11.3 inspiration

I haven't finished collecting the images for my inspiration yet but more on that in a minute.

This collection will be derived from Tinkertown, a museum/tourist destination/one whittler's creative outlet, located between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM. I went there a lot as a kid; any time someone would come to visit my family Mom would take us there. It's the only place that I loved as a child that was even better when I returned as an adult. The humor and wit is incredible. I think this is perfectly in line with the Betsey Johnson brand. There's nostalgia mixed with the notion that being grown up is awesome because you have more accessible and you can to whatever you want.  The most impressionable themes from there are old west (which I have translated to Annie Oakley, a long time inspiration that pops up in BJ collections every now and then), good.v evil, fighting over the soul (alla William Blake, etc), gypsy fortune teller (similar to the Zoltar machine that makes Josh turn into Tom Hanks in Big), and big top, multi-ring 'n' sideshow circus.

I was thinking I would style the girls in handlebar mustaches. Gender bending and mustaches are totally in, not just on faces but everywhere!

Now the other element that I don't have any images for yet is: I have an appointment on Friday to go see a collection of old Richmond society ball gowns. I want to use that as inspiration for class and sophistication and glamor. I'm really excited about this. I made this contact some time ago but I haven't had time to squeeze it in as a leisure activity, but it's perfect timing now as I think a spoonful of elegance is just what the BJ brand needs.  Plus there's a certain "playing dress-up" quality to the Betsey Johnson clothes and I bet seeing those gowns will feel like going into grandma's attic!

I'm trying not to have any idea what the clothes I design will look like until I have all the materials together. I emailed Bill Martin at the Valentine Museum as soon as it hit me how important it would be to this project and that's his earliest availability. The gowns are not on public display. I always have a sketchbook with me especially in bars and I was doing some fashion drawing last semester when someone approached me and gave me this contact. I feel so exclusive!!! Very exciting!!!

  Ali: Very interesting - and i really like your gender bender idea - maybe you can push it in more then just an urban androgynous look.

Ali: Try to build on these pages now with sketch ideas, fabrics, print ideas and what look you plan to derive from it.

Ali:I would not go too much into the classic circus element - done too much before.

me: I think the circus I really important though to this concept. It's a metaphor for having a bunch of stuff going on at once, a band of outcasts, over the top, modern nomadic, not to mention the original bearded lady. I think the colors and large scale prints are also important. I don't want the girls to look like they are in the circus, but I do think there's a lot of fodder for new work without being cliche with this theme as long as it's incorporated well with other elements.

Ali:definitely keep it in your concept - I am just making you aware to not follow that aspect too literally in your design interpretation.

In general I'm not into cliché and spend a lot of time keeping clothes from being costume. We are on the same page.

Me: In general I'm not into cliché and spend a lot of time keeping clothes from being costume. We are on the same page.

good.

I was thinking of doing some cut and sew pieces making pictures our of the different fabrics. Figures, objects. I want to do an intarsia sweater legging with a gun holster knitted into it, and a top with an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, trapeze artists swinging across dresses, ooh maybe a crystal ball print!! and of course bold stripes What do you think?

Also is 4 on a page cool? I'm sure it is but i wanted to ask, on 8.5"x11" 5 is really cramped.  I have a few 5 on page but mostly 4 on a page.

Ali:All great ideas - go for it.

4 are ok as long as they don't look to be stepping on each others toes. Though these days usually it is being preferred that you do each piece individually with its technical and even fabric swatches and then cut and past through computer and show the entire line up together as well.
Your choice...