Autumn/Winter 2014 Collection Lookbook

Autumn/Winter 2014 Lookbook

Baroque Couture - Placement Evaluation

Baroque Couture - Placement Evaluation

I really learnt a lot during my time at Baroque. I mainly learnt that I stress abit too much and I make things far to complicated and hard for myself when they don't have to be. I spend too much time and effort focusing on all the little things, trying to get everything perfect when it doesn't even matter in the first place and I will still get the same end result. Elaina has been a very inspirational figure to me, considering that she is completely self taught and all the skills and knowledge she knows about dress making she had pick up along the way, she has such a unique and different way of working which still reflects a professional and refined foundation that is vital in dress making, especially bespoke couture.

I didn't expect this experience to be so laid back though, this is defiantly not meant in a negative way, but through all of my experiences within the last 5 years of further education I have been told that the industry is very brutal, you have to have proper qualifications, you have to have proper experience, you have to be the best within everything you do, this is fashion. But since working with Elaina, I almost feel like I have wasted these last few years trying to compete with everyone to be the best and trying to know everything about fashion and pattern cutting when really all it boils down to is passion and just going out there and doing it. I feel like some of the things I have spent my time learning in the past are  not relevant at all now and will never be, because I can still get to where I want to be without knowing silly little things that have nothing to do with the area of business I want to work in, in the first place.

I have also learnt that I am quite a slow worker, but once again, that's because I am always focusing on getting absolutely everything perfect, even if it doesn't matter. But still, perfection normally is key within couture. 

Overall I am very grateful for the experience I have had with Elaina, it was lovely to see how such a personal and intimate business works and how the livelihood of the business depends on its clients. This experience has confirmed for me that I defiantly want to continue to progress into  Couture/Haute Couture, as it is an area I feel that I am a respected professional adult in and not a patronised little child. I can used the skills I have trained to learn such as pattern cutting and tailoring which I truly enjoy. But most of all I can be my creative self and adapt with the things that I continue learn about couture, to better myself so that I can realise my own dreams.

Baroque Couture - Week 7

Week 7:

Tue 2nd - (12:30 to 5:30)

Towards the end of last week, a lady called Fiona came into the store with a dress she had brought from 'The Dressing Room' and wanted it altered for her fast approaching wedding. Elaina asked me if I wanted to do the alterations again and this time, the entire amount of money made from the alteration would be given to me. Fiona tried on her dress and Elaina and I pinned the bodice into a better fit as this was the area that needed the most alterations. Today I started with the alterations of the dress and I focused on the bust and side seams where the required amounts would taken in. I spent the most part of the day taking in the bodice as the dress was made from so many layers and was made in such a difficult and irregular way that the whole alteration process was extended considerably. I especially struggled with joining the lining and outer dress back together along the top edge as the seam allowance had previously been snipped into to reduce bulk so therefore there was a lot less fabric for the sewing machine to grip onto. By the end of the day I had finished adding the darts into the seam and closed off the bodice again, I just left a small hole on the inside of the lining that I will hand - stitch closed tomorrow.

Wed 3rd - (10 to 5)

When I got to the shop this morning, I hand - stitched closed the small hole on the inside of Fiona's dress and added 2 hanging straps on the inside of the side seams so the dress could be stored properly. Once the alterations were finished, I gave the bodice and the skirt of the dress a light steam to ensure that everything was laying flat and none of the seams had twisted during the alterations process.  

I also helped Elaina re - make the shoulder shrug for Caroline. After pinning the Marabou feather trimming onto the shrug before hand - stitching it into place, we realized that we didn't have enough trim and had only managed to cover 3/4's of the shrug. Elaina asked me to find and order some more trimming for the shrug, off the internet so that we could finish it for Caroline's wedding which was on Sun 7th. I found a private seller on Ebay and ordered 3 metres of Marabou trimming in Ivory. When it finally got delivered a number of days later, the trimming was cream and didn't match the colour of the feathers we already had on the shrug. Elaina decided to keep the cream trimming away and I ordered a further 10 metres of Marabou feather trimming from a different selling on Ebay, so that we could replace the previous trimming and re - cover the shrug with the new shade. When the second set of feathers were delivered we found that the feathers were once again very cream and were totally un-suitable. This was a complete nightmare as we only had 2 days left to find an alternative and make the shrug.

