Me doing the model pose for my Gaultier challenge pieces
I was really inspired by the Jean Paul Gaultier challenge I took part in on Saturday, and I wanted to pull back the curtain a bit and share some of my creative process. This post is a sort of practical application of the 12 Ways to be Inspired by a Fashion Designer post that I wrote about a couple weeks ago.
On my third grade list of what I want to be when I grow up, “model” was listed along with artist, mechanic, and lawyer. I decided I could still be a model, even if its for my own stuff in the backyard, hehe.
My inspiration: Calligraphy Collection, "Vitrail" dress, haute couture spring/summer 2009
“Vitrail” is French for stained glass window, and I love the way the hard lines of black compliment the soft, airiness of the lace in the dress. Gaultier is known for putting things together that do not seemingly work, but he makes them dance beautifully together in a design. That’s how I decided to use gun shells and pearls together for the earrings.
The shape of the lace made a perfect cuff, and I choose pearls and off-white 15's as embellishments.
I rolled out the lace and fell in love with the shape. It was begging to be a cuff. I wanted to back the lace in black to give it a hardness like the inspiration dress. I found the pearls and 15s at Artful Bead, and I’m glad Lindsay was there to help me with chain and other metal components since I don’t work with them much.
The dye didn't take, so the background became the fabric on the right.
So, my white pellon didn’t soak up the black dye like I was hoping, so I used another black fabric I had on hand. I ironed out the lace and hand-stitched it to the black fabric. I trimmed away the excess fabric, and added snaps, pearl embellishments, picot edging.
close-up of my cuff and earrings
The earrings came together as planned, but I found myself wishing I had more chain. They make a pretty jingling sound when I wear them. Next, I want to experiment with different lengths of chain and maybe add some pearls to the ends. I also want to make a fully embroidered soft cuff with the same shape as the lace cuff.
Off to play…
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My grandma passed away on December 4, 2011, the morning after my most successful show to date. She was my biggest fan, supporter, and inspiration. She even started my beading career by giving me her beading loom when I was 12. My grandma was an amazing source of creative inspiration. She taught me to sew and cross stitch, and made sure I had access to all the craft books and craft supplies I could ever need. She gardened, cooked from scratch, made my wedding dress and all the banners and linens for her church. She often joked that she was busier in retirement than she was while working. She told everyone she knew about my business and how proud she was of me. I try not to think about how much I miss her, and instead try to think about how happy she must be to be reunited with my grandpa, who passed away the month before on November 6, 2011.
My grandpa had a huge influence on my life as well. From a young age he would take me on visits to the Texas A&M campus and tell me about what it was like when he went there. A&M was the only school I applied to and it was a dream come true to walk in his footsteps. When it came time to apply for jobs and face the real world he taught me an important life lesson: never settle. With an accounting degree in hand, he took his first job and did what was expected of him. The only problem was that he was completely miserable. He knew he was meant for something else, something more. He ended up taking down bad guys for the Treasury Department using those same accounting skills. A year out of college in my own career, I found myself in the same situation: miserable. I was trying to fit myself into a mold that wasn’t meant for me. His example helped me make the change that led me to where I am today.
