Evaluation -

Overall, i'm really happy with how my magazine turned out, it was hard finding models that looked androgynous/would go topless and really throw themselves into a 'boyish' charactor however i'm really happy with the models i did find and i think they suit the magazine perfectly.

I'm also really happy that the magazine is really diversed, at first i wanted it to be purely on androgyny but that would have meant me re-creating LOVE so by putting in the articles such as Chris's styling page and the Michael Monroe review it also opened it up to other viewers.

I don't think i'd change anything if i was to do the magazine again, things were cut out and re-arranged for reasons and i'm really happy with the final outcome.

I think i managed my time really well during this project aswell and although i started the production of my magazine later than others because of the prior collection i was going to make i feel the extensive research i did for that really helped me in understanding the look i needed to portray in the styling and the aesthetic i was going for.

I also feel like i've achieved all my units through this - one being production as i made the dress i designed when i was going to do the collection, and two being ideas and concepts and ideas as luckily i changed my mind on my project and was able to justify it.

Gender is the most identifying characteristic of every human being.

'You must understand that it's not a woman's dress, it's a mans dress. The important fact is i don't have to drag up, i'm just a cosmic yob, i suppose. I've always worn my own sort of clothes that you buy in shops, i don't wear dresses all the time either, i change everyday. I'm not outrageous, I'm David Bowie.'

Proposal

Proposal - Tom Suay.

So, change of plan, the collection didn't really work out as i couldn't find the right models to convey the message i wanted to get across and i was finding it hard to design. Therefore i am now doing a magazine.

As i was researching for the 'Drag Fag' project i was looking up the meaning of androgyny and the phrase 'Tom Suay' came up which means beautiful butch in Latin therefore i thought it would be a perfect title for my FMP.

I'm still keeping with the androgyny theme, i just feel that a magazine will let me be a lot more open and experimental as theres only so much flesh you can broadcast down a catwalk whereas in a magazine there is no limits.

I will still be covering the same FMP units, unit 6, fmp, unit 3, ideas and concepts and unit 124, production.

I will still make and document the making of one garment to get my production unit and photograph it in my magazine to achieve unit 124 and luckily as i have changed my idea and can clarify and support the reason for the change i am also covering ideas and concepts.

In my magazine i wish to include photoshoots, music reviews and interviews to convey new trends, androgyny and to discover peoples views on the subject.

vikki

"This is a small collection of collages documenting my trail of thought whilst exploring the concept of the ‘misuse of religion’. In this series, I was interested in exploring ancient, archetypal symbolism; extremely common in Renaissance and pre-renaissance religious paintings and icons and applying them to a modern context. Through this, I wished to explore the juxtaposition of ancient tradition and modern life."I'm particularly inspired by spiritual philosophy, i'm interested in the way boundaries between the known and the unknown and mystical and scientific merge. I'm inspired aesthetically by Mario Hugo, Hannah Hoch and the Dadaist photomontage artists, although the existential theme was greatly inspired by artists such as Francis Bacon. My work is also greatly influenced by existential themes in music like Beck’s ‘Modern Guilt’ and The Horrors’ ‘Primary Colours’ After I leave college, I’d love to study the field of artistic philosophy and work in a contemporary art gallery. After posting my work on Tumblr, I’ve had mainly positive feedback, the best compliment I’ve received was when one user told me my work made them think, instead of passing it over as just a ‘pretty picture’. Although because of the religious subjects I’ve chosen, some of my work could be considered taboo, a few people have told me that it could be considered offensive, especially “Science Fiction”, the piece I made concerning Scientology. Although I’m glad that my work has sparked a debate, I’d say that my work wasn’t created to offend, but to make people question their viewpoints on our deep set traditions.

Production Diary.

Organza maxi dress.

First of all i started to draft the pattern to my maxi dress.





Then when i drafted up my patterns correctly i then traced them off.

I laid my fabric out on the table with the right side and right side together making sure the selvage from one side and the selvage from the other side were placed together. Using the grain line on my pattern i made sure it was parallel to the selvage of the fabric. (ask gina for photos)

I pinned it down making sure there were no tucks or bumps on the fabric.

I made sure I have knotched all the seams so that I know all my patterns will match up when I sew it.


