The Comparative Shop #12

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This weeks print comparative shop features nothing but prints from Zara's new woman collection. As you might be able to tell from this post and the previous post I currently have a huge obsession with Zara. 

I'm currently planning a floral themed collection so am already looking for inspiration. This printed Zara dress (1) caught my eye and I was interested in the way the florals were drawn and laid out. I wasn't so drawn in to the colours but they hit the 70's theme spot on. The print is so well conceived in terms of scale, placement and repeat.

The paisley blouse (2) is nothing but visually stunning and something I would love to have in my wardrobe. I'm not ashamed to admit I was staring at this print on the website for quite a while trying to take in the beauty of it and wondering how the print was created. It's such an easy style of handwriting and seems so fresh for Zara in comparison to a few heavy repeats I've seen. Yes, they have done paisley before but I think it is the colours and the white base that makes this blouse seem so new. It is interesting how some of the shapes/elements are coloured in, but some just have an edge of colour and overall gives the print a good balance. 

It has been a while since I have been drawn in to looking at bottoms rather than tops but, after seeing these floral trousers (3), I knew they had to make the list. What drew me in was the block colour leaves and then I noticed the colour in the florals and on some of the leaves which made it even more interesting. Overall, I just like the movement and flow of the print which work and make the trousers a perfect day/night garment. 

Tiles ... a print I don't normally feature on TCS (I actually don't think tiles have ever made it on the list). I want and need this t-shirt. The colours, the print mix and the red sleeves and back are gorgeous and so beautifully curated and put together. Pretty much everything I can say about this garment.

What is your favourite this week?

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Let's Talk Fabric | Zara TRF New Collection

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Middle // 1 | 2 | 3

Bottom // 1 | 2 | 3  

Zara, Zara, Zara. Oh how I am in love with this store at the moment. Firstly, their prints are on point with the latest trends. Secondly, if anyone is doing the 70s theme right this coming season it is Zara. And, thirdly, their fabric is to die for! On a recent trip to Zara to collect print inspiration I got more inspired by the fabric, its quality and its colours. 

The new TRF collection features - lace, denim, cotton, ribbed knits, suede, velvet, polyester, viscose, wool and faux fur. Not only are the fabrics soft to touch and dyed or woven in seasonal colours but they are cut beautifully. That wool coat (B2) for instance is coat perfection and the perfect autumn accessory. Denim comes in soft cottons that are frayed at the seams to give a natural, worn look (T2 & M2). Everything feels very oversized and boxy but fresh and exciting for the new Autunm season ahead that can be layered going in to the Winter season with messy hair, plaits and simplistic make up. I mean, who doesn't want to look like a Zara model with the clothes, hair and make-up!?

The collection as a whole makes me wish I could shop in Zara more, I think they are the main high street store easily translating catwalk trends and colours at the moment but still keeping to that Zara look and catering to the Zara customer. I seriously want to rave about these fabrics and looks!

What is your favourite? How would you wear these pieces?

All images copyright of Zara.

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The Folk Edit

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Due to the fact that I am currently being inspired by the Valentino Spring/Summer 2015 collection my eye is constantly on the lookout for high street inspiration and my brain on colour overdrive. On a recent wonder around the stores in the city I was suddenly hit by a wave of inspiration by the new collection at Warehouse. The red 70's inspire floral t-shirt (1) immediately made me think of the Valentino collection, with the mix of reds, blacks and creams along side the mirror repeat and swirls. Looking around the store I started to see more inspiration in the style of the boarder floral cami's (2/3) that have intricate details and a mixture of shapes and lines with contrasted accent colours. After searching for the collection online I found the prints were also on dresses, with a little more detail to them and changes of placement and repeats. 

I like how the designers have taken a more intricate approach to the lines and elements that build up but still make use of space, scale and colours. The colours are really inspiring which is great because I am still working on the colours in my designs. 

What is your favourite piece from the new Warehouse collection?

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Colour Crush #2

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July was a mix of hectic work hours, freelancing and a holiday without my laptop so there was no colour crush. And if I'm a little honest I still loved the Burnt Orange colour that I loved back in June (I'm still raving about it at work).

The month of August for me is all about MARSALA - Pantone Colour of the Year 2015 and featured in their top 10 colours for womens and mens this fall. I love dark colours slightly more than pretty pastels and prefer to wear them, so the first thing on my wish list is to seek out a jumper in this colour like the one Tibi put down its runway. This "blood brown" colour was also seen on the runways of Tommy Hilfiger, Tory Burch, Emilio Pucci and many others.

Marsala is a hue that works really well with skin tones so it is going to be very popular in the beauty industry, whether it be a highlight for the cheeks or a captivating colour for your nails such as Essie's Bordeaux colour (a nail varnish I must have in my collection). 

Another way to wear this colour is in outwear as marsala defines sophistication and gives a glamorous touch to your winter wardrobe. ASOS have already shocked this colour in their Skater Coat that features a fur hood and buckles and Topshop have made the colour a base for jumpsuits and dresses so you can wear it on a night out or a posh meal. 

Marsala can also work for interiors with Pinterest full of velvet chairs, bathroom walls and plush sofas all working with printed accessories or some copper. I loved this Victorian wallpaper from Designer Wallcoverings that is flocked and tone on tone. 

How will you wear Marsala this winter?

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The Comparative Shop #11

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There is a bit of light vs dark colourway going on in this weeks TCS! I've not had much time to go to the shops between working and freelancing so I've spend a chunk of my time searching the internet.

H&M are at 1 and 3 because this store is making my head go in to "I love" overdrive with their prints and colours at the moment. They have such a variety of prints but they all fit in to the H&M handwriting that we have seen so much of this past couple of seasons. The dress (1) was in the window of my local store and stopped me in my tracks. I love the contrast of dark and light colours which is achieved due to the simplicity of space around the elements. This is perfect to wear for a night out or a day trip with a boots/bag combo.

