San Jose Fashion Week Writing Experience

Check out my fashion journalism skills with San Jose Fashion Week!

http://www.sanjosefashionweek.com/tgsjfwhollie.shtml

Off Figure Photoshoot

This is our group's final product from the off-figure photoshoot we had to complete for my Photostyling course. We had to create this shoot from scratch, start to finish. This included the overall concept - lighting technique, styling technique, props to be used and camrea angel. Myslef and my group then executed our concept to create the real thing in Silverline Studios, downtown Toronto. There were multiple shots taken from which we had to choose the best one. Then, the editing process was completed in Photoshop and InDesign to create this, a magazine ad.

Personal Identity

For our final assignment of the semester, we had to create a personal identity package. I had to create a logo in Illustrator and then design this package using InDesign. I re-used and modified the "Style Eyes" logo from last project for the name of an Image Consultanting business.

PC Merchandising Assignment #2: Fashion Show Event

 Had to create a fashion show event promotion package including our own brand logo and theme. I decided to create a theme around music and fashion, and my brand is called Style Eyes. 

Visual Merchandising: Mannequin Set up

 

Here's our stylish little mannequin! Each group had a theme to work with when developing their own styling technique. Our theme: Class Act. The inspiration boards included a lot of camel and neutral tones, since we were dealing with classic pieces. The outfit had to consist of three layers: dress, sweater and trench in our case. It was also important to incorporate a full outfit including shoes and other accessoires such as the necklace and purse shown above!

So once we steamed all the clothing and styled the mannequin, we had to choose an appropriate location for the Class Act theme. We chose the library, scanning some pictures from a Valentino book (fashion had to be included, somehow). This project was relatively easy. 

Visual Merchandising: Build-Up Display

 Above is my build-up visual merch project as part of my Store Planning and Merchandising course taken at Humber. It was fun developing this idea. I looked in my closet for possibilities and noticed that I had a this sorta candy theme going on. So I decided to incorporate red, yellow and blue gumballs and huge suspended lollipops to coincide with the overall colour story. Other than giving into inflation, (seriously, $7 for a lollipop? C'mon now) I loved working on this project. However, I do not plan my career around visual merchandising, unlike a few of the students in my program. 

Things I learned from doing this project:
1. When you display shoes, make sure the the heel is visible
2. It is important to develop a strong colour story and theme
3. Try and keep the background nutural so it does not take away from the merchandise
4. When developing a build-up display, make sure the merch is displayed in a "mountain" ( /\ ) formation
5. Carrying 8 lollipops around Toronto without cracking them is no easy task

My teacher really enjoyed my signage. It's a model in the middle of a gumball storm, so it suited the idea pretty well.

So my instructor also said she loved the display but she just wishes that I could have done a couple of things differently. The background and foreground colour creates contrast, taking away from the merchandise. Oops. I was actually trying to create contrast...I thought the overwhelming primary colours were strong enough to handle such a contrast. Apparently not! :) Hindsight is 20-20..

Trend Du Jour: The Scarf!

Yes it's that time again, bundle up for those cold winter months ahead. Nowadays though, the scarf is used as an opulent accessory rather than the obvious reason. There are numerous scarf trends this season! We got the loop scarf (shown above), the blanket scarf, the lengthy scarf in silk, wool and cotton. Solid colours as well as unique geometric and clean lined prints can be seen as well. Overall, the whole cowboy-esque way of wearing scarves is so five minutes ago you guys, like, really.
                                                            

                  

               

                                                           

Lady Gaga's Heartbeats

Isn't it great to be a famous...anything these days? The freedom of product development by celebrities is sweet. A lot of the stars choose the clothing line option, fragrance line, home decor, the list goes on. But Lady Gaga has come out with her own Heartbeats ear bud. The unique triangular shape represents three things that she cannot live without: love, fashion and writing. The ear buds retails for about $80 a pop, so needless to say, they best not disappoint eager users. I think Lady Gaga could come out with her own line of infamous meat dresses, slap her name on there and still succeed in multiple sale turnovers due to her millions of fans.

Let's just talk about sound quality for a minute. The biggest pet-peeve of musicians these days? Not that users can download their music for free, but the fact that their music is being listened to in such bad quality. Many of the .mp3 files that are downloaded are not top quality and the producer's hard work is not transpired to the file. SO sound quality is important to the musician's image and overall satisfaction of the user.

Reviews state that Lady Gaga's Heartbeats are not comparable to Dr.Dre's Beats earphones, but they do surpass the Apple iPod earphones (which happen to be my favourite as of now).

The design is ultra sleek and come in three different colours: white, black, and red, again tied in with the theme of her "must-haves."

