When Life Gives You Fabric...Make Clothes!

 

     At the beginning of summer, I transformed a frumpy 90's dress into a cute mini-dress (see the blog post here). I cut the hem so short that when I finished, I was left with enough fabric to make something else. I've never been one who can effortlessly think up great fashion designs, and if I ever get a design idea it comes on a whim, most of the time, right as I'm about to fall asleep. One night when my mind wasn't letting me sleep, I thought of a top to make out of the leftover fabric. Backless, feminine, and summery -- I wanted it to be something that would jazz up an ordinary pair of cutoffs. I also wanted it to be easy to make, so the main portion is just one piece of fabric, cut like the bottom half of a triangle. In the back, the two corners tie together, while the straps are set high to keep the main focus on the backless style. Sewing it all together took me a couple hours, the only problem I ran into being the fit in the bust. The neckline gaped open instead of lying flat against my chest, so I gathered it a bit in the middle. 

Adventures in Copyright

     My favorite fashion news outlet, Fashionista, has a regular post called "Adventures in Copyright" that showcases a designer's look that has been copied by someone else. These posts challenge the question of whether there should be copyright protection for fashion designs. Or maybe the fact that anyone can create what a designer made first is the way fashion revolves? I've created my own version of their posts to analyse these questions.

Tied Crochet Dress from Nasty Gal vs. Delicate Lace Top Body Con Dress from Charlotte Russe

     
      It's completely obvious that these two dresses are one in the same. Aside from a couple minor details, these dresses are mirror images, yet one is half the price. The Nasty Gal dress is $68, while the one from Charlotte Russe is $26.99. Lace overlay has been a big trend for a few years now, so the design for these dresses could have been taken from any designer. However, it looks very McQueen -inspired to me.

These looks from the Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 show have similar lace necklines.

      Earlier this year, I discovered Johanna Blakley's speech on TED about how the fashion industry actually benefits from this lack of protection. She has a philosophy that identifies with collaborative thinking; when people keep building off of an idea, there is more progress than someone keeping an idea to himself. The gross sales within industries without copyright protection such as fashion, automobiles, and food, are substantially higher than highly protected industries such as film, books, and music. This seems to prove that while little to no copyright protection may not help fashion designers in their own right, it's what keeps the industry flourishing. After all, designers are constantly taking ideas from the past to evolve their own work. The nature of fashion is to interpret one idea into another, so without copying ideas there wouldn't be innovation of new ones.

     

Go for the Gold!

     With over a week of the Olympics in London gone by, there have been a number of moving, disappointing, and exciting moments to remember. My absolute favorite was when Aly Raisman finished the last floor routine of the team finals, on the verge of tears with her final pose, and solidified the US Women's Gymnastics Team with the gold. And you can't forget what put the team so far ahead from the beginning -- McKayla Maroney's jaw-droppingly perfect vault only ten minutes into the competition. The judges themselves couldn't believe her form, and were crazy for not giving her a perfect score. Ryan Lochte has been the most talked about rising US athlete, not just for his skill, but because every woman in America tunes in to see his impeccable abs and dreamy eyes. He started the games off strong with his first gold medal, only to fall short in the 4x100m relay. It's okay though, he doesn't need to win every race to win the title of Most Attractive US Athlete. The volleyball and beach volleyball matches have been gripping, with the women's team winning every match so far, the men's team with only one loss since its gold in Bejing, defending gold medalists Rogers and Dalhausser recently eliminated by Italy, and the Walsh and May-Treanor powerhouse still running strong as undefeated, two-time champs.

My 2012 London Olympics nail art inspired by boardshorts worn by Rogers and Daulhausser.

Showing my team spirit in USA snapback by Zephyr.

The visor detail also inspired my nail art design.

The best part of the opening ceremony - each brass leaf rising up to create the torch.

Todd Rogers and Phil Daulhausser attempting a second gold.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh celebrate a victory.

It's a known fact - no one can resist those dimples and smoldering eyes!

If her routines didn't win her the All Around gold, her megawatt smile sure did!

Can we all just appreciate Maroney's perfect vault one more time?

Sam Mikulak - a definite runner-up for Most Attractive US Athlete!