teen fashion designer

It has been a while since a design post, huh? I find because I’m my own worst critic, that I tend to only want to share work with you that I’m 100% happy with, and that is why my design page may look very empty now… I just need a fresh start and to start showing you things that I’ve actually worked on as proper little projects. Alongside this one, I made draft pattern pieces, and A3 final illustrations (which look a lot better than the digital ones actually)… so there’s a lot more to it than what meets the eye!

~ THE INSPIRATION ~

With the designs that I’ve done more recently, I’ve really tried to take inspiration from anything to get my creativity flowing, and this time I took to the underground French caves! We’ve visited a few when we’ve been over and they really are quite fascinating, and full of different shapes and textures. The main inspiration was this weird wavy crevasse that I saw above our heads and it spiralled into lots of different ideas.

My moodboard is rather small but it actually really helped in thinking up the smaller details for my mini design “collection”. I also realised that the stalagmites reminded me of certain shells with their curves and pointed edges. I also discovered a cool method to highlight inspiration by drawing over with white in Photoshop.. I really like the effect!

~ TULLE DRESS ~

The jagged edges from the caves reminded me of the amazing use of raw and jagged tulle, so I drew up a little dress featuring smaller details like messily folded and pleated hemming and drop back that looks like a crevasse it’s self. The idea is that it would be gathered at the waist but fairly loose and full in the skirt. As tulle is so light it would need several layers and a lining to really bring it altogether.

The dark black pleated detailing reminds me of the deep shadows that are created from artificial lighting deep underground. The pleats would be messy and uneven to create that jagged effect.

~ SILK TOP & BURLAP (TWINE) LONG SHORTS ~

For the next “look” in this mini collection, I decided to use silk on top. After connecting the dots between the shells and the cave, I decided to draw up a floaty and boxy silk top that would have looping curves around the neck, arms and hem line to remind me of the inside of a clam or the smooth water that dripped below the ground. There would be covered buttons on the back with a tab opening also, I just didn’t include it in the basic design! 

For the long shorts, they would be a lined pair of raw, burlap material. I call it twine but it’s probably the complete wrong word! They’d hit just on the knee, with the frayed edges almost being a bit of a tickle. The texture and roughness reminds me of the rough cave walls and the big pockets are also a nod to the big drops that plunge into darkness.

What do you think of my cave inspired collection? It’s simple but has a lot of thought in it. Let me know the comments if you’d like to see this style post in the near future!

~ 5TH SEPTEMBER 2015 ~

I can finally announce that my co-branded collection of socks with Dutch brand, Mooi en Lief, will be launching on 5th September 2015! I’m so excited and I hope you are too! Every now and then before the launch, I’ll be teasing you on social media with a bit of a “scratch away” picture which will eventually unveil the collection. Make sure you follow myself, and Mooi en Lief for more updates before the big day! All of our links are below.

We’re also using the hashtag, #MooiEnLiefbyTDP to sort through tweets and messages, so make sure you give me a tweet so I can see that you’re excited. I’m sure there will be lots of goodness in store for you… 🙂 So, erm, yup! I’m sure I’ll talk more about it soon, but I suppose it’s time for the 3 week countdown to begin! Eeeep!

MOOI EN LIEF: Twitter // Facebook // Instagram
TOLLY DOLLY POSH: Twitter // Facebook // Instagram 

Are you excited for the 5th September now? Make sure you mark your calendars! Let’s chat in the comments…

To top off the exciting week of “15 things” blog posts, I have 15 sneak peeks of my collaboration with Mooi en Lief! How exciting?! If you’re still not sure what this is all about, then I suggest you not only click here but also carry on reading… I’m sorry if I’m a little vague and mysterious in this post, but I can’t give away too much! 

1 – INSPIRATION: David Bowie – Oh You Pretty Things (1971)

You will soon realise why exactly this is an inspiration. There are 2 reasons, 1 of them you can probably guess straight away *cough* the decade *cough* but the other one won’t be so clear until the socks are released…

