Joan Part 1: Research

So for the Leap Year show (opening the last week of February! So close but so far), I'm making a ball gown that looks like it's made of plate armour. I want to document the process here, so I thought I would start with some research photos and websites that have been helpful!

The pictures are pretty much from all over the place (sorry... I must learn to document properly). I've decided that my favorite parts of suits of armour are shoulders and joints. Something about shaping hard materials into something that is round and flexible make for some of the most interesting designs. I also really like the ornamental details that make the armour seem more like a tailored outfit. I'm absolutely in love with the flowered armour (screen capture from a Game of Thrones featurette), it is absolutely fantastic and every suit of armour should be this beautiful.

I also like the first painting of Joan of Arc because I find her expression absolutely unreadable. Is she happy? Sad? Determined? She just seems so distant, I love it (also, where did her helmet go?).

Lastly, all the gold detailing is boss. I'm into it. Although I'm wondering how I can make something that looks just as delicate.

Also, here are some cool websites that I have found while researching:


Volpin Props: Best Prop Armour Blog EVER

Arador: An Armour Library

Jia Jem: OOOOH Super Fancy Cosplay

So there are the goodies for the day. So excited about working on Joan, finally!


marianne.

2011

Kind of sucked, actually. So here's a list of things that I'm am TOTALLY OVER:

- My living situation. I have good roommates, but I am so sick of having roommates.

- School. I feel that I've outgrown it and I need to graduate. Stat.

- Work. This was the year where I started seriously questioning what it is exactly that I want to do and why. Unfortunately, this involved a lot of realizing that I don't like a lot of things that I do for a living.

- Money. No steady income is a very stressful thing.

- Lack of any kind of routine. Some unexpectedness is nice, but I find it very hard to plan my life when I have no idea what the next week will hold.

- Crushing desperation about all of the above.

So in honor of the new year, here's what I'm going to do about all the things I've listed.

- I am moving out into an apartment of my own on May 1st.

- I will pass all my classes and graduate from university this semester.

- I am starting my own small, home-based company where I can call the shots and work on all the things that make me happy.

- I have a summer job lined up and hopefully that will kick-start a stream of steady income, hopefully with the help of my business.

- I have made conscious decisions to do things that I can plan around more easily. This year I will try and become a master of my time, instead of letting a busy schedule boss me around.

- I've also started doing hot yoga (which I'm determined to continue) and trying to spend more time taking care of myself.

SO THERE, 2011. EAT IT. 2012, Let's do this.

Art Show!

Super exciting news everyone! A friend of mine and a couple wonderful people she knows have started an art collective called Woman King and they're putting on a show at the very end of February. It's called Leap Year, and it's based on an old tradition that states that women can break the rules on February 29th. So basically, the show is asking how women would want to break the rules. I'm very excited about my project; I'm making a ball gown out of plate armour and I think it's going to be kick-ass. I'm starting research and stuff, so stay tuned for some awesome armour finds!

Makeup Love: trashyfag

So there's this girl on YouTube that puts up videos on how to do makeup and I have the biggest makeup crush on her. Everything that she does is trashy and glam and glittery and punk rock and club kid and everything that I want to be. Specifically this look is what I wish I wore every day. I usually get up and decide to go all out but once the makeup brush is in my hand I end up doing something much simpler and all-around wimpier.

Anyhow, just thought I would share, because of all the people putting up makeup how-to videos, I think she's my favorite.

Designer's Log: Post #1

So I'm graduating from University in 6 months and I can't wait to be out, out, out of there. Basically I'm trying to start a fashion line, and basically I figured it would be nice to have a space where I can write and show things about the upcoming line. It's all very exciting, especially considering that A) I have no idea how to start a fashion line and B) I'm doing it anyway. I've been pretty passionate about clothes and fashion and makeup and beauty for a long time now, and I guess it's really the only thing I care about doing job-wise, really. So here goes. I'm hoping to launch the line no later than September 1st, 2012 so here I go, I guess.

FYI, you can also read this blog at my website, somanyjets.com, where you can also see other exciting things like my portfolio and (when it launches) my Etsy store, where I plan to be selling the clothes.

Get pumped.


marianne.