BB, not the Blemish Balm cream you are thinking but simply Books & Bracelet.

Finally, I have time to read and finished one of these two lovely books I received on my birthday. These were given by my ” tres marias” aunts on my maternal side including the Michael Kors silver heritage link with padlock bracelet. Nothing has changed since then, they are generous and thoughtful as ever.

As mentioned, it’s one down. Done with one book in one sitting entitled 101 things I learned in Fashion School. I have different kinds of spending my “me-time” and this includes reading books.  As I turned the page, I get more excited on what topic would be next. If you are a “budding” designer, a fashion enthusiast or simply want to broaden your knowledge about fashion, then I recommend this book.

Below are some notes that I find interesting and share it with you (texts from the book).

I. There are four design myths.  I will just share my top 2.

1. Myth: Being creative means designing somethng that’s never been seen before.

Reality: If something hasn’t seen before, it’s probably not because  it has not been thought of, but because it didn’t work at that time.

2. Myth: Shopping for ideas is copying.

Reality: Idea shopping is a good designer’s tool that enlarges one’s mental repertoire of details, finishes, treatments and more.

II. It is not always a matter of taste. Differences of opinion are common in fashion, but that doesn’t mean all opinions are equal of the product of taste preferences. Perhaps more often they are due to differences in knowledge. Indeed, the greater one’s knowledge of fabric, fit, structure, color and tailoring, the more qualified his or her fashion opinion is.

III. Select fabrics by hand. When browsing fabrics, try closing your eyes to prompt clearer judgements about hand quality.

IV. You can’t always play it straight. The more mature the customer, the more conservative, classic and literal clothing should be. And when designing for the young, progressive customer, beware being overly literal, which may ironically, cross the line into costume.

V. The more perfectly matched a fabric group, the lower-end it tends to look. Designers of refined taste have nuanced understanding of color and pattern relationships, they can hit  the right notes with nonchalance and eclecticism rather than literalism.

VI. Fashion is commentary. Fashion as commentary means it is possible to be well dressed without being fashionable or evenly poorly dressed, by the standards of some, at least but very fashionable.

VII. A good designer doesn’t rely on styling. Don’t rely on styling to pull off a fashion design, however. If you find that you strongly intend specific accessories to go with a garment you are designing, there is a good chance it is because their aesthetic sensibility wants to be directly incorporated into the garment.

I hope you enjoy knowing some important points. Grab a copy and have fun reading it in your own phase. ‘Til my next blog about the second book–100 Years of Fashion.

Hugs,

Heidi

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