2 - INSPIRATION: Research Moodboard As part of my research into the collection (this was a long while back) I created a moodboard with original ideas, cuttings, swatches, photographs, patterns and all sorts of bits and bobs to share what the collection is really about.
	3 - INSPIRATION: Research Moodboard If you didn't already know, the collection is actually made up of knee high socks, so this is just a small snippet of some original inspiration...
4 - INSPIRATION: Photoshoot A really exciting part of the collection is the photoshoot! We're going to be shooting it soon, so I created another separate moodboard for how I think it should look. It's been really fun putting it together and I can't wait to see the results!
	5 - INSPRATION: Photoshoot Without spoiling it too much, the shoot is going to be quite laid back and have a fun, summery vibe. You'll probably be able to work out why with a few of the other sneak peeks in this post!
6 - IDEAS: Workbook As part of the creation process, I started filling up a humongous workbook (it's really big) and it's been so helpful. It's basically a book which documents the process of creating a collection of socks, from the very first rough ideas to the finished product. Here you can see a little glimpse of very rough branding ideas.
	7 - IDEAS: Workbook Here you can see a sneak peek of an idea for the photoshoot. It's actually quite an interesting process putting ideas together and seeing how things could work out...
8 - COLOURS: Pantone Pens If you don't do fashion design, or general designing, then you may not have heard of Pantone. Pantone are basically the go to designing pens... often designers use them as a starting point for their collections, so you can see a glimpse of the colours which I focused on.
	9 - COLOURS: Sock Swatch Now this is really exciting! Here you can see an actual swatch from an actual sock. How crazy! It really was weird getting the first samples through and being like... "That's MY sock!", so there you go. A sneak peek... oooh, blue!
10 - COLOURS: Sock Swatch Another glimpse into the collection. Black and yellow... that's all I'm saying! ...so crazy right? SO CRAZY. You'll soon be able to buy these babies... eek!
	11 - OTHER BITS & BOBS: Photoshoot Clothes I have to admit going shopping for the photoshoot was pretty fun. Browsing pieces to really emphasis what it's all about is actually harder than you think though. Are you getting excited?
12 - OTHER BITS & BOBS: Photoshoot Clothes Another little snippet of the photoshoot clothes. There are also props too which is another really exciting thing to shop for...
	13 - A FEW WORDS: Tolly Dolly Posh We thought it would be cool to sum up the collection process so far. For me it's been a huge learning curve; I've worked really hard and so have Mooi en Lief themselves. I'm so grateful for the experience and I don't think I will ever forget it. It's getting so exciting now... eep!
14 - A FEW WORDS: Jacquelina Deerenberg (Mooi en Lief) I like to talk face to face: explaining myself and understanding the other person better. Tolly and I had to work together from a distance which went better than I expected. We have emails which could fill a complete book and I loved that whole journey with her.

15 – LOGO: Mooi en Lief by Tolly Dolly Posh

Dah-dah! How exciting hey?! This is the official #MooiEnLiefbyTDP logo! You may recognise a certain font… yup! That is the font from my old blog design… it kind of just worked seeing as that’s when we started the collaboration. It’s like a mix of both TDP now and then, as well as bit of the boldness of Mooi en Lief. What d’ya think?

🌼 FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE 🌼

Wow-wa-wee-wah. What a day, huh? First a total eclipse happened in Europe (well, I saw a partial eclipse, but it was still pretty epic) and now a fashion design post? I was actually kind of unsure whether to publish these designs because I personally don’t think they’re great… but then I guess we’re all our own worst critics so I thought I’d leave it up to you to decide! They’re not digital which is something new, and that means imperfections like pencil marks and wobbly lines… but hey ho! Here are a few Paris Fashion Week inspired design sketches 🙂 Let me know what you think in the comments, I’d love some feedback!

Red Skater Dress with Sequin Patches & Thigh High Leather Boots…

Over the fashion week period I noticed quite a lot of ‘sexy’ red pieces… yup! Skimpy red mini dresses and plunging neck lines. All very saucy indeed, so I decided to take that and make it my own. A figure hugging skater dress with sequin patches for a hint of glamour. The leather thigh high boots are also quite risqué and feature 2 panels of tight lacing to reveal skin and add to the drama of the look.

Leopard Panel Shirt & Striped Pencil Skirt with Tulle Hem…

I saw quite a bit of leopard print in some of the shows too, specifically at Miu Miu, and it really inspired me for this piece. Combined with another PFW trend of laid-back styles, I think it’s quite a cool combo! The skirt is perfect for tucking the shirt into and compliments the different colour panels. I also spotted hints of tulle down the Parisian runways, hence the cheeky bit of tulle hemming.

Green and Orange Leopard Coat, Mesh and Tulle Skater Dress & Knee High Leather Boots…

Another Miu Miu inspired piece with this green and orange ombre print coat. The bold print is complimented by the sweet style of the collars and fitted arms. Bold buckles fit together at the cuffs for a more structured look. Underneath is a mesh and tulle skater dress for another touch of sauciness. The skirt of the dress is a thick layered tulle in bright yellow; this is also featured on the cuffs of the dress too! A similar pair of leather boots but instead of two panels, just the one laced panel down the front to elongate the wearers legs. What do you think?

