PARSONS CHALLENGE: SUSTAINABILITY

For my Parsons Challenge, I decided to skip the physical objects that lay around me unnoticed, and  instead focus on the issues going on in the world right now, funneling them into a medium I could understand: clothes.  Unfortunately, I really wasn't able to find anything that hadn't been shoved in my face by FOX NEWS that I felt could be interesting enough to make something out of.  However, one day I was looking through my friend Hugh McIntyre's clothing line, Something Used--which donates money to special causes for every t-shirt it sells--and came across a shirt that paid to "prevent 1,000 pounds of carbon pollution from ever existing".  Now, I didn't like the shirt (although I bought every other shirt in the collection) but the idea made me research more into his small company.  Turns out he pays off all of the carbon pollution that his shirts create.  This made me think--what effect does fashion have on the current environmental crisis?  That's when I discovered sustainability and with it, my Parsons Challenge.

1. Waste Not (Even when it's really ugly.)

100% Polyester Stretch Satin, 100% Polyester Print Organza

In the process of attempting to redecorate our house, my mother went looking to replace the white lace curtains in our living room in order to find something to match our new couch.  Unfortunately, these were two of the fabrics she bought.  After I convinced her that neither of these were attractive choices, she finally gave up on the idea and kept the white curtains.  Personally, I think the white curtains are very pretty.  Either way, we ended up with several hideously ugly sets of curtains.  But instead of throwing them in the trash, I figured I could make clothes out of them--after all, fashion seems pretty obsessed with ugly prints, lately.  So I whipped this up over the summer, and upon choosing sustainability for my Parsons Challenge topic, I realized that this could fit in really well.  I draped this on a form with my friend Erica's measurements in mind, and found that these two fabrics really made me think of Renaissance era gowns when I put them together--contrasting the ugliness that they had as separates.

2. Paper or Plastic? (No, really.)

Plastic bagging, 100% recycled paper, paper shopping bag, 100% organic cotton linen shirt(not my creation)

When I was a freshman in high school, I used to work at my local supermarket as a bag boy, and probably asked "Paper or plastic?" somewhere in the realm of an infinite number of times.  After asking, I'd occasionally strike up a conversation about how paper was better for the environment, and the customer and I would complain about how plastic bags had no real purpose after they were used.  Except to pollute the environment, that is.  I quit the supermarket at the beginning of my sophomore year, and never gave the issue much thought afterwards, until I started working at Gap during my senior year.  One day, I was ringing a customer up, and she said she wanted a plastic bag, and I asked "Even though paper is better for the environment?"  She then proceeded to explain how supermarkets had begun setting up bins for plastic bags to be recycled, and, after confirming this myself with a rare sojourn to the market, I started to wonder--now which is more environmentally friendly?  This skirt-suit is my question, just in fashion form.

3. Go Green: EXTREEME

Pine needles, Bodice and skirt support made from old, recycled t-shirts (tank-top model's own)

Okay, yes, I spelled "extreme" incorrectly, but I figured that the fact that the skirt on my dress (pictured here) is made of pine needles would make it some sort of rather adorable pun.  Anyway, when I started thinking about my last challenge garment, I decided I wanted to do something actually using a plant to represent eco-friendly fabric.  However, I also wanted to keep in mind the need to remain fabulous--as several green fabrics are quite dowdy and/or dull, in my opinion--which always means "texture" in my mind. However, then I started thinking about how such a thing would reflect the current economic status of the country; after all, it would have to be affordable and appropriate.  So I thought and thought and thought, and came up with nothing.  So I looked out my window (which I've found helps everything make sense) and found myself staring straight at my pine tree, which was layered like a flapper dress, which I last year learned were popular during the Great Depression era.  I got inspired.

