Author Archives: Christina

Life After Graduation

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First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS to all the new 2011 bloggers, you’ve almost made it through 8th semester!! That should be a triumph in and of itself!

8th semester for me was very tough. I thought the previous 7 semesters weren’t going to pay off, but I was definitely wrong. 8th semester made me want to give it all I had and put all my effort forth in whatever I did. In the end, everything fell into place (and believe me when I say life goes on, even if you don’t get picked for the show).

I am currently working as an assistant designer for Le Mystere, a well-known intimate apparel company that I interned for during my 8th semester. I can remember how good it felt to be recognized for my hard work and offered a job. Your first paycheck, your very own business card, your own desk, your first real design! There is life after FIT! I have already learned so much working at Le Mystere, more than school could have ever taught me, because this is real life, the BIG LEAGUES! I am very busy most of the time, but honestly it feels good. I have become part of not only a great company, but I feel as if I am part of a tightly knit family.

Christina surrounded by Le Mystere bras (size 40G, if you're wondering)

I just want to say that even though you’ve heard it a thousand times, putting forth your best effort and taking pride in ever little thing you do (no matter how menial the task is) will be recognized. Even if you don’t get the A+, the spot in the show, or even the job, its all life experience that will help you be a better person for when the right opportunity knocks at your door.

Good Luck!

Christina

The sweet taste of success.

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Finally, its over.

Last night was the infamous BFA fashion show. All our hard work for the past 4 years amounted to this one night, and it was amazing. I hope you all got to watch the 7:30 show online, I did, and the live feed was great!

We each got 3 tickets to the show to bring our family and when we got there to be seated, a lot of people were left out in the cold- or shunned to the “3-D” experience in the auditorium (which I heard was not good, a lot of the detail was lost). Some people gave up extra tickets so people with bigger families could bring everyone, but that didn’t matter. Typical FIT nonsense ensued at the doors and a lot of ticket holders were turned away because they were not actually partaking in the show (having contributed a garment).Luckily, I got my family in plus one extra-  I was NOT going to have a family member watch one of the most important days in my career, a building over with paper glasses on.

The set up was amazing, it was a floor show, meaning that there was no actual raised catwalk, but a sprawling U shaped runway, which I thought was nice. The room was done in all red draperies, a red runway, typical fashion show seating and goodie bags (eyeliner, lipgloss, a notebook, a $50 gift certificate to a salon, and a magazine).

The music was great, and the models looked hot hot hot. I can’t say much for the menswear, not thoroughly impressed. My intimate apparel girls did amazing though. Each lingerie piece stood on its own with an aura of classiness and sex appeal, a few jaws were dropping.

I was very happy with my model and ensemble. At first, I admit, I was not happy my other ensemble wasn’t chosen, but after seeing the show, I have zero complaints. On the fitting day, I had to take the bra cups in a full inch on each side, so I didn’t know how it would turn out on her, but Gloria did a great job working it down the runway. The accessories were chosen by the director (I chose shoes), and I must say, I LOVED the necklace. The model really fit into my design aesthetic and I was very pleased.

If you are in FIT this coming summer, be sure to check out my ensemble which will be displayed in the C-lobby!

Gloria and my ensemble

Gloria and my ensemble

cotton ensemble on runway

And the judges have spoken.

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So after much stress and a very long night yesterday, I went in to school for 10 am to see the infamous “list” of who got into the show. I made it! With which ensemble you ask? Go figure, the judges favored my cotton one. Though a little disappointed they didn’t choose my first ensemble which I slaved over for months, I am grateful I am in the show!

Bodice side view with antique lace

Bodice side view with antique lace

The model fitting is on monday and I need to get shoes and accessories to match my ensemble. Shopping day tomorrow!

We will know the award winners for the Cotton Inc. competition and the critic award winner on Wednesday. I have already been chosen to be part of an exhibition here at FIT for my cotton design for the fall 2010 semester. Also, I was selected to display my artwork at the BFA art exhibit which will be in the FIT museum. All in all, it has been a success!