If you have a bit of extra money lying around, I'd say go for it!

Monday = Internship Day!

Today I'm searching for fall trends, zeroing in on sequins. Yup, looks like sequins is here to stay for another two seasons anyway! After viewing Spring/Summer 2011 collections, sequins is in abundance in typical and classic colours such as grey, black and white, but also in new and exciting colours for that fresh Spring look. I've shopped hundreds (ok, maybe not hundreds) of sites, looking for top trends and favourite picks for zestypink.com. Here are my favourite "save", "spend" and "splurge" pieces of the day: Although I must pick the splurge option as my personal favourite. I love that kind of gradient/monochoromatic look.

Save: American Eagle 49.50

Spend: French Connection 129.99

 

  

Spurge: Alice + Olivia via Shopbob.com 417.20

*Favourite piece of the day

How much sequins is too much? The time of major excess is gone and passed, but that doesn't mean you have to resort to pure minimalism when it comes to sequins. With that being said, rule of thumb is to focus ONE (1) aspect of clothing on sequins. For example, a sequined top with a pencil skirt -OR- a sequined pencil skirt with a top, not both. If you want to wear a full-on sequined dress, that's fine. Too many colours in your dress? Not a problem, balance it out with heels in a neutral shade if you feel too conspicuous. If your dress is a neutral hue, up the anti with the shoes and make a statement! (ie- white sequined dress with red heels)  

Fashion Faux Paux du Jour

Ok, this is..well should... be obvious. PLEASE wear the right size of pants ladies. Do you want to be associated with a muffin and/or muffin top? It's not great when your shape is the topic of conversation.

Jeanne Becker Said it Best!

I've just learned that powerhouse fashionista, Jeanne Becker has added the Humber degree of Applied Business-Fashion Management to her never-ending list of achievements. In another 2 and a half years we'll have that in common! The Eye Weekly article spoke about her life, focusing on her now 25 years with FT. She is such an icon for anyone pursing a fashion career, wherever they may be in the world. But, the thing that stuck out like a sore thumb to me was how the hell she managed to get where she is today.

"I mean, it’s very flattering that I made what I do look like so much fun that they want to do it, too. But it’s like, "Hey, you know what? This job didn’t exist before I started doing it — you have to blaze your own trail. And that’s another important message I want to tell the kids: it’s not about being like somebody else. I mean, yes, you can be like them in terms of your energy and passion, but in terms of really doing something, try and take it to the next level. I really don’t think we have enough original thinkers in this world and that sometimes worries me."

This really inspired and pretty much hit me like a ton of bricks (excuse the overused cliche). It's so true, there are so many successful people who "went off the beaten path" so to speak. Unfortunately, where I'm from, in order to be successful you need to become a doctor, teacher, nurse, engineer, etc, etc, etc. you know, the normal-everyday careers. Obviously, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with these choices, but what's wrong with going with the career choice you love? I find it kind of sad that people may give up on their dreams because they are not "attainable." After all, the typical person spends 50% or more of their lives working. And if you hate your job, welcome to hell. Seriously, is it worth it?  I'll leave on that note. Happy career hunting to those about to endure the tedious adventure.

Check out the full interview here!

LG FASHION WEEK: Lovas Show

LG Fashion Week is here folks! I was lucky enough to attend the Lovas Show tonight for free, compliments of my Event Planning class :) The video showcases the entire collection as the show comes to an end. Toronto Fashion Week does not display haute couture or identifiable labels such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton,  (the late) Alexander McQueen, etc so the majority of this week's fashion will be RTW. But, in some cases, that's great! You know there are some eager buyers in the room anxious to talk to and make deals with the designer for retail stores near you! So, that's something to look forward to. Also keep in mind that fashion years are ahead by 18 months, so each show showcases all trends before they happen. That's another great reason to watch a show; you're surrounded by future trends before they actually come to stores....beat them before they are mass marketed and be a fashion leader, not follower.

With that being said, Lovas gave off an excellent show..no hitches except they did not display the first two opulent, b-e-a-utiful pink gowns at the end of the show. Probably a dressing issue back stage. I know how hectic it can be dressing models from my experience last year, and models are literally running to get changed, clothes going everywhere and so on. But yes! Other than that, the show was great in my opinion. Looks like yellows, greys and sequins, sequins, sequins for those warmer months next year!

