When people hear that I have been taking fashion design courses, they often ask if I’m going to go on Project Runway. My answer is immediate: Ummmm, no. It’s hard enough doing all of that stuff under a deadline for a course, I can’t imagine what it would be like to try to complete an entire garment in 24-48 hours.
But, in honor of the new season of Project Runway, I thought I would show a clip synthesizing the Fall 2010 collections to get us in the mood for some fall sewing. I didn’t find anything I liked. Truth is, I want to look at stuff I could imagine me wearing…not something like the Donna Karan Vogue Pattern I talked about yesterday. (I loved Betty’s comment about it on the Facebook fan page: “It looks like she forgot to sew up the back and decided to just tie up the corners and tuck in the raw edges! No one will notice, right?”). So much of the runway stuff I saw looked completely unwearable in real life. I’m going to go out on a limb and just say it: Just because it is on a runway doesn’t mean that it is fashionable.
So, in desperation, I decided to go to individual designer’s sites to see what I could find. I was rewarded at the Chanel site with the Fall/Winter 2010 Haute Couture collection. While the collection didn’t reflect Vogue Pattern’s Fall Fashion Forecast (PDF File) exactly, the influence was there.
Okay, so why did I like the collection so much? Generally speaking, I loved the silhouettes. I don’t know if it is the influence of my sculptor husband but form is one of the first things I notice (the texture of how light plays with color is the other thing). The silhouettes in this collection are completely wearable or easily adapted for real life. I’m not going to wear a brocade dress to work, but I could see myself wearing that particular shape. There were a lot of flared skirts and sheath dresses. The designs were feminine and timeless and person who is not six feet tall and weighing only 100 pounds could wear them, too.
There are several variations on the sheath with a cropped back-closing jacket (see the maroon photo above). After I had my dissertation defense, I started working on a vintage pattern from the late 40′s with that silhouette to wear to my graduation party. Alas, I ran out of time and bought a cute little party dress. I still like that silhouette but think that with my current bustiness, I’d have to add darts to make it curve under the bust instead of just hanging straight down.
Oh, and before I give you the link (since I can’t find a way to embed the video), I just have to tell you that I hated the clompy boots. It’s bad enough that models stomp their way around the runway but the boots make it worse. I thought for sure some of those girls were going to fall! (And don’t get me started on wanting to brush their hair! *arghh* I’ve turned into my mother!!! *laugh*)
Click here to watch show (approximately 15 minutes)
I think of most of the clothes I see on PR the same way I think of most of the food I see on Food Network: it’s pretty, it looks good, and I’d never make it. But I also think we’re supposed to take inspiration from Haute Couture. What you see on runway shows eventually trickles down in bits and pieces to us mere mortals, LOL!
Now I’m off to look at the Donna Karan post ’cause I like to start my day with a laugh–and I’m curious, too.