BFA art board #1

BFA art board #1

BFA art board #2

BFA art board #2

Congratulations to every single BFA fashion design student, we all worked so hard to create our visions and bring our garments to fruition. We are all design stars!

Patience is a Virtue

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So after a weekend of hardly any sleep, a tedious Saturday session at school, and a few snafus, ensembles 1 & 2 are done! Finally, a sigh of relief. I honestly do not know how I finished second ensemble (the cotton one) for Monday, seen as how I started sewing it the Tuesday before.

My cotton garments came out a lot better than expected, A LOT better. The pintucking I decided to do came out with precision (so I got to keep my $98 from Stanley Pleating) and looked amazing. I had some fellow class mates come up to me after it was on the form and say “Christina, I can’t believe that you did all that yourself, I was standing there looking to see if any were uneven, I couldn’t find any!” (hooray!). It did look good on the form, and I am proud of it. After class was over, the critic came up to me with the professor and commented on how much she was drawn to my cotton ensemble, and how disappointed she was that she could not be part of the cotton judging committee. I think I could be in the running for the cotton award on Wednesday, but I do have some stiff competition. Everyone has done a beautiful job, I am proud of my classmates.

bodice with pintucks

bodice with pintucks

Bodice side view with antique lace

Bodice side view with antique lace

Bustier with Petticoat and Panty

Bustier with Petticoat and Panty

I was a little disappointed that the critic award winner was not announced in class on Monday, as I thought it would be. We got to class and put our 2 ensembles on the forms and were told to take a 1.5 hour break so the professor and critic could deliberate on who gets to show their second ensembles Wednesday, any aesthetic or construction changes, and the decision of the CA winner. We did not get a personal critique from the critic, just a general overview of what she thought at the end of class when we returned from the 1.5 hour break. She was very impressed with the work that we did and understood that each and every one of us put our hearts and hard work into every piece we created. Success.

Tomorrow is the ALMOST the final judging day. We will do everything that we did on Monday all over again for the fashion show judges to come in and select our garments for the show. Also, the Cotton Inc. committee will come to see our cotton garments and choose their prize winner. We will not know who was chosen for the show, nor the award winners until Friday when “the list” is posted outside of the fashion design office. Feels a little like volley ball try-outs in high school, right? Its only Tuesday and Friday feels like months away, I am very impatient to see how everything will turn out, hopefully you will be seeing one of my ensembles strutting down the runway. Keep your fingers crossed!

Pintucks, Petticoats, and a Probable Meltdown

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“Christina, don’t tell me we only have a week to finish our garments, I thought it was two weeks!!” my friend says as I approach my home away from home, C714. Sorry dear friend, I would like another week too, but that is not going to happen. Monday April 12th critic picks the award winner and Wednesday April 14th is judgement day.

Looking back on last weeks postings, I see all my fellow bloggers were fast at work during their “spring break”. I however needed some r&r. I went home (after my usual saturday session in the draping lab) and spent some time with my family. Copious amounts of beads, layers of chiffon, and the looming deadline of a second ensemble were all put on a temporary hiatus. I know that this was not the smartest decision that I could have made, but spending time with loved ones during the Easter holiday seemed like the priority of the moment.

Monday, sigh. After my train was cancelled on sunday, I was up at 3:30 AM to catch the super early train back to the city so I could make it in time for class in the afternoon. Straight from Penn Station I was back into fashion show mode and on a mission in the garment district to buy my second ensemble (cotton Inc.) fabric. $150 later, mission accomplished ( haha, no this does not include the trim that I will be running back for later.) I did succumb to buying some antique lace at Lace Star to complete my vintage look.

