Upcoming Projects: A Current Look in my (Digital) Sketchbook

Time for another installment of What's in my Sketchbook!

Note: I draw my flats by hand, Micron them so my scanner scans them efficiently, then I color/add patterns in Photoshop. I really *technically* should use Illustrator for flats, but... forget it.

This design has been in my head for some time now. Remember that beautiful psychedelic print I found at a boutique that was going out of business? This is the right dress for it! Only now, I must decide on a colorway with the stripes part. What do you think? I'm partial to the orange/lime version but that's just because I like loud things.

Fabric sample.

Coming soon!

Also, while I was on the train to NYC and flipping through my InStyle magazine, I found a dress that I loved by Chloe in their fall collection. However, can I really afford that dress? I didn't even hunt down a price on it, but it's fantastic. (See dress on right.)

Then I found this other version of it online -

So this is the best part about being a fashion designer - it then occurred to me that I could make the damn dress! So I sketched it after my initial sketch of it on the train which looked more like the original one to create these colorways.

I'm actually really in love with the top left one although I love orange as a rule. I think I want something more subdued and fall-ish so I'll try to find fabric for that one.

I have no idea when the Chloe knockoff will get done, but I'm excited to try it out! I think it's a fantastic dress and I'm mad that I didn't come up with the original idea. I know that knockoffs can be a huge fashion no-no, but I am also of the mindset where I believe that designs shouldn't be "patented" otherwise, we would have a very bland design world with tons of restrictions.

That being said, I don't mind if people even knock off or copy my designs so long as they say inspired by Manic Pop/copied from Manic Pop. I got at least 10 people asking me if they could do a version or even straight up knock off my Sunrise Panel Top idea and I said, "Sure! Show me when you're done!"

There's lots more to argue about with fashion/design/knockoffs/etc but it's a huge debate. I'll spare you.

These designs may be weeks in creation as I still am involved with my internship all summer, but I'll try to crank them out!

Latch Hook Rug Update

A little under a month ago I received all of my supplies to take on one of the biggest long-term projects I have ever taken on - a self-designed latch hook rug. I don't know why, but I am clearly nuts. So beginning today I am posting photos each month, (preferably on the 1st of each month) progress of this gigantic shag rug. See how I started it here (scroll down past posting of my $10 dress). This is a photo of it today: Yes, I used the candelabra for scale. Haha. This rug is really soft and is fun to run your fingers through. It doesn't look like much was accomplished, but though the number of packages we have gone through of pre-cut latch hook rug yarn already I have calculated that we've used over 2500 strands for this ie.) 8 packages. I also just ordered 10 more packages of lime green since that's what I ran out of first and 6 more packages of straw yellow. There is still quite a bit to go, but you see the blue row squares? Each of th

DIY Trapeze Dress

I'm a pretty big fan of tent dresses (or trapeze dresses - call it what you want). They're simple, easy-to-make and you can have many variations of them. These are a fun style to wear for spring and summer! See this DIY from a Good Housekeeping Crafts book from 1971 - photos at the end of my own trapeze top from a while ago! (Bear with me on the photos here - this book is quite cumbersome and hard to scan.) Applique patterns, in case you wanted the dress to look EXACTLY like the photo. (But why?) How to cut the fabric efficiently. (This is actually pretty important cost-wise for you - especially with something this big.) Using pattern instructions from my patternmaking book from college, I created this swingy trapeze top a bit ago. I used sweater fabric from a thrift store find for the collar of this top. I also opened up the back on the pattern to have a diamond shape. It can easily be belted like in this photo fo

Shingo Sato and the Art of Transformational Reconstruction

So I got really excited on my break at work today when I got an email from Burda about a webinar they're doing on a pattern technique called "Transformational Reconstruction" developed by Japanese designer Shingo Sato. I hadn't even heard of Shingo Sato until today let alone his design technique but oddly, it's sort of the path I'm going down with my designs anyway as seen with the Sunrise Panel dress as well as the Petra Dress and the pattern making involved in those designs. What I did there is perhaps a "light" version of Sato's where the darts and shaping are hidden in the seam lines. If you've been reading this blog long enough, you know that my design aesthetic focuses largely on color blocking, unusual seam lines, and a love of anything psychedelic. Note: All photos stolen from the internet. Sorry! I'm super-excited. Let me know if it's yours and I'll take it down. Shingo Sato teaching. More designs using

MarieBayAreaJune 2, 2013 at 3:44 PM
I can't wait to see you in this. Cool illustrations.
CatherineJune 3, 2013 at 3:26 PM
I admit I am guilty of making knock offs but usually only of things I see on Urban Outfitters or Top Shop - Which are all knock off anyway! I wouldn't dare to try to make some other those gorgeous garments from the high fashion designers, only because I don't think I could do it justice. But I really like the Chloe dress - esp your design on the bottom right

Manic Pop