As I enjoy and soak up the next 7 days I have off (which will go by too quickly) till I start my wardrobe gig, here are few things that I will indulge in and have also been a bright light in my world. Maybe they might brighten your world as well.
I've been test-driving this album on Spotify for like a week and I can't get some of the songs out of my head. As of today, I will actually buy the album, so yes, its that good. She's a British soul singer and she reminds me of Adele, but stronger. Where Adele tends to have some very sentimental sad songs, (which can be very nice) Russell's songs have a lot of sass and attitude in her soul music and her music tends to be slightly upbeat. But I do love me some sass! Sing it girl!
* I highly recommend the songs: "To Dust" and "Heartbreaker".
2) "Felicity"-The TV Show
I've somehow found my way to this J.J. Abrams show years later. I use to watch this show obsessively when it first came out. Now that Felicity is on Netflix, I find myself watching this show and laughing and finding how cute it is now that I'm an adult. Looking back on it, I find it to be a really sweet show and I forgot how much I was torn about how should she choose to be a doctor or an artist, should she pick Ben or Noel? Ahhh the conundrums of a Twenty-something.
3 "Hemlock Grove"-Netflix TV Series
This show kind of crept up on me. It kind of reminds me of True Blood meets Twin Peaks meets Twilight. It deals with Werewolves, possible Vampires, Gypsies and of course it has Famke Janssen and I usually enjoy anything she does, plus she's pretty to look at and she has a fabulous little wardrobe. I hope to look that good when I'm in my 40's, you know what I'm saying?!
The show at times can be a little be creepy, but not too much. Warning: don't watch this if you can't stomach drops in eyes and rotting corpses.
The whole first season is streaming on Netflix right now.
Right now, this week to be specific, I am in design mode for The River. A majority of my characters are all sketched out, they are just awaiting their color to be applied and to give them life. Color renderings are always a fun part of the design process.
However, I am still stumped with one character and I am becoming a mad woman to try and figure out what this character would look like. I have ideas, research and starting points, but its like when you have something to say and its on the tip of your tongue and you can't remember it. I will know it when I see it though!
In order to help give the muses a kick-start I've been pouring fashion magazines. No luck...so far. I've also discovered that You Tube is a vault of fashion shows, so I've been obsessively watching everyone's Spring/Summer 2013 collections for inspiration triggers as well. I forgot how much I love watching fashions show, because at one time, I did want to be come a fashion designer...but life had other plans for me, costume design for theatre.
It just so happens that everything that makes me happy right now revolves around the fashion world, which takes me back to my roots of why I became interested in designing clothing and then costumes in present day. In a search of inspiration to help motivate me I stepped into a fashion vortex this week, which is quite alright with me.
So, here are some things that make me extremely happy right now...go check them out!
*Chanel's Spring-Summer 2013 Haute Couture Show. I'm a fan of Chanel as well as Karl Lagerfeld (current designer for Chanel) after watching the documentary "Lagerfeld Confidential" a few years back. Amazing and intriguing if you like fashion. So I know anything he designs is fabulous.
I don't know why, but I love this fashion show. I love how Lagerfeld likes to show his collections in the Grand Palais in Paris most of the time, a beautiful building. I'm feeling the lace legging boots A LOT, I'm feeling the little feathery things in the models hair, I just love all the clothes and the whole ambience. I know, its a little out there for most people, but I enjoy it.
* Gucci Spring/Summer 2013 Pret-A-Porter (Ready To Wear) Woman. I am ALL ABOUT COLOR in my wardrobe right now and this show sealed the deal. I think I love almost every piece in this show, especially the clothing in Blue, Turquoise and Green.
* "Bill Cunningham New York" I saw this documentary over the weekend and it is a beautiful movie that captures love for fashion and clothing in a very pure way. The documentary is about 83-year-old fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham, who takes fashion photos on the streets of New York of every day people and on the fashion runways for the New York Times Style Section.
How Bill is so passionate about his photography and clothing was a reminder of how I use to feel when I first started designing, the film is a welcome and amazing kick-my-pants reminder of why I love designing.
Watch it. It will make you feel good and shed a few tears...I know I did.
* "A Man's Story", which is another fashion documentary, this time on English Men's designer, Oswald Boateng. I had never even heard of this designer until I saw this film, who knew? But he is making a name for English men's tailoring on Savile Row and I would love to see his shop the next time I make it to London.
The documentary covers the span of 12 years and shows the highs and lows of personal and professional markers in his life. You can even see how Boateng's style changes and gets cleaner and more precise with time. I just enjoy seeing his energy, passion for menswear, his love for color and detail. This film makes me enjoy menswear even more! Loved this!
I think I found a new hobby in participating in the projects that Art House Co-Op puts on. I know, amidst designing a show and finishing a thesis, do I really have time to do other projects? But, these projects are fun and its something to do for myself it makes me happy. I always have time for things that make me happy, as we all should.
This time, I am sending a little bit of love to a perfect stranger in the form of "Love Note Swap"...and in return, I will get a little bit of love back, of course in the act of doing this and a bonus that someone will send me a card as well.
I think we all need to spread a little more love, regardless if it's a project....go spread some love today!
"Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away." -Elbert Hubbard
Here are just a few things in my life that are making me quite happy lately.
*Mad Men Season Six starting April 7! Oh yeah!!! I'm hoping this new season has more Betty Draper.
Last season they stopped in 1967 and the costumes were very interesting. I can't wait to see what Costume Designer, Janie Bryant has in store.
* Essie Nail Color in "Play Date". I'm trying it out. I'm longing for Spring weather and this color makes me think of Spring.
* Zero Dark Thirty...the movie, directed by Kathryn Bigelow. This film is currently nominated for Best Picture for the Academy Awards. No, it literally doesn't make me happy, because it isn't a happy movie per se. However, I was just in awe of the body of work this film is and what Kathryn Bigelow did with the piece. I can't explain it in words what it is that moved me so much, but it was just a feeling or a stirring inside me that said, I wish more people would see this, it's important.
I think its an amazing and thought provoking film.
