Designer inspiration; Stephane Rolland and Alexandre Vauthier.

So the third and final year is well on its way. I have to say it is the quickest and most presure project I have done throughout my degree.

For any future textile or fashion designers that are going onto Colchester School of Art; this is when you need to pull your finger out. Me and most of the students in my group are coming in every day even though we only have a structured class once a week; as you learn that every day is precious and the closer it gets to the deadline the more you have to fit in to each day to make it worth wile.

So for the first couple of weeks I needed to work out what on earth I am doing; what my theme is and the base of the collection, my colour palette, my market, work on a mood board and start designing garment ideas. Throughout this process I was researching designers and the latest collections when I came across a couple of designers that I hadn’t overly heard of but fell in love with their collections.

I will also make this point of buying expensive magazines or trend books even though I know they are sooo…. expensive and you grudge paying it-bit I have found it is really worth it as they have some amazing images and can help you plan to know if you are heading in the right way with trends and colours. This is where I found these designers in a magazine bought from Selfridges in London at the cost of £15 although it had all the couture spring/summer collections shown at Paris Fashion Week.

Stephane Rolland is a French designer who shows at Paris Fashion Week and who I fell in love with his 2013 spring/summer collection. His collection was clean cut and although elements of tailoring with lapels and stand up collars the overall feel was a beautiful flowing, feminine collection that consisted of long straight dresses and fitted fish tails. Fabrics included where what appeared as heavy although possibly cut on the bias as they flowed wonderfully and detailing on trains and hems such as feathers and beading. I thought the collection looked so pure and striking as if every part had been made to perfection. It was clean cut and I feel the fabric and colour helped to portray this clean cut effect.

 

  

 

Stephane Rolland 2013 spring/summer collection.

Another collection that has had an impact on me and I recognized it instantly as a collection I would love to take influence from was Alexander Vauthier. His 2013 spring/summer collection included tailoring in jackets and trousers but also drapery in tops and dresses. The overall feel was sophisticated, using black throughout the collection made it more powerful and including different textures of fabric made it stand out. Matt fabrics such as structured woollen fabrics and leather contrasted against softer fabric such as sheer, chiffon types and sequined shinny fabrics giving the collection a depth.

   

 

Alexandre Vaulthiers 2013 spring/summer collection.

I feel that both of these collections have what I was originally looking for which was the contrast and looking deeper than that the schizophrenic change between the feminine and airy against the heavily constructed and dramatic pieces. This is also linked to my colour palette of only black and white-which can be perceived as good vs. bad or heaven vs. hell which can link into my schizo/ two faced theme of the collection.