As for the venue this season. It took place at the Heritage Court (part of the Direct Energy building) in the Exhibition Centre, downtown Toronto...right across the road from last year's venue, the Allstream Centre. If it ain't broke then don't fix it!! I don't know what FDCC were thinking, really. I mean the atmosphere last year was so much more of a "luxurious" feeling than this year's. Although there were style booths, L'Oreal Paris booths, Barbie and Ken booths, V.I.P sections, etc - the same as last year, the feeling was just not the same for me. Note that the front of the building is all glass so guess what, if it's a beautiful sunny day outside, you're going to be struggling to see inside. This evening the sun was shining, causing squints and hand-over the-forehand actions. A lot of people seemed annoyed by this but I guess it's nothing a pair of sunglasses can't handle. It also creates problems for taking pictures and videos, as I see crewmen struggle with their cameras.

CHECK IT OUT LIVE! 

KOL FANS!!!! NEW CD RELEASE!!! COME AROUND SUNDOWN!!! TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!!

Self explanatory title there guys. Kings of Leon's newest album hits stores tomorrow!! :) Not only does the cover entice you buy it, but the lyrical content and overall classic KOL sound forces you!

LG! Life's Good

It's that time again, fashion lovers! Toronto's LG Fashion Week kicks off today, October 18th and lasts until October 23rd.  Dress to impress tonight at 8PM: Holt Renfrew presents: Denis Gagnon, Jeremy Laing, Lida Baday, Line RUNWAY, Mikhael Kale, Pink Tartan, Smythe, Wayne Clark, Wings + Horns. Then at 9:30 Bustle rocks the runway. Check out the full schedule here!
Toronto too far away? No worries, LG Fashion Week got you covered wth live stream shows. Check it out!

Keep Your Eye on These Sites!

My new internship with Zestpink.com involves web marketing and scouring the web for top trends and fashionable sales. Here's a tip from piperlime.com, one of my favourite websites for everything fashion.

Check out these sites!
www.whowhatwear.com (my current browser homepage)
www.piperlime.gap.com www.stylehog.com
www.fashionmagnet.com
 www.beyondtherack.com
www.zestypink.com
www.jakandjil.com
www.shopbop.com
www.womensweardaily.com (a must!)

Retail Signage Project

Newest PC Merchandising/Advanced Adobe Suite project: Retail Signing (received  94% :)).  Required to choose a lifestyle image (non-posed image of everyday activity) and a coordinating retailer. All work done in InDesign and Illustrator for vector image purposes. In order of appearance: cover page, lifestyle, conversational, price point and sale sign.

Lauren Conrad's Impecable Style

Hasn't everyone fallen under Lauren Conrad's stylish spell? Her gorgeous wavy hair,  natural take on make-up, feminine and flowy style seen here on the September 20th issue of US Weekly. I'll just say that I'm not the type to pick up US Weekly or any other type of celebrity gossip column for that matter, but I bought this issue because of Lauren's article. I never see her sporting an outfit I didn't like yet. The picture above have a boho feel to it no doubt, but also notice the hair colour.  The whole, "I have no time to get my roots done" look is actually in. To steal the beauty's look (on a budget of course) try stores like H&M, Mango and Zara. 

  Escaping the boho look and aiming for the rock-star nighttime look, Lauren opts for this ensemble. Throwing a chunky knit vest over a tree and leggings is a modern way to update a classic style. Again, notice the beautiful wavy hair (I'm obsessed!). And since not everyone cause afford the luxuries of a red-soled shoe from Christian Louboutin ($625 a pop), you're going to have to get creative! Take a closer look, and notice the layered metal bracelets; accessories is a perfect way to complete this look. The outfit is "almost reminiscent of a '70s rock 'n' roll with those shaggy vests," says Conrad. And where would you wear it? "Definitely to see a band!" Good choice, good times. 

 I also like this simplistic, yet stylish look Lauren is aiming for in this photo. Layered jewellery with a simple and neutral tee is genius! Her flaw-less face is achieved by applying neutral tones to the eyes, while applying mascara on the diagonal, creating a fan look. Her signature winged eye-liner is a must of course, and her light pink blush and nude lips add for a au natural look. She changed her wavy hair for a more sophisticated bun. Pulling her locks into a ponytail, braiding it and then wrapping it around into a alluring bun. 

Side note: favourite quote of the article, "I find it bizzare that people are constantly applauding me for my constant sanity," or something along those lines.. funny stuff!  

                         

I'm Back in the CiTY Again!

After a 4 month hiatus (which really seemed like two weeks) I'm back in Toronto for another school year. I can't believe I only have two semesters left at Humber, then I'm finished! I'm currently looking for an internship with a focus on the following areas: public relations, magazine atmosphere or event coordination. I'm always searching for fashion related events going on around the city to add to my agenda, so stay tuned!

Final PC Merchandising Assignment: The Sweet Escape

Magazine spread. Do not underestimate the trials and tribulations of photoshop. Detail, detail detail....but it was fun at the same time since it was the last assignment of the year! Finished year one starting now : )