Love ya,

Samuel Joseph Donovan

PARSONS PORTFOLIO

"Aretha the Ornament"

35mm Film Camera

Cocktail Dress

100% Polyester Ombre Duchesse Satin

Fashion Sketch

Graphite Pencil, Ink Pencil, Asstd. Fabrics

Fashion Sketch

Graphite Pencil, Ink Pencil, Asstd. Fabrics

Fashion Sketch

Graphite Pencil, Ink Pencil, Asstd. Fabrics

"Boston Un-Common"

35mm Film Camera

"Smooth as Glass"

35mm Film Camera

"Blooming Burst"

35mm Film Camera

Sheer Tuxedo Wrap

100% Nylon Mesh/ 100% Silk Textured Velvet

"Hugh"

Ink Pen on Paper Sketch

"5 am: Driving Home from Dad's House"

Digital Canon PowerShot 23.2mm

"Dana's Closet"

Spray Painted Pine; 35mm Film Camera, Glass/Metallic beads; 100% Nylon Dresses

How I love these late nights...

So I've officially decided to stay up all night long to finish my plant dress, and then just sleep it all off tomorrow (hey, afterwards I only have one more thing to make, then I shoot them, and I'm DONE). But I've kinda hit a road block--it seems the layers need more support...in others words, they droop. Severely...I may also need to take the thing in few inches, coz it's pretty effing HUGE, and I don't know if it's going to hold itself up against it's own weight!

Oh well...off to sew-land.

Sam

I'm Supposed to be Doing A Spanish Project...

But instead I'm listening to "Rent" and explaining what "grading" is.

Grading is basically sizing a garment. And essentially, to do it, you rotate the pattern piece around a central bust point--the apex of the dart.

Wow, that was shockingly easier than I thought it would be.

Anyways, yesterday Zoe asked me if, for the final collection that each of us is doing, if we would rather do it together, so that it would be more impressive. Now, no offense to Zoe, but when it comes to sewing, I kick her ass. Like, MAJORLY. And what concerns me is that she sort of regards it as a secondary to actual design, which is fine...if you're Vera Wang. Unfortunately, we are rather far from it, and right now, sewing should pretty much be our focus. I mean, Jason Wu PERSONALLY sewed Michelle Obama's inauguration gown, and I mean, it was sewn DAMN WELL. And even though he's kind of a bland designer (it's like Oscar de la Renta without the glamour or the texture...which is basically nothing) he's still madly successful, which is somewhat encouraging to me, since I'm much more focused on finishing and presentation than whimsy and creativity.

Whatever, I'm considering, but I'm having a very difficult time seeing the pros in this, other than if it worked, it would be AMAZING. But I have a damn long list of cons:

-Zoe gets rejected from Parsons and becomes depressed and doesn't want to anymore or is just very difficult to work to with.
-We never have a chance to work on it together.
-I end up doing almost all of the work and Zoe still tries to claim half the credit.
-Zoe and I have hugely conflicting ideas.
-We're too indecisive and get nothing done.

Basically, all of these end in major amounts of passive agression, and a friendship break-up, whilst the former (amazing turnout) results in like, honors.

So conflicted...

Sam

So....Obama Became Prez Yesterday...

So I figured it was time for a blog! Seeing as the last time I wrote one, he had just been elected... This may also be due to the fact that Ms. Becker is just about 25 seconds away from driving a spike through my face for not sleeping last night because I was talking to a melange of gay men, and for also not posting one of these in, oh...7 weeks? So now I'm getting her into trouble. And I feel bad.

Whatever.

Yesterday I went to Sara Campbell, as I do most every Tuesday. I had to park on the street for the second time EVER, and the whole time I was panicking, thinking I was going to walk out to a nice, fat ticket from one of the nice fat police officers who live in the station 50 feet away. But it never happened...so yesterday I helped Kay tape fabric swatches to the line overview, which I LOVE ever since my FIT portfolio... it's kind of masochistic. And that took a good hour or so. After that, I cleaned up the design room while she went...somewhere...and I organized the fabrics while nearly passing out--I've been talking to lots of gay men this week--from exhaustion. But that really is one of my favorite things to do, sorta fabrics, because then I get used to dealing with them, and I'm learning how to classify them. Yesterday I just put a bunch of stretch woven in the knit pile...but that's how I learn, I guess.