I sent the wrong feathers back to the seller and got a refund and Elaina decided to make the shrug out of a very glossy velvet with a white shine that would mirror the ivory colour on Caroline's wedding dress. I removed all the pins from the previous shrug we had made and used the pattern from the old shrug as a basis for the velvet shrug. We also altered the shaping of the shoulders to give a better fit and added a thick silk lining for extra warmth. Elaina then quickly finished off the shrug by adding a light embellishment around the neckline and attaching 2 large silk ties on the front to be used as a fastening.

Once the shrug was finished we received a fabric delivery from Elaina's fabric supplier 'Carrington's textiles' based in Lancaster. The new fabric would be for new brides Caroline's and Lucy's dresses.

For the final part of the day, Elaina and I moved back onto the Art - Deco dress, which is the 3rd dress for the new Ethereal collection. We found some old vintage lace that Elaina had in storage and used that to cover the bodice and to make the underskirt of the dress. We attached the skirt to the bodice along the hip line and then I added a long hidden zip down the centre back of the dress to use as the fastening.

Fri 5th - (12 to 6)

As we had received a new fabric delivery the previous day, today Elaina and I were able to cut out and make the top circular skirts/polos for Gemma's dress. We used the same polo pattern we had followed for the underskirts and netting of the dress, to ensure that all the layers were the same length and would fall the same way. We cut out 4 polos, 2 for the front and 2 for the back, and joined them all together to make a generous top flounce to cover the netting. Elaina then pinned it into place along the same attachment point of the rest of the layers and allowed the fabric to 'drop' over night in storage.

Bride Caroline also came in to collect her dress for her wedding this week and also tried on the velvet shoulder shrug we had made for her. The shrug was still slightly too big on her shoulders so Elaina pinned it to take it in again and then she would personally deliver the shrug to Caroline when she helped her with her make - up on the day of the wedding. Overall Caroline loved the shrug and was very excited about her wedding. 

This was lovely as I got on really well with Caroline and it was nice to see the whole process with the bride from designs and fittings to collecting the dress and wishing them the best of luck for their wedding. 

Today was my last day and I have officially completed 140 hours of work placement at Baroque Couture.

I have also be offered a job as a self employed Pattern Cutter/Creative Cutter/Tailor and Seamstress working with Elaina :)

Later today Elaina came to my flat and gave me a beautiful bunch of flowers and a card to say thankyou. It was really sweet of her and I shall miss working with her.

Day to day diary /notes I had recorded during my time at Baroque Couture. . .

Baroque Couture - Week 6

Week 6:

Tue 23rd - (10 to 5)

When I got into the studio this morning, I was given the task to order some more feather trimming to complete the shrug for Caroline. I ordered a further 3 metres of Marabou feather trimming in Ivory/off white. Once I had finished the order, I helped Elaina make a large circular pattern to cut out the 'polo' shaped flounces which will form the skirt part of bride Gemma's wedding dress. We finished the pattern and cut out 2 'polos' to make a draped and voluptuous skirt which I then seamed and pinned into position onto the bodice of the dress. 

Once I had finished that section of Gemma's dress, we both then moved on to alter the basic patterns for new bride Caroline's (the other one) dress. We lengthened the back panels to allow for a longer train as Caroline was quite tall, as well as add additional flare into the side seams of the skirt.

Thur 26th - (9:30 to 7:30)

Today I showed Elaina around Manchester and we visited 'Afflecks Palace' finally! Afflecks Palace is an old fire station situated in the Northern Quarter of the city, which has been converted into an alternative shopping complex full of new, young and very unique businesses. The complex is founded upon hundreds of independent companies from Gothic/Steam - Punk stores to small customisation businesses.

http://www.afflecks.com

 I have known about Afflecks for a while now after my sister showed me around the place for the first time when I was younger. Every time I go to Afflecks it is always different and I have noticed that over the years it has become more and more popular, to the point where a number of Elaina's clients, (the Steam - Punk bride and Lucy the pin - up bride) have also visited the complex. I told Elaina about Afflecks when I first started the placement and we have always said we would go but each week it has been re-scheduled. But we finally went and obviously Elaina jumped at the opportunity to learn and experience something new and she loved it! We were in Afflecks for around 3/4 hours and we also looked around the surrounding streets that featured a number of similar, independent alternative stores. I brought a new fur coat and Elaina also brought a coat and shirt with unique creative cutting as well as trinkets and jewellery she plans to use in the Steam - Punk shoot.