With the release of the new fashbo home page we wanted to take our fashbo blog in a different direction. In the few months fashbo has been live we have come to notice the large range of talent our fashbo members possess. These talents range from on point comments to fashbo’s through amazing designs our members have sketched and/or made. One of our users, Ambika, aka fashbo member amakin,
Draping Design
has to date the most visited fashbo on the site. The fashbo, titled Draping Design, is a photo of a draping design she put together while at Parsons the new School of Design. (You can view all Ambika’s fashbo’s here: fashbo member Amakin’s posted fashbo’s )
With every new fashbo Ambika posted the fashbo crew started asking questions like, “I wonder what Parson’s is like?”, and “How long does it take to drape fabric like that?” This gave us an idea. Why not put a list of our questions together and ask her? Below are the list of questions we came up with and Ambika’s answers:
Tell us about yourself. Where are you from?
I am 22 years old and have been pursuing a bachelor of arts in psychology for the past four years before embarking on my lifelong dream. I was born in Anchorage, AK, but will be finishing my last year of my undergraduate degree in Oregon.
Ever since my mother dressed me in frills and dresses, fashion has been a compulsion in my life. Now, I can put my dream into action and make it a reality.
Can you draw fashion inspiration from where you live?
Of course! I am inspired frequently by my day-to-day life. I can be influenced by everything, as well as, nothing. I constantly carry around a little notepad and pen because my inspirations can occur suddenly. Sometimes, I will wake up in the middle of the night and write down my ideas.
What is fashion to you?
Fashion is a self-expression through an art form, as well as, a way of communicating current issues. Representing your identity through fashion can communicate your beliefs, mood, personality, your likes, and dislikes. Fashion is not limited to magazines and the runway; it can go beyond that, as it connects cultures together to share a common language and history. The language and culture of fashion is widely spread around the world, in such places as Los Angeles, New York, Berlin, Osaka, Toronto, Moscow, Shanghai, Rome, Tokyo, London, Dubai, Paris, São Paulo, Milan, Sydney, and Seoul. Fashion is a way to convey who you truly are in any part of the world.
How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style is something that makes me feel comfortable and confident. It is important to be able to dress your body type and focus on your personal unique attributes. Personally, I am not one to constrain myself to a specific style, but I tend to lean towards more feminine and romantic pieces.
Describe your perfect outfit ensemble.
This is a tough one! It is hard to narrow down a perfect ensemble, as various events and occasions require different and unique wardrobes. The best way to create an ensemble and add to your closet is by mixing high fashion pieces with balance budget pieces. It is hard to pick just one, but I love everything from an American Apparel V-neck t-shirt and ripped boyfriend-jeans to a tunic with leggings to a black cocktail dress with Christian Louboutin black patent leather pumps and a red clutch to match the red soles of the shoes. Also, for every perfect ensemble, you need the perfect accessories! Day to day, I wear pearl studs, but for different events, I always go for statement earrings or a statement necklace.
Name your favorite and least favorite past or present fashion trend/fad.
To be honest, there is not a certain trend that I dislike. It is not exactly what I am wearing, but I try to view it as how I am wearing it. In that case, my favorite trend is dressing my body type. If a trend may not look good on me, it might look great on someone else!
Noticed from one of your fashbo’s that you went to Parson’s. Why did you want to go there?
Before showing interest in Parson’s, I had been admitted to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. In order to apply to FIDM, I was required to send in a portfolio with a minimum of ten fashion illustration designs, recommendations, an admissions essay, and have an interview with an admissions counselor. I knew I needed to practice more on my sketching, so my older brother advised me to look into Parson’s for summer classes because of the highly respected reputation. I attended Parson’s summer intensive studies in midtown Manhattan, New York, in the heart of the fashion district, where I enhanced my drawing and conceptual skills through model drawing, design sketching, and conceptual design development. It was a rigorous and highly demanding curriculum, but was helpful in learning design discipline, making decisions, and reaching academic goals.
Any advice for others interested in going to design school?