I also got to help "design" a skirt and a jacket yesterday! Which basically meant giving my opinion as Kay designed it--something tells me I would not be a very good design influence for the Sara Campbell style. But still, I told her what I thought was off, and basically just agreed with almost everything she said, since she was pretty right...I also suggested that she double a fringe for the bottom of a dress, which she did. It gave me a nice feeling of pride and stuff. Sara was supposed to come up and look at the skirt and jacket (she was downstairs hosting a party for the Cancer Society or something) but she forgot. Kay was kinda upset, but her knee had been feeling better, so I don't think she cared that much. She decided that it would be better for us to just go home than to disrupt Sara's party.

Also, they have the yummy kind of twizzlers in the store now! I'm SO excited.

So yeah...In the past months, they've also taught me how to grade and skirt, and I've helped trace out patterns for overseas production, which was the MOST FUN EVER...both of them, I mean.

I also finished my FIT portfolio since the last time I posted. Kay helped me identify some fabrics, and I colored in my sketches, and made a BEAUTIFUL black gown (which my mother looked AMAZING in) and then almost left my phone at the post office, but the lady there ended up being really nice, actually, after her initial meanness, which I understood--I showed up with 3 minutes to spare.

But yeah...I'm starting to figure out that Fashion is better than sex...not that I know what sex is...or even how to spell it...

:P

SJ Donovan

OBAMA GOT ELECTED PRESIDENT ON MY BIRTHDAY!

Well, technically, the day before it, but I need something to brag about since I didn't get to vote for the guy.

Anyways, today I went to Sara Campbell and I couldn't for the life of me focus a single second, although I am on track to get quite a bit done with what I learned today. They've given me a basic shirt pattern to screw around with, and I think it's going to be fun. Essentially, I'm going to transform the basic pattern into my own design with a series of tracings, cuts, speculations, guesses, and most of all beads of sweat--working on clothes gets warm.

I ended up leaving an hour earlier than normal, feeling fairly light headed, and drove home, nearly getting into an accident with a large truck. I didn't have any other problems on the ride home, but opted out of the traditional "dinner out" with my family in order to just chill out at home. We got Cantonese/Japanese/Thai food, which I don't remember eating.

Anyways, the internship today, I think, was a major step--they're letting me create on my own. Not even I let myself do that. It just always seems to result questionably. Except for those times where it's a staggering success.

W.I.S.E. Moments

So I'm converting this previously aimless and pointless blog into something school related. Hopefully, the people reading this don't hate me for writing it so late, but unfortunately...actually, I don't have an unfortunately.

Anyways, my W.I.S.E. goal was to get an internship at a major fashion label in Boston for clothing design and pattern-making, and then to use those skills to make a 30 PIECE collection by the end of the school year (and then to divide them into 12 LOOKS). For college purposes, I am trying to make up 12 pieces by January 1st--the deadline for most of my applications, including the two most important ones, FIT and Parsons.

I have now been attending this internship every Tuesday for the past five or six weeks. The first visit I had with Ms. Wiener (one of my WISE teachers) went splendidly and Peter Wheeler, the man I interviewed with who is also one of the heads of the company, seemed to like me quite a bit, and decided to give me a shot.

MY second visit had not really been scheduled, so I was given the monotonous task of counting and sorting zippers for five hours. However, I didn't NOT enjoy myself, as I figured this was what I was going to have to deal with for the first part of my internship to make me earn my cred.

However, the third visit proved this theory wrong, as I was immediately thrust into the hands of Marie Rosa and Pina, two of the pattern makers at the company (Maria Rosa, I believe, is the head of that dept.) They gave me a basic skirt pattern to try out, and they helped me draft it into a skirt. The first day I got very, VERY much done, as I converted a simple a-line pattern into a pencil skirt pattern. This was mostly due to the fact that I had this day off from school, and was fully rested and able to get a lot done.

