Inspiration :: James Jean for Prada

OK I know this is going waaay back, and typically I talk about my inspirations on my tumblr, but I'm going to make an exception to take a moment to remember James Jean for Prada.

Growing up with literally no exposure to fashion, my parents loathed the "girly" magazines, claiming there was nothing worth reading in them (which may or may not have been true). My father especially would take great pains to condemn them, and I think quite enjoyed making up elaborate stories to instruct us on the horrors of superficiality. In fact, I spent a good 5 years of my childhood believing that lipstick was actually created from bat poop, painstakingly gathered from the bottoms of caves by villages in far away lands, only to be shipped to us idiot americans to wear on our mouths.

I forget how I first stumbled across it, undoubtedly holed away in my high school studio at some ungodly hour of the night, but the first video of a runway show I'd ever seen, I immediately fell in love with.  It was Ann Demeulemeester Spring 2009. But what really got me hooked on fashion as an art form, and was the seed for my passion for it to this day was James Jean for Prada.

An illustrator of epic, heartbreakingly awesome talent, paired with Miuccia who is insightful, wry and so fully and strongly nothing but herself, moreso than any other designer. It was a divine match, and created beautiful beautiful pieces.

(Click to see the whole mural, it's enormous!)

Propoganda || Graphic Design Roll

Here's an overview of some of the graphic design/layout work that I've created over the past few months.

Course Offerings poster for the Tech Department. Created the header using toxiclibs' Grey-Scott diffusion algorithm using the text as a seed. Unfortunately, it turned out much less legible than I hoped, but still makes an excellent background graphic, and lends the tech department subtle, but much needed nerd street cred. I actually wrote more about the process for this one on my portfolio page, so go check it out!

 

snaaaakes!

Here's a silly sketch I wrote in order to better understand how to simulate snake movement. I was basically trying to white room the flagellum project by jared tarbell. I actually wanted this sketch to be the basis for the generative jewelry post below, but I couldn't get it working well enough in 3D for the deadline. (Unlike the flocking particles, which just leave trails of mesh, I wanted the snakes to actually BE meshes that I could just freeze at any time, to create forms like in the medusa paintings). I definitely want to keep exploring with it, but until then feel free to play around

(I can’t get this to embed for some reason, but you can play around with the app here. Its actually very entertaining)

More Flocking || Generative jewelry and simulated systems

A quick generative systems project for studio, generating jewelry that can be 3D printed from my flocking simulation.

Each particle becomes a volume "brush", leaving a physical mesh behind it instead of these pretty trails. By constraining the system to different forms, and adding various resists, I was able to develop some completely unwearable, yet very cool rings/bracelets.

If you're interested in hearing my ramble about the design process, check out the longer post I wrote at the interactive art + computational design blog

Feather Head

I recently helped my friend Su Min out with her senior art project by modelling one of her amazing styling creations for a video she's making. Overcome with excitement and vanity I couldn't help but snap a few pictures while she was doing the other models.

The most beautiful part is how the feathers move on your face when you change your facial expression. Check out her other concepts and the video she did of herself here

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Musing :: daily tumblr inspirations

I will admit, I am an image hoarder. I like having the tangible evidence of my hours of internet prowling, and often use them as a source of inspiration for my work. I've gotten a few requests to share my stash, so I decided to make a tumblr in order to display them (and also for some easier navigation for me! D:). Thanks to honestlywtf for the most excellent idea.

How to sew a sheer maxi skirt like a COMPUTER SCIENTIST

In this post, I will endeavor to inform you how to sew your own sheer maxi a la Jill Sander and whatnot like the true computer scientist you are.

Because you will most certainly need one of these babies while you are spending your Friday night bathed in florescent light, staring deeply into your screen.

Oh look, an apathetic coder TRANSFORMED by a quick two hour diy.

DIY Shibori

5 fruit of the loom catastrophes later, and I think I have the hang of shibori, or the slightly classier tie-dye. The techniques used from left to right were vertical Arashi(pole wrapping), Itajime (binding, in this case square accordion folds between two pieces of cardboard), horizontal Arashi, Kanoko (bound resist, in this case with marbles), and a simple Ombre. Yeaaaah Spring Break! I love to opportunity to accumulate awesome, yet completely irrelevant skill-sets.

I'll post more in depth tutorial pics when I do the real thing on some nicer fabrics

up and at'em

So with only 2 more super stressful all-nighters left, full of incredibly exciting computer cache simulations and database managing, before spring break (which I'm determined not to spend just sleeping) here's what I'm hoping to actually get done

1.) The awesome girls at HonestlyWTF have some of the coolest/most beautifully documented DIY projects I've seen in a while (check out this one for recreating some Proenza Schouler chunky rock-climbing bling) which I am itching to try.


2.) Work on my line for lunar gala, the student run fashion show here at Carnegie Mellon. Since my sewing have been used for nothing except to gather dust, I'm focusing on the idea of simple clean forms delineated by beautiful juxtaposed patterns, like an Utamaro woodblock print. Since this is going to be a one off thing (never meant to be sold or worn really ), I'm definitely approaching the whole experience as designing a meticulous performance art piece. I'm very excited to experiment with handpainting/dying fabrics and combining various digital fabrication techniques, like laser cutting illustrations into leather and 3d printing elements(furthering my work with Pauldron and what is still the favorite ring I own). I'm tentatively envisioning indigo shibori and the leather being unifying elements,  but I'll play with it over break and post some pictures of the results.

what i'm thinking of for texture palate images via here

3.) And lastly develop a new project for studio of which I have yet to decide! But I ultimately hope can be incorporated into the line :) The overarching concept for the class is "generative form/simulations". Since I've already done particle work for the last two projects, I really want to work with generative form/physical output.

I really like the idea of “art” that you can wear, since they then they live this whole other life past the actual “generative” making, developing their own wear, tear, and personality with the owner which is sort of another generative process in its own right.

After seeing some amazing pieces by Sandra Backlund

 I was thinking about generative knitwear (wouldn't it be awesome to algorithmically create forms like these??) but to my immense disappointment the machines that I've found seem to either only be able to handle plain flat knits or circular tubes. Within the deadline I could maybe create half of finished work by hand through an intense bought of masochism.

Other ideas include generative rings, using Toxi's brilliant mesh libraries for processing, or maybe algorithmic embroidery? (computer controlled embroidery machines are significantly cheaper)

Any thoughts/suggestions?