I never normally go in to Warehouse but whilst enjoying a morning shop around on my day off I thought I would pop in and see what prints they had in. I think Warehouse do florals amazingly well and have a classic approach when it comes to colours and fabrics. This floral print (2) also comes in a dress and caught my eye as soon as I went in to the shop. It has a hand drawn, water-colour effect which is very "me" when it comes to florals. The dress is a great little catch for any summer wedding or party and the top would work well for a day/work outfit. And now I just want to draw florals all day.

The dress from H&M (3) had that Valentino, Etro, folksy vibe to it which I am starting to see a lot now. Like the last TCS that featured mirror repeats this fits in to the trend of mirror repeats I keep on seeing. Repeats this season, I feel, have been more simplistic (with mirror, half drop and straight repeats) and the amount of work in to the elements or shapes have been more important and shifted the balance. 

Whilst browsing around the Topshop website I was originally looking for my Autumn coat (summer is slowly disappearing) but couldn't help spotting this William Morris style shirt (4) that has a real vintage feel to it. I'm really in to orange at the moment (it was my colour crush back in June) so I am guessing that was another reason I spotted it. Topshop have paid a good attention to detail to with the black piping which adds that accent colour. The feel of the lines is a really relaxed, hand drawn one that is overall quite sketchy and the print is not an overly complicated one.

Which is your favourite this week? And what is your colour crush of the moment?

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Editorial Inspiration

My current freelance work is taking a lot of inspiration from the Valentino Spring Summer 2015 collection (see previous post) which is quite exciting now I've got my head around the drawing and technical issues I had creating the collection. The colours are gorgeous with dark blues, greens, reds and mustards. Primary colours in a more attractive manner.

The motifs are quite folky which means searching Pinterest for inspiration and then losing three hours due to how addictive it the site can be (of course I go of route to cute other things). I sometimes find that searching for editorials from the runway collection I am working on helps bring the mood together and I have come across the visually stunning and well put together editorial for the Valentino SS15 collection my Michal Pudelka. The clothes speak so loudly in the photos, nothing "fancy" needs to be done to make the garments stand out. It helps to see how the different repeat or placement patterns stand together and the contrast between them blend well together. I'm always pinning but to check out what all things folky I am looking at, follow me on Pinterest.

See the full editorial here.

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New Theme | Freelancing

(Source: Vogue UK)

After a little break from freelancing it's time to get back in to it and create as many design groups as I can before Premiere Vision. My last collection was a William Morris inspired one and this new collection is also based around the idea of his work, but more inspired by the Valentino Spring Summer 2015 runway collection. I achieved a good outcome with the last group and I'm very excited about this new theme. Of course, I'm a little wary and scared as I always feel about taking on a theme I haven't experimented with before. I have a constant look in my head of how I want the designs to look and try not to feel disappointed when the outcomes don't match the ideal look in my head. But, overall, it's about experimenting and testing myself and my design skills. There is always something to learn from designing a collection and to use those for future themes. 

So, lets get designing... 

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The Comparative Shop #10

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Well, it certainly has been a long time since my last comparative shop. Life can definitely get in the way of blogging sometimes. But this week its a Topshop overdose of mirror repeat prints in a gorgeous array of colours from pinks, reds, blues and greens.

For me, Topshop hit the nail on the head when it comes to intricate prints with curves, layers and multiple colour ways. I love how they take one print and utilise it on a variety of garment shapes and cuts. They seem to be not afraid to experiment with colours, scales and compositions. 

My eye seems to have been drawn to their mirror repeats of recent, especially the William Morris inspired sleeveless duster jacket (1). I tried this on in store and its a perfect, drapey jacket to go with jeans, pumps or heels and a plain 3/4 or capped sleeve top. The colours are so warming and ideal for the transition from summer to autumn. 

The deep blue complements the pink base on this playsuit (2) and the contrast of the sleeves makes it all that more exciting. Pretty, but daring! The floral v-neck cami is full of deep reds and dark oranges with the accents of white and green. It's a floral / fauna / tile print mix up that is visually exciting and perfect to wear with jeans and sandals this summer and with jeans, boots and a cardigan this autumn.

This pretty floral dress caught my eye away due to the William Morris style handwriting of the print and juxtaposition of soft, flowing lines with placed florals. The side ties at the daring side to a girly dress. A perfect holiday dress if you ask me!

What was your favourite this week?

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Resort 2016 | Issey Miyake

(Sources 1 | 2)

I'm not a huge fan of tropicals and tend to avoid them in my own work and in my wardrobe, but when I saw Issey Miyake's Resort collection I begun to like tropical prints that little bit more.

The colours used are what draw me in the most with lush trend and burning reds and pinks. The blend of tropical greens with earthy blues are a perfect combination against the softer greys and whites. The creative director, Yoshiyuki Miyamae, and the team have combined visits of tropics amazingly well and even experimented with its 3-D stretch technology (which I am to get my head around still) that is visually stunning on the outerwear pieces. 

Textile technology and print at its best!

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Resort 2016 | Stella McCartney

(Sources 1 | 2)

I've finally started my Resort catch up sessions and am picking out my favourite colours, prints and style combinations (you can follow what I'm inspired by over on my Pinterest).
Stella McCartney is the first show I've managed to power through and as always I was inspired by the florals. I love the relaxed large scale florals she has done in soft pinks and oranges that sit perfectly with the flatter flowers which remind me of flower pressing. Her theme of Cuba comes through easily in the garment shapes that are modelled perfectly and makes this simple collection come to life through the cut, shape and material.

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