High Neck Cape-Top & Striped Mini Skirt with Tulle Hem…

One trend for AW 15/16 that seemed stronger than ever, was the all-black combination. This look is sort of inspired by lots of different shows but now that I look at it, it does sort of remind me of the Chanel show (such a cool show, set in a Parisian style cafe). The cape-top is a structure piece which looks like 2 separate layers. The bold white buttons have tulle detailing on them which joins in the with the skirt. The skirt of which is a striped mini skirt again with the same tulle hemming. The look would be paired with a white box clutch with the same tulle buttons as on the cape-top.

These designs are my own original ideas and I would really appreciate it if you didn’t publish/use these images without permission. Get in touch if you’d like to use them. 

So yup! Do let me know what you think of these… I’ll try to post more designs but as my days get busier (I’m talking Mooi en Lief by Tolly Dolly Posh kinda’ busy) it’s pretty hard to publish them regularly. Anyhow, I shall be back soon.. watch out, it’s a prom post next 😀

WATCH MY ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO HERE TOO!

Today marks a milestone. Today marks the day of another stepping stone reached on my path of goals. I even made a snazzy GIF to go along with it, so it must be jolly important!

I signed a contract. A real deal, fancy wording, several pages long, contract.
At the start of 2014, I wrote in my new diary a few goals just for fun. I had no idea that one of them would come true, not once, but twice; within 7 months. What?!
Goal number one reads, ‘To start doing product collaborations with brands.’

My contract reads, ‘Mooi en Lief by Tolly Dolly Posh’
O_O After a couple of months of working things out and getting things ready, I can finally announce that towards the start of 2015, my very own collection in collaboration with Mooi en Lief will launch! It’s going to be a collection of socks and tights for girls, tweens and teens designed by yours truly, and I’m really, super excited, eee!

Mooi en Lief are a dutch brand who specialise in quirky wellington boots for young children and teens. Their main motto is ‘Dare to be different’, which is something I am all about, so I’m so glad I’m working with a team that have the same line of thought as myself. Ever since I wrote for their lifestyle magazine, they’ve been super supportive of me and it seems like we both can’t wait to get started!

I would like to say a massive thank you not only to Jacquelina at Mooi en Lief, but also to all the people that read my blog! If you guys didn’t read this little site, then these cool people wouldn’t be able to help make me achieve these goals and ambitions. I really hope you can come along on this new journey with me and will be ready and waiting to buy the first pairs! …that’s it I guess! Eee! Like what?! Crazy, heh?! 😀

WANT MORE INFO? HERE’S THE PRESS RELEASE

Does anybody remember this post where I did a Lazy Oaf inspired design collection? No? Well check it out before you carry on with this one… what I really mean is, today I have a very similar one! It’s the exact same sort of thing but instead of Lazy Oaf, we have Liberty London! Again… don’t get too excited, I’m not working with Liberty… although I really wish I was *sigh* Please Liberty, do not steal my ideas, or any other brand or person… would make me happy! If you want to be super super awesome, then you can tweet this post and who knows, Liberty might just see it!

I couldn’t do this blog post without a bit of inspiration, so here a few pictures of previous collaborations in which Liberty have done! My favourite collaboration is probably the ones they do with Nike, and of course that collaboration they did with Dr Martens. With my designs I obviously had to do a print because Liberty basically means ‘print’ in the language of fashion. I also love the Vans collaboration as it was so bright and colourful. I wanted to definitely make sure that I infused my love of colour into the collection I made, and I hope I did it justice!

Hot Pink & Bright Blue Floral Print 2 Piece (left) and Hot Pink Kimono Dress with Cutouts (right):

For the collection I needed to make sure that I included classic pieces but also incorporated fun elements that I would wear. I absolutely love two pieces at the moment, especially with a cropped top and long puffy skirt. I honestly want this to be made for me. As soon as I can, I’m going to get that fabric printed and make it up! I created the print by doing a water colour doodle and then making it a bit brighter on Photoshop! I really love the way it came out actually, and even though it’s not Liberty print standards, I think it is still nice and quirky. I’m also loving floaty dresses, and this ‘Kimono Dress’ is sooo pretty in my opinion! It would be a light floaty fabric, maybe a crepe sort of style. It would have cut outs around the waist and sleeve for a little something something!

