Bespoke Adventure, Part 2 of 3

For background on this post and the overall fashion project, please scroll to the bottom or go to the previous post HERE.

This is the second of three bespoke outfits that Vancouver Community College's (VCC) Fashion Design & Production Diploma program students made for me under the direction of their instructor and prominent designer, Jason Matlo @jasonmatlo. This team was comprised of:

• Victoria Stephenson @victoria_stephenson
• Kiera West @kierawest
• Armita Azadmanesh @armita.bl

OUTFIT 2 - Spacewalker with Flower

Have any of you seen that movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring Donald Sutherland, 1978? In it, aliens terminate humans when they sleep and then grow replicants that don't have emotions in giants flower pods. Look at that flower again! Heh. And I like it! Although I am not devoid of emotion.

Below is the sketch that the team presented during my first classroom visit of three. They also wowed me with a fabric swatch of that stretchy pearlescent vinyl.

The things I loved about this outfit:

• huuuumongous flower!
• iridescent stretchy vinyl
• powerful simplicity
• enormous padded shoulders
• overall space/retro/rockstar vibe

This design superbly incorporated the Tildon Swinton and David Bowie sense that were part of my mood board. While I am easily seduced by loud patterns and colours, this piece hooked me with its intense simplicity accented with the outrageous whimsical flower. I kept thinking about this outfit long after after I left the classroom.

sketch and photo by Armita Azadmanesh

I love how Armita perfectly captured the iridescence of the fabric in her sketch.  

One thing that concerned me about this initial design was how body con this dress is. The stretchy vinyl was very thin, and I was nervous to have that much cling over that much body, even with the lining they had planned, even with secret underthings! After a bit of back and forth, the team proposed a top and pants instead; problem averted! 

I was still excited about the overall outfit and happy that the signature elements would be included in the new design. Below, Armita at work.

Victoria Stephenson left and Kiera West. The big flower is made of vinyl and it has two pin closures on the back for security. Those are the blue pants that go with this outfit.

Below, the top without the turtle on the neck. Note those gigantic shoulder pads. Seriously huge. I love how the armhole goes in a bit and then flares wide at the top. (That's the dress from Outfit 1 hanging in the background.)

photo by Armita Azadmanesh

Kiera and Jason Matlo pressing the pants for the final fitting.

Getting the length just right.

Standing at the thread wall during the final fitting. 

Done! I regret that I don't have a photo of the toile of the pants, which was made of the same blue/yellow plaid used for the coat in Outfit 1. Oh well. 

And time for my street shoot. I was already feeling the space/rockstar/Swinton/Bowie vibe, and then Jason casually mentioned Kathryn Hepburn with her wide-shoulder, high-waist pants look. Yes! Absolutely. All my favourite things in one outfit.

Yeah, the honkin' sunglasses again. They feel spacey. 

I love this red wall. If I had a personal assistant, s/he would have unbunched that top for me. 

I had to pin the flower on myself for this shoot and I didn't do as good a job as the students did in the classroom. I think I've got the hang of it now - after I finished this shoot. Pffft. You can just make out the bright turquoise eye shadow I wore under my brows.

The clean lines of this ensemble were a sharp contrast with the outfits by the other two teams. The range and effectiveness of imagination during this project was stellar. 

And below, the real stars of this show, left to right: Armita Azadmanesh @armita.bl, Victoria Stephenson @victoria_stephenson, and Kiera West @kierawest. It was a such a pleasure to work with these talented designers! And my thanks to them for sending me some photos of this outfit behind the scenes.

Background 

In January I received an email with this as the subject: VCC Fashion wants to dress you. Oh!

It was from Sarah Murray, the Co-Program Coordinator of Vancouver Community College's (VCC) Fashion Design & Production Diploma program. In essence, she wanted to know if I would like their students to make me some bespoke clothing in exchange for taking part in the process and posting about it. Umm, let me think... Hahaha!

As a first step, I spoke with Jason Matlo, the class instructor and a prominent Vancouver-based designer, to form an initial mood board. He divided the class, who were in "cycle 4" of their program, into three teams of three, and based on the mood board, my Instagram, and a budget, each team had to create an original design that resonates with my personality.