$150 spent, 45 minutes- new record

$150 spent, 45 minutes- new record

The drape of my cotton ensemble is near completion. I still need to do the panty, which will not take up my time, but the dear pintucking I’ve decided to do will. Had I planned this better, I would have got my pintucks sent out to be done. Yes this is a legal practice and not cheating. It is very hard to get these devils to be the correct size and spaced evenly, so its A LOT easier to get them sent out, but, VERY expensive. The one yard I wanted to get pintucked professionally was going to be around $98. WAS, is the keyword. I decided to try them out for myself, and after a few sample, I got it perfect, I will have to start charging my own rate!

"new" antique lace and my attempt at pintucking

"new" antique lace and my attempt at pintucking

pintuck close-up sample

pintuck close-up sample

I am also doing a cotton tulle petticoat, it is all draped and patterned, all I need to do is cut it out and sew it. I am off to Lace Star, again, because of a change made to the hemline, I will applique (applique means to cut out the motif of the lace and zig zag stitch it onto the body fabric) the “new” antique lace to the hem, sounds like a good friday night activity.

So I am going to be a busy bee this week. I have to pintuck the rest of the fabric for the bustier and yoke of the skirt, and then make it all, in time for monday. Remember first ensemble? Well I still need to change the sleeves and do some residual beading for monday too, no sweat! (kidding!) I am sure I will not be sleeping this week, so be sure to look for update posts all week long to show you how I will miraculously meet the deadlines! Wish me luck!

This is not Project Runway

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Recently, much publicity has surfaced about the four lovely ladies selected to write this blog about our 8th semester fashion show. We love publicity, yes, and we are greatful for it, but please, STOP comparing what we do to Project Runway.

Sure, we all were glued around the TV when the first, and maybe even the second season came out, but now, Project Runway’s welcome has worn out. What we do is far from the hyped up and glitzy drama of the show. Yes we spend many long hours creating our garments, but what you don’t realize is that we must design, create, and present garments to the standards of real couture. The process is grueling and things are not simple. We are true artists (not to say that some PR contestants weren’t) and we take pride in what we do. Project Runway is as far from fashion reality as you can get. Don’t think that a stint on a TV show will make you a famous household name, or to present your line at Bryant Park is a simple feat. There is serious, serious work involved, and it is not for the faint of heart. Here at FIT we don’t to produce masterpieces just so we can earn a spot on a TV show. All our hard work is in preparation to enter the industry as a talented, creative, and most of all, professional designer. The 8th semester graduating fashion show is to showcase to the industry the talent of the student designers that has been cultivated for four long years.

That said…

I am currently working on my second ensemble that is going to be made out of 95% cotton. I am very interested in antiques and often go to the NYC flea markets to see if I can find a buried treasure. A few months back, I found a stash of the most gorgeous Victorian era handmade cotton lace. I have been looking for a reason to use it, and now this is my chance. The piece I found was originally intended to be a large collar piece for a dress. It is made in the finest manner and it is just prettier than anything I could find in the garment district. It was originally a circular piece that I attached to the bottom of my cropped bustier and got beautiful flares, without having to do anything! Love it.

Victorian Lace

Victorian Lace

It is still in the draping phase because we had to spend more time on the first garment to meet the deadline. It will be my “spring break” (I use the phrase spring break loosely, because its more like a slower paced workweek) project.

Cropped Bustier in Progress

Cropped Bustier in Progress

This garment is due on April 12th when everything must be completed. The intimate apparel specialization will only be showing 2 garments because we would rather make two perfectly completed garments that we did not “rush” to finish. The third ensemble will be a bias gown, which everyone has to do, but will be an end of the semester project, not for the fashion show. Honestly, I can’t even think that far ahead at the moment.

If anyone can help me with my dilemma it would be much appreciated- Does anyone know a place where I could get antique lace at a price that won’t break the bank? I have already tried Lace Star and Sposabella, nothing that would work. I need some extra lace to make the bra cup and panty. Help!


Ensemble #1, check.

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Fashion Sketch

Fashion Sketch

After a long and gorgeous weekend being cooped up in my tiny apartment, ensemble #1, my baby, is done.

