Enter the world Through The Looking Glass .....

"Through The Looking Glass"

Photography: Lacey Jayne Clements
Model: Jenna Morely

Garment/styling: Clare Heart

Editorial: Clare Heart

Enter the realm of fantasy and delve deep into the depths of the magical forests and there you'll find the most beautiful ethereal entities that roam the land.

Go discover the magic.

Presenting here to you the photo shoot of my garment the 'Florella' dress. The shoot was photographed by my dear friend Lacey Jayne Clements (click here to see her flickr). This was the second shoot we did together and I feel it went fantastically! The shoot is embedded in magic, beauty and fairy tales, and reflects essences of Alice in Wonderland and photographer Anna Gaskall. I chose the model Jenna Morely, who also attended my uni, as she possesses a bohemian nature to her which I felt was perfect for this magical fairy tale shoot. 

This project was from my second year studying BA HONS Fashion Design at university UCA Rochester. The dress is constructed out of 140 pieces of ivory silk and wool and is based upon spheres and segments. The original inspiration came from the photography work of German industrial architecture photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher. Their images of the sphere water tanks 

(inset image) were my main source of inspiration (see more of their work here). Although my construction concept was born out of something hard, industrial and man made, my final design was feminine and ethereal also containing a vintage elegance. This confliction of industrial and ethereal is melted together within the Florella dress, though highly constructed it is eternally soft and feminine.

The image below has been edited to be a double page magazine layout. 

The image below has been edited to be a double page magazine layout.

The image below has been edited to be a double page magazine layout.

The image below has been edited to be a double page magazine layout.

Creative Juices.

It has been a while since I last used my sewing machine, I have been a little drained recently but today I felt a serge of creative energy and took to my machine again and made a dress inspired by Goldie Locks. Its not finished yet but the main body of the dress is done. I'll upload pictures when I'm finally happy with it.


I started my day looking upon facebook where I spotted that a friend from university, Charlene O'Rourke, also had a blog. I was really impressed by her style diary which she kept and her fashion imagery she has been researching which corresponded with her style diary. I definitely recommend checking her blog out. 
Her sources from her latest blog were from internet magazines, such as Cheek and Soko. Both were interesting and had great shoots in them. 
They lead me to the website Issuu - You Publish, which hosts thousands of magazines to view online in many different subject categories. One shoot in particular stood out to me and that was in the Dutch publication Blend magazine. 

It was this cover image taken from the Nude Attitude shoot that really excited me.

Here are a few of the rest from this collection.

Its quite simple yet very effective. My favourite is the one with the green wig, I guess inspired by The Joker from The Dark Knight. 

I have seen the use of tights worn over the face with loud bold make up before in John Galliano's menswear spring 2007 collection.

[image from vogue.com]

Watch the show below.

I was intrigued in what other works the photographer from the Blend magazine did, so checked out his site. His name is Tomas Näsström and I was extremely impressed with his photography skills. 

Upon the site where I found Tomas Näsström it showcases other photographers, stylists, set designers and illustrators. I haven't managed to look through at many of the other artists, but the ones I did I quite liked. So you can imagine all of this awesome creativeness I was discovering that I would have a sudden burst of my own creative juices. And I really hope it lasts. Fingers crossed no more being ill!

Sew sew sew your ......... knickers?

I was never any good at keeping a diary, at any age. I'd always forget to write in it. Alike this blogger, I am too forgetful. But today I remembered (yay me). 

I am just sitting in front of my sewing machine, trying to remember where I put the darn instruction manual, whilst drinking a frothy latte. No one is in, just me and the cat and she's asleep in the window. Bless her, everyone will think she doesn't have a comfy bed she can sleep in. She has two. And a pet mattress. But she prefers to sleep on a hard wooden chest. Strange girl.

It does seem after I swore I don't want a career sewing, that ever since graduating, sewing is all I seem to be doing. I made my graduation dress, had a job as a seamstress, become the local alterations lady fixing everyone's clothes and bits, making posh fancy cushion covers and my range of lingerie that I shall be selling soon hopefully. Maybe I should swear I'd hate to be rich and happy, that it might just come true.

So in this time of me 'blogging' my parents have returned home, mother found the instruction manual and the sewing machine is fixed. Oh and empty cup. And I am kinda fed also. That's if a dairlylea dunker classes as proper food. 

Tonight I am attending a wedding reception of a girl I used to go to kiddy school with and haven't seen in over 10 years. Its gonna be a strange reunion, normally I catch up with people over a coffee or hey! summat stronger, tonight though there's gonna be lace and flowers and family members oohh and maybe food. This could turn out fab after all. I will just remind myself to watch out for drunken relatives and sugar fuelled kids and it'll be chocks away kittens. Gotta find a dress to wear. Though that shouldn't be tricky with the hoard I have. The problem I had was what do I give as a wedding gift to someone I haven't seen in so long. I haven't a clue what she likes/hates. Mother suggested I try and remember what she used to like when we were kids. But I can hardly turn up with a Barbie doll and some fizzy pop and say Heeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!! Remember me and the good ole days aaayyy?! No no, silly mom.

So in the end I put my talents to some use and made these cushion covers; something pretty and fancy yet practical.

The print is elegant yet modern and should blend into any colour scheme. They can be used upon the sofa to spruce up the living room, or upon the bed, like in the picture, to make the bed look luxurious and exciting. One is hoping she'll like them though.

And here's another reason I  have been busy bee like, my knickers. These little fancies are hopefully gonna help bring the bacon home for this kitten. I have a small collection building but need to get cracking on more designs soooooon! I am feeling the need for high waisted floral knickers. OOOOOOOOOoooooohhhhh peee panting excitedness! 

So if I want al le dollar I have to keep on sewing :/  

Right I have a card to make. Best go find my pritt stick.