These students had only made a tote bag, a T-shirt, and a draped top during their first six weeks of school. I was curious, perhaps slightly worried, about what they would come up with. Well, they blew me away with their creativity, technical skills, adaptability, and hard work. Incredible, as you'll see. 

For my part, I made three classroom visits over a month as follows:

Visit 1: Consultation and measurements. Each team described its design concept and vision through sketches and fabric swatches. Jason and I joined the discussion to fine-tune the design to my taste, if required. This was an exhilarating process.

Visit 2: First fitting of the pieces, in some cases with a toile made of less expensive fabric as a tester.

Visit 3: Final fitting. The finished pieces were ready for pickup in mid-April.

These three posts show you the work that the students created. Be prepared!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vancouver Community College's Fashion Design and Production diploma gives students an immersive experience in the fashion world.  You can read more about HERE. Their campus is in the heart of Vancouver, just a couple of blocks from our city's top fabric stores. It was a joy to meet the faculty working in the program and get an insider's view of their studio/work space. Student designs are regularly showcased at Vancouver Fashion Week. 

GO TO OUTFIT 1

GO TO OUTFIT 3

Geriatric vagina and '80s power suit

I needed to go to the financial district last week and thought I should dress accordingly. So I wore a suit. This one has dots instead of pinstripes, it's bright orange instead of grey, vintage not new, and it's silky, pyjama style, and has linebacker shoulder pads. Other than that, I fit right in and was ready to address the board of directors.

When walking with these shoulder pads, my shoulders start gyrating like a washing machine, which has all kinds of personal '80s associations in terms of style and female empowerment. (I just realized that this woman/power image involves a home appliance! How wrong is that?!)

Interlude:

For something different, I made a cartoon in response to a comment I read on someone's blog which said that a doctor told her friend she has a geriatric vagina. Oh, really? This rant has been wanting to explode for several weeks now. Here it is. (Warning: If you hate this topic, you'd best leave now.)

I probably laughed more drawing this than you will reading it. You should see the stuff I deleted. Hahaha!

Back to the outfit:

And below, a closeup of my '80s power suit. I'm linking this up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb, and Anne at SpyGirl for 52 Pick-me-up: Completion. It's the last week of her latest year-long colour theme project. Why not join us?

You can see the neon yellow lace blouse that united this jacket and pants for the first time since I bought the suit over two years ago. The tie is made of vintage fabric, and I'm wearing my orange elastic, front-lace corset belt. This is a new favourite outfit.

Finally, heartfelt thanks to Susan at une femme d'un certain âge for mentioning me in her recent thoughtful post THINKING ABOUT: THE MEANING OF PERSONAL STYLE.

=================================

Bill Cunningham (1929-2016)

[Edit: I was interviewed on JUNE 27 by Lisa Christiansen of CBC Radio One about Bill Cunningham and his impact on my life for the show On The Coast. You can listen to it HERE.]

I just found out that Bill Cunningham has died. I didn't know him personally, but this renowned NY artist/photographer had a direct and unlikely impact on the life of this middle-aged woman in Vancouver, Canada.

I remember clearly heading out alone to the theatre to watch a discount matinee of the documentary Bill Cunningham New York. Before the show started, in my seat in the dark, I furtively pulled my pink Munster Fluevog shoes from the plastic bag I had been clutching and slipped them on my feet. I had read up a bit about Mr. Cunningham beforehand, and properly shod I was ready to be swept away. I was.

Bill Cunningham. Bill Cunningham - his name rang in my head for weeks after the movie. When he saw the beauty of a woman in a wet blowing garbage bag, I fell in love. His unpretentious heartfelt drive and vision gave me hope. And confidence.

Soon after, I started a street style blog in Vancouver under the guiding force of his saying that if you look for beauty you will find it. This philosophy sustained me during the long, dark months of Vancouver's wet winters.

From these beginnings, this blog, Bag and a Beret, was born, and my own style confidence took off. While I have not thought of Mr. Cunningham specifically throughout this evolution, he was the star of the critical moment that launched it all and the person whose positive outlook buoyed me when I felt abandoned by beauty. I owe him tremendous thanks.

Bill Cunningham is an irreplaceable man. I am sad he is gone and rejoice in what he has shared.

=================================