Fashion Sketch Workshop with Renaldo Barnette

How relevant is fashion illustration in today’s design industry?  Fans and media love to see a fashion designer’s sketch, but is it really used in the process of putting together a collection?  Renaldo Barnette is the answer to that question.

Renaldo has been a professional fashion illustrator hired by brands like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Nicole Miller.  While some designers sketch for themselves, others rely on more experienced artists like Renaldo Barnette to specifically express their collection ideas in detail. 

Take a look at his illustrations above.  Do you see the difference between these and the fanciful images you see in the media?  Fashion sketching for the purpose of clothing design is much more detailed.  If you ever studied fashion design at a reputable school, these principles are drilled into you for your entire portfolio development.  

Your proportions need to be accurate.  Even if the typical fashion figure is not realistic to the average human being, your rendering of the clothing needs to be correct to the proportions of the figure you have drawn.  An advertising illustration can have a 10” waist with a gigantic ballgown skirt that defies gravity made of mystery space fabric.   In the process of design, the drawing of the fabric texture needs to be clear.  The movement and weight of the fabrics intended must be accurate.   Could a technical designer, draper or pattern maker recreate your look from viewing the sketch? 

Almost every “designer” job posting I come across asks for Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or InDesign experience.  Tech packs to factories at most major companies require detailed technical flat sketches drawn with mathematical precision (and no personality).  Even when I first graduated Parsons School of Design, being a full-time fashion artist was not a career path many could hope to aspire to as the industry made it clear that CAD would be standard.  The artistic prints that once were hand-painted in gouache are now completely cut from patterns with “brushstroke” functions in a computer program.

I am so happy to know that classic artistic talent can still result in a successful fashion career in the form of people like RenaldoBarnette.  While this may not be a priority in modern fashion programs anymore, the artist is teaching three workshops in fashion drawing starting with the upcoming Saturday.  Learn to sketch a collection like a professional.

So are you ready to draw with Renaldo Barnette? Register for his workshop today!

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Ivy Style at The Museum at FIT

Feeling a little preppy?  Are plaids and tweeds the keystones of your wardrobe?  How did this evolve?  The Museum at FIT examines this American style in their exhibit, Ivy Style.  The preppy look had its roots, unsurprisingly, in academia.  Princeton university was one of the key Ivy League universities to initiate the trend.

Many of the iconic elements of preppy dressing came from athletics.  The white cable sweater tied around the shoulders was a tennis look.  Tweed? Saddle shoes? Polo coat? Equestrian sports.  The big contribution to modern dressing that is American sportswear really did come from sports.

Key brands that are iconic to the style are highlighted.  Not surprisingly, they would be labels like Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne, Chipp and Brooks Brothers.

The exhibition ends on January 5, 2013, so see it soon!

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Ralph Lauren Screening Invite - Fashion+Art+Technology

Ralph Lauren is celebrating the "ultimate" collison of fashion, art and technology and inviting readers to a screening at their Upper East Side boutique.  They are aiming to show Madison Avenue in a "whole new light" using a revolutionary '4D' technology.  

Dress warm, as the event will be projected onto the facade of their boutique outdoors!

Where: Madison Avenue and 72nd Street, New York NY

When: Thursday, November 10, 2010

Screenings are at 8pm, 8:30pm and 9pm.   If you can't make it, watch for it online on November 11.

Teaser pics:

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Fashion Designers for Breast Cancer

In the month of October, pink is the new black.  Fashion designers and celebrities are putting their talents into raising awareness for Breast Cancer.  

Ralph Lauren is hosting the Pink Pony Auction to raise money for their foundation.  The auction is selling rare collectibles from fashion, celebrities and athletes.  

It also includes once-in-a-lifetime experiences like shopping with Simon Doonan, a ride with Lance Armstrong or lunch with Maggie Cheung.

Pink Pony supports programs for education and quality cancer care to medically underserved communities.  If a bidding on an item is out of reach, you can support this cause by shopping for pink pony fashion accessories like the printed silk scarf and sunglasses.

Narciso Rodriguez teamed up with Swedish chain Lindex to create the Pink Collection.  Lindex is a major sponsor to the Swedish Cancer Society, where a portion of the proceeds will be donated.  The collection itself consists of reasonably priced wardrobe staples, cashmere-blend knits, asymmetrical dresses, skinny pants.

Vera Wang collaborated with department store chain Kohl’s.  This special collection gives fans the opportunity to buy dressy pink pieces from the high-end designer at very affordable prices.  Check out the grosgrain ribbon evening bag  at only $10.00 or the sequined scarf also for $10.00

It’s not just clothing designers in the mix.  You can shop and help Breast Cancer Awareness with jewelry.  Ice.com’s Think Pink & Smile For a Cure campaign doesn’t  just ask you to shop for the cause.  They are asking you for your story of hope and humor to raise awareness of the disease.  Readers vote for their favorites to win amazing pieces of jewelry as part of their sweepstakes.   A percentage of sales from their Think Pink collection benefits the Comedy Cures Foundation.

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