finding out who i am as a designer

I have made things all my life, well ever since i could remember i was making jewelry, crafts, and other things moms put on the refrigerator. So going to art school was the next natural progression, however when i got there is was all about who you are as an artist. What was your niche or your style, who influenced you or your work. For me this was really hard because i didn't know who i was or what influenced me. the truth is in my heart I always knew I just needed time to get there. Painters and sculptures never influenced me ever, but makeup, fashion, and jewelry always did.  This made me realize that i was more in love with fashion and designing than making 2D art work, that is when i decided that i needed to switch to jewelry/ metal smithing. I knew this when all i thought about was making jewelry. From the time i woke up to the time i went to bed that is ALL i thought about. 

fast forward to the second semester of jewelry when I let my professors use my pieces as part of a display, when my professor said to me "i put your ring with your sisters stuff because your stuff is way to similar." then she continued to say " its almost like they were done by the same person." Ouch that was rough to hear because I wasn't making things like my sister at all. My other thought was well were twins, we spend a lot of time together and are influenced by the same things.  At first i was upset, but then i took this opportunity to gather inspiration, Thank you pinrtest!, and to search what i love doing with my pieces that sets me apart from my sister.  I realized if they still look the same, well it's because our style is similar, and when I say this I mean they way we make things are similar. I know that I'm coming from a different place creatively and  I look forward to growing into who I am. 

pictures I'm sharing are things i have pinned on my jewelry vibe board.  images via pintrest.

xo

jes

winds of change

For the past year and a half i have been stuck in a rut about what to write or share here. I tried a few ideas but it never felt right. I would sit down to write a post and wrote a few paragraphs saved it for later then reread it and decided it wasn't as good as i thought in my head or it wasn't even worth a post. so i have decided to stop writing. just kidding! i love this space and love to share things with all of you about fashion but i think i am just going to use this blog to share my inspiration and my jewelry and sketches and of course the drama that comes with making things, also known as plan b or plan c. i feel like this is what i wanted my blog to be but was nervous. I am still going to write about what is going on in fashion but about what other jewelry designers are doing. i feel like this will be a great change for me. I hope you stick around to watch this change.
xo
jes

the runway by D2G Apparel

I'm pretty excited to share with you The Runway by D2G Apparel. I have been looking for shirts like these for a very long time. i just loved the bright and vivid color of the illustrations, and the fact that they are fashion illustrations are just the icing on the cake. each t-shirt has a different silhouette for each illustration, which complements each image so well. every shirt is so versatile you can wear it so many different ways. with skirts, jeans, dresses yeah that right i said dresses.  i love, love might not be a strong enough word maybe obsessed is more like it. obsessed with every design and i can't wait to see what they do in the future.

What inspired you to start The Runway by D2G Apparel?
Emiah Gardner: The D2G Apparel blog was an outlet for me to share, express and connect with artistic people.  Our focus on fashion illustration developed in a really organic manner, it was something that we just gravitated towards. 

When D2G Apparel was started, we focused on connecting with graphic designers to help them start their own line of printed apparel.  That was an idiotic idea.  There was no demand for that. 

I saw that illustrators were drawing inspiration from looks seen on the runway, in the street and in the blogging community and thought, "what if we could take those illustrations and create a collection of printed apparel?"  Literally, combining the worlds of fashion and illustration.  Our goal is to develop pieces that effectively combine the worlds of art and fashion, while providing an outlet for fashion illustration to exist as a part of the fashion landscape. 

how does using fashion illustrations differ you from the other graphic tees on the market?

Emiah Gardner:  Using fashion illustration as medium we are communicating the trends, looks and styles of fashion; creating fashion driven by illustration.  We also made it a point to avoid basic tees.  We use tops that have a unique, flattering cut made of high quality fabrics.  Each piece can be styled in a very versatile manner.

I love that every design has a different silhouette did you come up with the silhouettes first or did the illustration inspire the silhouette?
Emiah Gardner: We had about 10 silhouettes and various colors  in mind, but we waited to see the final illustrations before confirming silhouettes.

How did you narrow down the illustrators for this collection?
Emiah Gardner:  I looked back at the illustrators we had discussed on the blog, as well as ones that I had bookmarked to potentially showcase.  I wanted emerging illustrators each with their own style who seemed not only interested but excited about this project.

Originally we were only going to work with 3 artists but I happened to stumble upon Karina Belikova's tumblr and fell completely in love with her work.  I knew I wanted her to be a part of this collection.  Her Lindsey Wixon illustration is gearing up to be a best seller.  

Matthew Miller was an obvious choice, because we had recently written about his work and he kept popping up on my google alerts everyday.  He works largely with paint and his compositions are expressive with abstract undertones.  

I loved Aleksandra Stanglewicz's style, her works are very whimsical, with nice fluidity and she is student with loads of excitement and energy.  She's like a ball of energy just ready to tackle the world and show what she is capable of.  

Jennifer Madden is clearly a professional and that comes across not only in working with her but in her works.  Everything she does it complete, from concept to color to mediums down to her technique.  She starts with an idea and sees it through making sure that it all makes sense.  

will you continue making limited edition illustration collections?
Emiah Gardner:  Most definitely.  We are thinking about doing a limited edition collection of looks seen during NYFW.  However, it might be an ever better idea to draw inspiration from looks and trends seen on the streets, outside of the shows.

Each collection will always be limited edition in order to give our market of the fashion savvy trendsetters truly unique pieces to add to their closet.

What are your plans for the future of the runway by d2g apparel?

Emiah Gardner:  We plan to continue collaborating with illustrators worldwide.  Our goal is to be the leading online marketplace for fashion illustration.

Who is your dream illustrator to collaborate with?

Emiah Gardner:  Marynn.  I love her work.  

Which designers inspire you?

Emiah Gardner:  Personally, I love Jean Paul Gaultier and Givenchy.  However, if you look at the collection most of the illustrators chose to draw inspiration from Elie Saab and Valentino.  The fluidity, flattering cuts and luxurious fabrics used by Elie Saab and Valentino gave out illustrators a lot to work with, without overwhelming the composition with too much detail.

Do you have a favorite piece in the collection?

Emiah Gardner:  I love the entire collection.  I wear the printed sample of "Red Dreams of Elie Saab" all of the time.  Its ridiculously comfortable and easy to throw on with jeans or dress up a bit with heels and a nicer pant.  The  "Model me Beautiful" is also a favorite, its got a really flattering cut.  That top with Isabel Marant sneakers, aviators, a great skinny jean and I'm ready to go.

Did you go to school for fashion?

Emiah Gardner:  I went to FIDM in San Francisco and studied, Merchandise Product Development.  I'll be finishing my degree in Business with a focus in Entrepreneurship at the University of Utah.  Or at least that's the plan,  I am a big believer in just doing it, opposed to spending the time and money reading, studying and discussing a particular thing.  Thats a personal battle I have with myself on a daily basis.

What things are you inspired by?

Emiah Gardner: Of course I am inspired by a lot of the illustrators and fashion designers that are out there.  As the founder of The Runway, I draw most of my personal inspiration from successful tech entrepreneurs.

check out their blog http://d2gapparel.com/

their twitter https://twitter.com/d2gapparel

 and their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/D2Gapparel

thank you Emiah Gardner for giving me this opportunity best wishes for the future. 


images via d2gapparel.com


xo
jes