Across the ages

It is so important for collections in stores to look tight... so that you can pick up any garment from the collection and it should happliy sit with most other pieces, without the customer thinking...Oh I like that but what would I wear it with?!

In general if you keep palettes small and prints feeling similar, then the collections work. In most stores you will find that teens down to newborns are all displayed in the same area. Normally for the different ages they will all steam from the same trend but just be adapted and colours slightly altered to suit each age bracket. This in turn means the store looks great and makes an impact. Customers can then see enough of a difference to see each age bracket as its own collection.

Here is bits from a winter collection I have been working on...showing 'older girls' and 'baby'. Below is the mood board breakdown for older girls knitted accesories.

Knitted hat and scarf set

This is then the same trend taken on and developed for a much younger market 'Baby'. The colours are slightly softer and the prints are bolder and and still fun. But in both collections you will see real tight palettes and prints/knit patterns coming from cwtches and cuddles!

Cwtch is a welsh word used for a mix of a cuddle and a hug...

Baby outerwear garments

Yellow fields design.

All designs are copyrighted © Elspeth Morris 2012

Vietnam 09 babywear

While internet reasearching I found a few images of products that I designed while based in Vietnam. Its funny looking back as I can't beleive how much my style has changed and developed. But at the time the style is what the client wanted, so I guess that is the important thing. They can't have been bad as the cowboy baby grow went on to be there best seller in the USA.

 

                                       

A quick doodle, done tonight infront of the telly... watercolour and pencil crayon

Yellow fields design.

All designs are copyrighted © Elspeth Morris 2012

Vietnam

Yesterday I mentioned that I lived in Vietnam. In 2009 I bagged by self my ‘first real job’ in the industry. After finishing my textiles degree, we went to New Designers the graduated textiles/design show where the industry comes to pick up and grab talent and ideas.

At the same time was the first ever ‘Bubble London’. A new children’s clothing trade show for the high-end boutique brands, which is now going from strength to strength. So one day I took my portfolio off my stand at New Designers and trecked half way across London to Bubble. I walked round the show and spoke to a variety of companies showing my portfolio and telling them about my extensive work experience background. Through out my final two years in uni, I gave up my holidays to go and work with companies to gain industry experience. This is one of the best things I ever did, it may have cost me a fortune but it gives you real inside knowledge and teaches you things you will never learn in uni.

By the time I had left the show I had been offered two jobs, one in New York and one in Vietnam. Back in 2005 I spent my summer doing a kids camp in New York state. Which happened to be the best summer of my life! So I thought maybe I should take the Vietnam role…so after a phone call to my surprised parents, two weeks later I moved to Vietnam for a role as childrenswear designer!

At first I wondered what the hell I had done, moving on my own to the other side of the world to work in a hot sweaty factory 6 days a week. But after a couple of weeks I fell in love with the place the people and the job…

Vietnam is a place and culture I will always love and a country I will definetly return to on holiday one day...

Industrial love

Over the last few years we have all seen or been part of the recycle / make do and mend / up cycle trend.  I have all ways had a bit of an eye for old furniture, the pieces that needs a bit of love…especially as it then means that you are buying or finding your furniture with added character and style. Like my new table I wrote about last week. Don’t worry I don’t mean the crap furniture that is ex flat pack and is now warped and falling apart!

I really like the use of industrial pieces within homes; I don’t think you could do your whole home out in industrial furniture, as it would be very over empowering.  I like the raw, battered, rusty look of industrial pieces, especially against a clean white fresh modern home. Partly due to the strong contrasts, scale and the individual look that it gives a home.

Like I have said before I think everyone’s homes should be individual and personal to them…telling a story.

Back in 2009 I spent a lot of time working in Vietnam. Where I was designing childrenswear for a few large retailers and boutique brands. My office was above the factory floor, and the factory was a real part of my working life, as well as capturing a piece of my heart.

Every factory is different but no matter what they are producing, I find them to be clever fascinating places. Maybe this is part of the reason I have a love of industrial pieces reused in the home?

Love how chunk this table is, not so sure on the mix and match wall paper!

Check out the fab handles on this cupboard! Would be perfect in a teenage boys room. Love the contrast between the cupboard and the white chair.

Love this, especially all the corner plates and huge wheels.

Fun set of lockers, I like the way they have up cycled them with the numbers 

and one red door... maybe something special is kept in there? or maybe its just plates!

How fab is this old warehouse, this would be a great place to live!

Steel filling cabinets and sorting desk, looks great.

I definitely think it is more about decor than purpose?!

 These candle holders are fun for a guys place? But we all know guys hate candles!

I think they are kinda cool though.

Love these! These have to be the ultimate stools! 

Would you have these in your home?...Please don't be boring and say they would be dangerous with kids and fingers!...The kids would get to grow up in a cool design lead home with a fun and ever changing exciting environment!

Teen fashion

Teen fashion is always one of an issue between parents and teens. The teens want the latest fashion and often in shapes or styles that are not yet appropriate. But of course they want to look like their favourite celeb or older peers.

Many retailers often produce the same collection for youngsters as they do for teens. This makes it a hard collection to get right. Developing a collection to suit all ages often across a ten-year age gap.

For a lot of parents it’s a hard time, as they are still the ones in charge of the purse stings and are very aware that there child is growing up fast and no longer their young and innocent child.

Below is a little collection that I put together for the teen market, based on the value retailer market.

7-14years age bracket. Transitional collection... Mood board

Geek fun, bright bold colours and animal inputs.

A quick doodle outlinning the collection vibe

Graphic tees, printed leggings and washed dark denim short to layer.

Large scale graphic heart print, patterned pu belt and mini purse embroidered bag.

Jersey woven slash neck tunic,worn denim 7/8 jeans.  

Loop back jersey sweat top with printed graphic and printed heart jeans.

Yellow fields design.

All designs are copyrighted © Elspeth Morris 2012

What do you think? Would your teenage daughter wear these?

 I love this palette, especially as its girly but not babyish!

Outfit Tuesday

A lot of fashion bloggers, blog about their day to day outfits. That’s not really me, so I have decided to still have a nod towards the 'fashion blogger' thing, but to do it in my own way!

Each Tuesday I will up load a doodle / fashion illustration to do with that days outfit. Whether it’s the jewellery, accessories, make up or clothing. So ill start with a doodle of me in todays outfit… Brora top layered over a Topshop vest top and skinny worn Topshop jeans. With my elephant pendant that I picked up from a Bali backstreet market, and now hang on a long gold broken chain.

Doddle done in watercolours and pencil crayons.

I like how Brora tops wash so well.  I have three in different colours, brown, green and blue. I picked them up while designing some of their baby clothes while I was based in Vietnam working for Albetta.  

I have had all three tops for over 4years but they all look as good as new, I think this is due to their lovely fabric content and great fit. Although they are fairly thin tops they are warm and great to layer on those days when you know the weather is going to do its own thing! www.brora.co.uk