This past  Saturday morning most of us came into class to get our robes approved by the professor. It was also the time to make any last minute corrections before the due date (today, monday). I embarked upon the hem that took a good 15 hours (most likely, I like to be a little dramatic). Of course, this too, was to be beaded (advice from the professor). I ripped my precious silk chiffon into narrow strips to make the edge trim. Something about ripping your fabric makes the process all that much more satisfying.

I finished the beading for my corset finally (hooray!), and am halfway done with beads on the robe. I love to do beading on my garments, and get very ambitious about it. The people at Bead World on 38th and Broadway know me very well. Sometimes I get a little regretful when I chose the tiniest glass seed bead possible to use. Of course, it takes A LOT longer than anticipated, but in the end it is very much worth it.

Today was presentation day for grading. Check out some close-ups.

complete ensemble

complete ensemble

Bra Close Up

Bra Close Up

The Beading

The Beading

Presentation day is not the day that our garments are chosen for the show. It is the day where we must be 98% done and we submit our garments to the professor for grading. If need be, corrections in fit can be made or suggestions on how to make your garment better. We all are usually hoping that there is no corrections to be made, but some of us aren’t so lucky. My sleeves needed to be more voluminous than what I made, and the professor and critic strongly suggested that I re-do them. I will do it, not that I want to, and nothing is actually wrong with the ones I have, but it will make my garment better. The work is never over, and my wallet is always hurting.

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All of the ladies in the Intimate Apparel specialization are very talented and do just as much work as I do to meet all the deadlines. Here is a presentation from my good friend Madison. She made a beautiful lace body suit with a silk chiffon robe (check out the creative key hole and lace applique, love it). She takes risks in her designs to stand out from the crowd and she always tries to stay true to her aesthetic, which is not always easy. Some corrections aside, she did an amazing job, look for her cotton ensemble to follow!

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Wednesday we are starting our 2nd ensembles. Mostly everyone has decided to participate in the Cotton Inc. competition where your garments must be made out of 95% cotton. One person from each specialization will be chosen as a winner, and receive a $2000 prize. Intimate apparel is hard to make in fabrics that do not stretch, for fit and comforts sake, but some people have already made their garments, and they came out beautifully.

and sew it began…

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It’s the event that we had looked forward to when we began our BFA degree, the infamous fashion show. It seemed so far away back then, and now, it seems to be knocking at our doorstep. A month and a half ago I started my last semester with piles of swatches, drawings, and inspiration clouding my brain. We were to design 3 complete ensembles consisting of bras, panties, corsets, bodysuits, robes, etc. Nothing was off limits to our imaginations (except thongs and underthings too “cheeky” for the runway, for reasons as you could imagine). Our professor worked closely with us to choose the first perfect “couture worthy” ensemble.

We dove into our work, from creating the initial prototype, to patterns, and second prototypes. It was a rocky start. The snow days, though usually a blessing, seemed to be more of a setback, and soon Saturday sessions seemed to be commonplace. Our critic, Sarah Wolf of Betsey Johnson Intimates, visited our class to see the progress we have been making. She offers advice, opinion, and inspiration ideas to make our garments that much better.

Its already mid-semester, and I am upon completion of my first ensemble. The bra, corset, and panty need some minor elastics to be zig-zagged and the bra straps need to be DTM (dyed to match, us intimate apparel designers are CONSTANTLY dying fabrics). I am also completing the look with a silk chiffon robe. The robe is still in pieces and is awkward to sew because I am so used to handling smaller garments. There was a snafu today in class with the construction of it, but I’m taking it in strides. For the corset and waistline of robe I am doing hand beading on French lace. It takes a long, long time to accomplish, but it is going to be well worth it. I just remind myself of the sparkling crystals catching the light from the runway when I’m beading into the wee hours of the morning.

Second ensemble sketches were approved today, and will be made out of 95% cotton as part of a competition sponsored by Cotton Inc., who also happen to be the main sponsors of the show.

garments with robe prototype

garments with robe prototype

hand beading on corset

hand beading on corset