think about foiling a portion of a garment, or fashioning a metallic top to be worn over white or perhaps a simple dress made from a texturized silver fabric.
Katouchka's dress is made from silver eyelash ribbon!

UNRAVELED
Again we see a theme explored during New York Fashion Week...frayed edges. In addition, the Julien MacDonald garments are made from a combination drawn thread work and lattice trim. The general idea is to create texture by manipulating the fabric itself. Hint: Instead of using denim for this, consider chambray or silk! Also, the open work is lined with a flesh tone fabric.

A-FLUTTER
An alternative to skinny styles, these are garments with "wings." There are some vintage looks revisited in this group: a three-tiered dress by Osman, the tent dress with petals that flutter in the wind by J. JS Lee, an overload of ruffles spilling down an oversized top (though you should lose those parachute pants), and handkerchief points from Vivienne Westwood.

FLATS

In direct opposition--styles that are simple flat shapes almost resembling cut-out silhouettes. Look for "fit & flare" with nipped in waists, dresses with an emphasis on bare shoulders, or even tunics cut into thick slats. (Style note: red panty hose worn with black!)

SHAPE OF PANTS TO COME
Pants come is all sizes and shapes. What we like best are looks borrowed from the 1960's: bra top over hip hugger stovepipe pants, the tunic pantsuit and pants with a built in cummerbund.  
 

EASTERN REFLECTIONS
Here's a perfect example of how the designer's environment is translated into clothes. With all the talk of immigrants--from the Syrians fleeing their country to the problems in the Ukraine, designers have gone behind the scene into the folkloric backgrounds of Easterners and emerged with an interpretation of ethnic patterns and prints used in contemporary silhouettes.

COMFORT ZONE
At the end of the day, we can take a pause and slip into gear that's easy on the eyes and comfortable to wear. This means body skimming ankle length jersey dresses, wide trousers and jumpsuits or a sexy jersey dress that slithers off one shoulder!
 
 
Next up....Milan!

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22 comments:

  1. Great looks in London, my favourite style is the "comfort zone" type of clothing. The Julie Macdonald catsuit is amazing! I love the J.JS Lee blue dress too. Your little ladies look fabulous, I love the suit with the little bra top!

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    1. Linda, I had to dig, but I was able to come up with these really nice looks from the UK. I had wanted to do one of the Julien Macdonald outfits but didn't have the time to play with pulling the threads and couldn't get to a fabric store to see if there were any open work trims. But like you, I really enjoyed the "comfort zone" group and love the dress I did from that theme.

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  2. Hello from Spain: Fabulous pics in London. Great looks. Keep in touch

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    1. Thank you, Marta. Glad you enjoyed the photos. See you soon!

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  3. There are some really great looks here! I am really loving your mini versions of some of these fashions. Your dolls are very lucky indeed!

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    1. Thank you. Phyllis, my dolls are totally spoiled!!!! They've been pushing me to try more ambitious styles. When I look around the house at them, I'm really amazed at what I've been able to achieve on a 1/6 scale!

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  4. Bardzo ciekawa kolekcja! Czarne spodnie ze staniczkiem wyglądają świetnie!
    Pozdrawiam serdecznie!

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    1. Olla said, "Very interesting collection ! Black pants with bra look great!
      Best wishes!"
      Thank you Olla. There were some really interesting pieces in this collection! Big hugs!

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  5. J'aime trop ce que vous faites. C'est génial !

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    1. Merci, Shasarignis. J'aime bien ce que je fais, moi aussi! Je m'amuse beaucoup!!!

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  6. So much eye candy! I love the black outfits with the red leggings, and the silver is so much fun. I recently found a silver stretch fabric, and I made a pair of dolly pants with it... but I have plenty left over. I may have to play around with it. <3

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    1. I love those red legging as well! The silver posed quite a challenge because it began to fray and unravel as I worked with it. But at the end of the day, I think the fact it did deconstruct, made the dress just that much more interesting. Glad you enjoyed this post!

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  7. I like the "flats" outfits. So red tights with all black clothes are fashionable now? I've been doing that for years! My favourite thing is wearing bright red or fuchsia tights under black slashed jeans. I should get some bright tights fabrics for my dolls!

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    1. I also like a "pop of "color" peaking out from under a black garment. In fact, I wanted to suggest using brightly colored linings with some black clothes, but then I remembered there could be a problem with staining.

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  8. I -LOVE- the very first outfit, your doll looks wonderful! <3
    The abstract + space + all those shapes and contrats the clothes make are to my liking.
    I also like the idea of showing the Eastern or your own environment through the fashion.
    Thank you for the report! : D

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    1. Thank you, Uraru. Instead of always doing the simplest outfits when preparing these reports, I've been trying to take on more challenging looks. For awhile now, I've been thinking about handkerchief point hems and the opening photo provided the opportunity to try this on the doll.

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  9. I like the "Next up....Milan!" fashion best of these ;-)

    Some of the fashions look hit or miss as far as covering the torso. I feel like the models look hungry. Oh, please feed them, let them eat, I want to say ;-)

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    1. LOL!!! And these were the most conservative things that went down the catwalk!!! But seriously...traditionally, London fashion vacillates between Queen Mum and Punk Rock! Think countryside frocks in mini floral prints OR a wild and very unconventional path to experimental fashion! Where the skinny models are concerned....the original concept of models was something on the order of "clothes hangers". all in an effort to focus more on the clothes rather than the model's body underneath. Over the years, European designers have the model as a way to tell their own story. So the model no longer is considered an expression of beauty, but rather, part of an abstract story behind the design. PS. I think you'll enjoy Milan. ;-)

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  10. Hi April, I'm back from Florence and catching up with my reading.....great post, I love your creations. And thanks a lot for the jumpsuits! these are wonderful suggestions (how did you know I made a bulk order of viscosa fabrics?)

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    1. Thank you, Billa. Well....viscose is a really lovely fabric for making soft clothes that drape well over the bodies of our little divas! You're going to love Milan!!!!

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  11. They are so amazing! The details of your work are splendidly reproduced. Favorites: many. Yet I return to the elegant Chanel and the Hermes' asymmetrical front panel - so smooth and hanging just right. - O

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  12. Thank you, Olympia. This season, I've spent more time on the finishing on the clothes where I knew it was pertinent to the style. The Chanel coatdress is super simple which means there has to be attention to things like lining and buttons to render it stunning.

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