If you are unsure about fashion and do not want to invest everything, then it is not worth it. You have to be sure. Though, the fashion industry is portrayed to be luxurious, it can be rigorous. You have to be ready to commit all of your time and effort into something that you are passionate about, but also, be prepared to take criticism and disapproval. You have to be ready to work with strong, hardheaded personalities, as well as, be strong yourself. I had a professor at Parson’s that always told us that you better be ready to speak up and demand for what you want or you will never be heard.
The draping fashbo you posted is the number one most visited fashbo on the site. It is very popular. Can you tell us how you went about creating this design? Why do you think this fashbo is so popular?
It was my first time draping. To be honest, I was not even sure what draping was, how to do it, or what muslin, finely woven cotton fabric used to test fit a garment or make a pattern, was! We had one day to learn instructions from a professor at Parson’s and then we were set to begin our own. He gave us a quick tutorial on how to cut, measure, and drape the fabric. I begin pleating the bottom of the dress, rather than draping and wanted a focus point for the top. I love flowers and tried to make them out of muslin, but after various failed attempts, I finally found a way that could look like an abstract flower. I cut out circles from the muslin and gathered them into a flower shape, then pinned them separately until the entire front and back were covered.
To be honest, I am not exactly positive on why this particular fashbo became popular. However, I do believe that draping creates visual interests and is tons of fun, which may be the reason that people were drawn to it.
What is your favorite fashbo you posted?
One of my favorite fashbo’s are the fashion design illustrations from the Fall 2009 collection that show lighter cottons with a balance of heavy knits.
Who is your favorite designer or designers?
Another tough question! It is hard to narrow down a favorite, as a lot of designers have unique attributes about them.
Vera Wang designs every dream wedding dress for every woman.
Chloé fashion house is always changing their style, depending on the head designer. This is great because Chloé is constantly changing and inventing exciting trends.
Alberta Ferretti uses beautiful luxury fabrics for soft silhouettes.
Max Azria designs pieces with sophistication. His collection is wearable and can look good on anyone.
Jason Wu portrays femininity in the most beautiful way by using silk tweed, skinny straps, metallic beading ribbon trims, and fabulous detailing.
Alexander McQueen is so creative with his edgy and dramatic designs.
Christian Louboutin is the most talented shoe designer with his sky-high heels and signature red soles.
Oscar de la Renta knows how to design for a woman. He mixes bold colors in his feminine designs
Burberry designs great trench coats every year and I cannot get enough of them.
Giorgio Armani makes fabulous menswear
CoCo Chanel will forever be a timeless icon, as her famous Chanel Suit and quilted handbags are still must-haves for every woman.
Karl Lagerfeld is now the creative director for the Chanel fashion house. Lagerfeld introduced a modern twist on Chanel’s designs.
Hermès’s Kelly bag is my dream indulgence
Donna Karan has some great separates, such as, her cashmere wraps.
Marc Jacobs combines grunge with elegance. His handbags are fabulous, as well.
Comme des Garçons pushes the avant-garde movement with edgy pieces, such as, three-armed jackets and gold and silver flecked tweed suits.
Tory Burch makes the most comfortable flats. I can’t get enough of them.
What is your favorite retail place to shop? Online place to shop?
Other than designer boutiques, I love shopping at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bergdorf Goodman. Online, I shop at the same places.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is to have the opportunity to design in the industry or work for a fashion magazine. I would love to be able to immerse myself and become part of the culture, as well as, share my ideas, in order to inspire people through the art of fashion.
You recently started a fashion blog @ http://amakinfashion.wordpress.com/ How are you finding the process of writing a
Ambika's Blog -- Aspiring Coutriere
blog? Any advice for others thinking about starting a blog of their own?
Beginning a blog has been a fantastic experience! Because fashion, trends, and design are my passion, it is so fun and exciting to be able to write and share my ideas to readers. I began small by updating on twitter and realized I had a lot more to say than 140 characters. Within a blog, a writer should convey his/her personality through his/her writing by giving readers variety. As well as, writing often for readers to keep up with new ideas.
Were you able to learn anything from the last blog post about 80’s makeup? http://www.fashbo.com/blog/category/makeup/ If so what was it?
The post about 80’s makeup was great. It was very informative and had great pointers. I liked the list of do’s and don’ts.
Site conceived and designed by the Fashbo Crew.