White & Neon Mustard Floral Two Piece (Mini Shirt & Skirt – left) and Green Floral Bomber Jacket, Jeans & Taupe T-Shirt (right):

Ah my days! I probably sound really big headed, but I’m really annoyed I did these designs because I love them SO SO much! I think the white and neon mustard colour combination is so gorgeous! I love how the blue pops against both of them, and the style of the shirt is just perfect. For the other look, it is definitely more casual. I think a bomber jacket is such a nice casual way to look sporty, because it isn’t too much. The jeans would be a skinny boyfriend hybrid, so a bit chunky, but not too chunky that they look silly on some people, and skinny enough that they are perfect for all seasons.

Catwalk Song: Movement – Feel Real
Models: Suvi Koponen, Vanessa Axente, Anais Mali & Tilda Lindstam

I hope you liked this post! I am actually pretty proud of the outcome of this! I am definitely going to try and do more of these posts, it’s just they take a bit more time than any other!
Don’t forget you can nominate my blog as Best Teen Style Blog here, which would make me very happy!

Howdy! It has been yonks since I last did a design post and I know you guys love them, so sorry! These posts do take a lot longer to create than other posts so that is why there was a delay, but here I am now! This collection is partly inspired by my Appliqué post and also some of the collections from London Fashion Week.

Purple Halter Neck Dress with Appliqué & Bead Detailing (left) and Batwing Top and oversized Hareem Trousers with Bead Detailing (right):

On the catwalk this LFW, I saw a lot of halter necks, so this dress is definitely inspired by some of the collections. I also saw a lot of symmetrical detailing, so the appliqué on this dress is also inspired by LFW. I think the symmetrical detailing is actually quite flattering to the figure too! Another thing I picked up from the shows were the ‘Chanel-esque’ bead detailing on neck line and hems, so I added that to the neck of this dress. The top and bottom on the right are inspired by the bagginess of some collections I saw. The slouchy fit and pyjama type style is something I wanted to come across, but also with a bit of detailing and appliqué. The fabric would be a jersey fabric so comfort would be key. Knitted Turtle Neck Dress with Appliqué Detail & Blue Leather Bomber Jacket (left) and Blue Vest with Mixed Blue Panel Skirt & Sheer Cape with Appliqué Detail (right):

 I really liked the use of pastels for A/W 15′ so I thought I would interoperate that into these designs. The knitted dress would be a soft knit, with a pink appliqué ‘sport’ detailing like a number. The bomber jacket would be quite vintage looking in a nice blue but with darker blue detailing on pockets and zips. Retro, but with a modern twist. The other design is inspired by a lot of panelling I noticed. This skirt is very flattering and the mix of blue colour makes the movement of the skirt look awesome! The cape would be sheer with 3D flowers as again, they were all of the catwalks.

I hope you liked this short but sweet blog post! I’m going to start to learn a lot more fashion-y things soon so hopefully these posts should start to improve! But for now, enjoy!

Hello! I’m really excited about this blog post! Don’t get too excited, I’m not working with Lazy Oaf (…although, I wish I was!), but I love the brand so I thought it would be cool to create a Lazy Oaf inspired design collection, as if I was collaborating with them. I hope you like them, and if you do, make sure you tweet this, and maybe, just maybe, Lazy Oaf might see it! 😉 Oh, and Lazy Oaf (or anyone else), please do NOT pinch any of my ideas! Please! 😉

I thought it would be nice to do a sort of mood board so you can see what feel I was going for. Lazy Oaf are like the God of funky prints, modern pop art, food on clothing and just anything awesome. I wanted to take their love of prints, and also their love of shirts and combine them in my own way. My first thoughts were ice cream, and I wanted to do 4 seasons of ice cream. The classic ice cream and Flake would be for Spring, the melting lollipop for Summer, a pumpkin ice cream for Autumn and the ice cream stuck on a tongue for Winter. Unfortunately I had to go with the 3 seasons of ice cream because the Autumn one didn’t work out so well, but none the less I hope you like my little ideas!

Spring/Summer (Ice Cream): Pastel Pink Ice Cream Print Crop Top & Pastel Pink and Blue Ice Cream Print Spot ‘Skort’ with Pom-Pom Trimming 
I really like this because the pastel colours just add that perfect base for all things Spring. I also love how they are quite subtle, but they bring both the top and ‘skort’ to life. The top would be cropped with short sleeves and a high neck line, giving it that 90s, retro feel, which I think Lazy Oaf are all about. The ‘skort’ would have a pom-pom trim which just adds that little bit more texture and layers to the piece, and I think that is what Lazy Oaf often do. I think you could make some really nice outfits from these pieces, whether you like pink, or you just love anything retro! I also love how the ‘skort’ could be used as a piece of beachwear.