This is the organza fabric when it is cut out.
Matching my right sides and right sides together I started to sew my garment together.

I started with the CF and CB seams, then I moved onto the shoulder seams.



Then i joined the right side to the right side and sewn a 5mm running stitch matching the raw seams together.

I then trimmed it down to 3mm and pressed it closed with the wrong side and wrong side together then i topstiched along the edge.

This a close up of the french seam.

I then did this for all my seams, back and front - i used a french seam as it looks neater on organza as it's a concealed seam.






After i did all my seams i had to hem the skirt. To do this i had to fold it then press it, i then had to fold it over again and topstitch along the edge for a neat finish.

I then had to bias bind my arm holes. To do this i had to pin my bias binding around the arm holes, sew along the folded line, fold it over again then topstitch it for a neat finish.

I then did the same for my neckline.

Then my dress was complete.

Michael Monroe!

So, recently i went to see ex frontman of Hanoi Rocks, Michael Monroe live at the HMV institute in town. Needless to say it's not my favourite venue since they did it up, i remember it as the good 'ol barfly where they used to host an event called 'redfest' whereby a bunch of grubby teens (including myself) went to run around the whole venue watching loads of different bands for a fiver! however since they did it up, the careless nature of it had been taken away, people sit around on the leather seats instead of moshing and tearing down the bar! However this all changed when i went to see the beautiful and talented Michael Monroe and his band consisting of Ginger from The Wildhearts on guitar, also on guitar Steve Conte from The New York Dolls, Sami Yaffa - the original Hanoi Rocks bassit and Danzig/Chelsea Smiles drummer Karl Rosqvist.

After clearing out my purse for a vodka lemonade i made my way over to centre stage and stood there waiting for the first support band. The stage was decked out in old vintage rugs, two mannaquin's painted gold with feather headresses, candles and wall hangings of Ginesh, so without even hearing this band you know they were going to be exciting. After about 10 minutes the room filled up and they were on; the lead singer walking out with just jeans on, his belly button pierced, tonnes of cross nekclaces, curly hair and a nose ring - very Jim Morrison-esque. The bassist then followed wearing skin tight jeans, no top and a feather headress with gems forming round his eye and onto his forehead, the drummer then completed the line up wearing similar get-up.
They were a band from New York called the Alcholic Anxiety Attack and oh were they true to their name! Well, maybe they had more than alcohol before they went on stage but it was alright because literally everyone in the room must have been high at this point! There music was so sixties psychedelic and it was really refreshing to hear a new band doing something other than pop/rock! you could tell they were really inspired by the likes of Donavon and The Velvet Underground but their music was alot heavier! The singer introduced the first song by saying "i wrote this song when i was on an acid trip in my back yard, not one of those shit ones though, like a really good one" then the bassist kept randomly stopping his bass and tried to play it with the mic, it was wild! The crowd were really pumped at this point then when they finished there set At The Libary came on - not sure how they actually got the support band but i'm pretty sure the guitarist thought he was in Iron Maiden, luckily the lead singer actually had a really good voice so by this point everyone was ready for Michael Monroe!
Honestly, i've been to plenty of gigs in my time but i've never heard such a scream for a band in my whole life! They opened with Trick Of The Wrist off the new album Sensory Overdrive (which i highly recommend) and everyone went mental! They then followed that with Got Blood? also off the new album which is a really up-beat fast paced song to get everyone going, and boy did it! The fast paced nature of the gig never stopped the whole way through either, everyone was going insaine moshing and charging to the front as he leant into the crowd. A very drunk Sammi Yaffa was throwing his wine over everyone smashing the bottle everywhere and everyone was chanting "Theres only one Sammi Yaffa" then Michael Monroe swung his sax round and the mouthpiece hit the guitarist in the head and there was blood streaming all down his face for the rest of the gig! Michael Monroe diving into the crowd passing the microphone about to keen fans, doing the splitz (in his late fourties!) I nearly broke my back when some fat guy decided i was going to be his crash barrier coming out of the mosh pit!
I tell you what though, one of the best gigs i have ever been to and well worth the £15 i payed for the ticket! I highly recommend you go and see this guy and his AMAZING band and check out his new album Sensory Overdrive out now!
xoxo