The past four or so times have been less productive, as I don't want to do anything wrong, but I also don't want to disrupt the workroom flow. I have also been slown down by having to use the industrial machines, which are quick and very hard to manage, especially compared to my personal machine at home.

I am almost done with the muslin of the skirt at this point, and would very much like to include a photo, but I'm not very technically savvy--as you can see below--so I'll figure out how to do it later.

Currently, I am working on four garments: A jacket and dress of my own creation; a pair of wide-legged pants from a VOGUE pattern; and the skirt I manipulated from the Sarah Campbell pattern.

I'm VERY busy.

Blogs are too difficult to write.

Well, that last entry was a BUST. It took me five whole hours to do it and it looks like shit on at least one of my four different available computer that I have to use. If that made me sound wealthy, it was misleading, although my sister does have a strange new device which she calls a macbook. It enjoys taking my picture while I use it. I've haven't really ever felt more violated in my life by a machine, except my sewing machine on occasion, but that's purely accidental. Either, I want to list a few of my favorite designers. I think I tried this a while ago and it didn't work. Most likely the failure was caused by the fact that I tried to use photographs. I won't make that mistake again.

Anna Sui-One of my earliest favorites. I like her because although much of the time I find her clothing ridiculous and a little too harajuku-thriftstore-punk-blah, I am also never bored with her. I always enjoy looking through her pieces, picking out which seperate components of her outrageous outfits are destined for rip-off by other designers, forever21, etc. Honestly, for such a seemingly modest fashion house, she perhaps holds some of the greatest influence over the U.S. and British fashion industries. Hell, half the couture collections look like Sui with longer skirts and more frivolity.

Miuccia Prada-Another of my favorites because she always manages to grow on me, and the fashion world as well. Besides being the one of the few garment-focused designers who hold some SERIOUS ground in the shoe market--it is rare to see a season where her shoes are not constantly popping up in Vogue, her ideas are possibly the most refreshing in fashion. Whenever I finish looking at a Prada show, I feel somewhat...tingly, like a cool vapor has just brushed over my body. Her love of fucking with fabric, however, is my favorite aspect of her. Coats with ombre blended fabrics, 3D lace, pleated hoop esque skirts have been HUGE hits in my book, and seemingly the rest of the fashion worlds, even if, at first glance, the things seem to be trainwrecks.

Yves Saint Laurent-I'm still looking through his work, but from what I see, I LOVE.

Stefano Pilati-I doubt that his generation of new designers has a match for him. Even Marc Jacobs, king of the American avant garde, could learn a thing or two from Pilati. This man lands a spot on my list for not only honoring the asthetic of his house's founder, but for also creating looks that will most likely land him the same kind of revere that Saint Laurent himself has earned. Anyways, onto his clothes. Breathtaking. With the precisely perfect amounts of originality, simplicity, elegance, and beauty, his clothes are nearly flawless. He tends to be another one to grow on the fashion world, and one who it can always turn to in a time of need. He understatedly sensual silohuettes breathe new life into what is considered sexy by the world, and the thought that goes into say, something like a giant, voluminous coat that still flatters a woman's body and acknowledges it's existence is simply genius.

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez-I wish I were these boys. Honestly. A senior thesis collection in BARNEY'S, spreads everywhere, international fame as the next big thing, revered for bringing "chic" back to the U.S.--that's got to be a lot to handle for a pair of twentysomethings. And on top of that they just keep getting better and bette at what they do. The boys have a sense of wit that is matched by few--taking menswear from all different time periods and revamping it into classy, youthful womenswear--and a patternmaker that many would kill to have. But anyways, I'm going to stop and go to sleep now, I'll gab about the Proenza Schouler Boys another day.