Autumn/Winter (Frozen Tongue – left): Green and Blue Tie Dye Blouse and Skirt with Frozen Togue Print. Spring/Summer (Ice Cream – right): Charcoal Black Polo Neck Top and High Waisted Skater Skirt with Ice Cream Print 
These are my two favourite designs because I think they are classic Lazy Oaf. I love how on the blouse and skirt (left), the Frozen Tongue print just pops against the green and blue tie dye. As I said, Lazy Oaf love using shirts with prints, so I had to include one, and I think this one is perfect, and because it has the green in there, it really fits in with the A/W feel. You could pair the two together, or you could wear it is separately, which I think any collection needs to offer. With the top and skirt (right), I think they would be perfect for all seasons because you could easily layer them, and the ice cream print again, just adds that perfect extra boost for a new layer and dimension.

Autumn/Winter Menswear (‘I Scream’): Charcoal Black and White Top with Lazy Oaf in Pink and I Scream Text & Charcoal Black Beanie Hat with Embroidered Melting Ice Lolly and I Scream Text 
I think I had to include some menswear in this mini design collection, because the Lazy Oaf guys are ‘stylish’ haha! I think that these pieces are very ‘Lazy Oaf Guy’-ish (lol)! The top would have Lazy Oaf on the front filled in with the Frozen Tongue print, and would have patches of ‘I Scream’ text on the hem and sleeves. The beanie would have embroidered ‘I Scream’ text and the 2 embroidered Melting Lollies, which I think is a nice contrast between Summer and Winter.

I hope you liked this little design collection, and if you did, please please please leave a comment, or tweet it because wouldn’t it be fabulous if Lazy Oaf saw it?! Urmm.. yes! Thank You 😀

”Honey, I’m home!” – Okay, maybe not ‘honey’ but, yes, I am back! The trip was really nice, fun and exciting (shopping, and new born baby cuddles, what more could you want?), but sadly I am back 🙁 I have a cold, and I miss my sister a lot. But, to get things started again, I’m here with teen a/w fashion design collection! Please excuse any abnormal legs in this collection… aha!

Mixed Knit Pinafore Dress and White Blouse (left) & ‘Can U Not’ Marl Sweater and Paisley Print Mixed Denim Jeans (right):

I feel like this dress (left) is a mix between an old man’s sweater (lol), and a waitress’s dress (weird…) but someone how I think it looks pretty cool. I would hopefully make the top part of the dress a knitted part, and then the scalloped skirt either a jersey material, or a chiffon material, I cannot decide! I would also make the top part detachable, because I hate it when the skirt part of a dress is also nice on it’s own! The blouse would be an ordinary white blouse, but with some nice floral buttons. The ‘sweater’ on the right, would be a nice marl fabric, with soft fluffy lining. On the front it has ‘Can U Not’ (one of my favourite sayings at the moment) in a pastel pink colour. As you can see, the shoulders have a blue detailing, which would have a ? (question mark) print. The jeans are a mixed denim paisley print skinny jean. I would want them to be quite skinny, but comfortable so they would fit most teens.

Blue and Grey Hooded Blazer/Jumper, Pastel Blue Blouse and ‘Soundwave’ Print Tube Skirt (left) & Red Chiffon Vest and Deep Red Checked ‘Party’ Skater Skirt (right):

I thought of a jacket which would be perfect for teens, whether it was for just casual use, or for at school (if you don’t have to wear uniform that is), and I made up the perfect of pieces! It’s basically a jersey material blazer, with hood, and a thicker lining, so it keeps the comfort of a hoody, but style of a casual blazer, all in one. The skirt is a tube style, so it comes just to the knee, and the blouse, again is just a plain one, but with the collar in a lighter blue than the shirt itself. The vest on the right, is one of those chiffon-y, lightweight, floaty ones, with skinny straps. The skirt would be a nice thick, but easy wear, skater style, in  a deep red check, to go along with the A/W trends.

I feel like all these designs are very teen appropriate. What do you think? Make sure to leave me a comment down below! Also check out my previous designs here.

**Make sure to check out Let’s See, the awesome photography blog, which I absolutely 100% honestly love! (This is a sponsored link)**