The Heather Line

Well, Heather has given permission to show her designs—which is probably a good idea because even though school is out for me I have still been insanely busy, and I don't know how soon I could show them to her in person.

The project was to interview a real, live person, find out a little about their lifestyle, what kind of clothes they like, how much they might spend, etc., and design three outfits for them.  Heather was the first to volunteer, so she got the interview.  :-)

Heather's tastes seem to be very similar to mine (in fact, when she comments on my other designs her favorites are usually mine as well).  She said she was open to anything, which kind of makes it harder to design for her. 

I also had to find out if she had any body issues to work around.  Pretty Heather is six feet tall, slender, and in her early thirties (such a good age to be!); I had a hard time imagining that she would have any body issues.  But we all do and so does she; I will not, however, reveal her hang-up here because it is nobody's business. :-)  I will say that I researched "how to flatter . . ." online, and found some answers.

I was supposed to draw the line, return for a second interview, and make any changes that she would prefer—or even scratch it all and start over again.  But I ran out of time before the assignment was due, so I just turned it in.  Then the teacher had a baby and Heather never got to see these at all—until now.  So she can post her opinions, or maybe some day we can get back together and finish this assignment the right way. :-)

Anyway, here is the original draft of my "Heather" line: 
 

for date night, or for church

First we have an A-line skirt in a slightly heavier/stiffer medium-weight fabric like twill or denim (to help hold it's shape). It has a pleated front, high, wide waist band, and contrasting buttons. The top is a poly-lycra blend with ruching at the bust and the shoulders, and buttons in the center front help draw your eyes right up to Heather's pretty face.  (By the way, it is hard to try to draw the face of someone you actually know.) 



for every day, or a night at the movies

Next is a blouse made of a lightweight cotton in orchid with a white-striped yoke, cinched in lightly with a thin belt.  It is paired with white jeans. (This blouse looks like something my sisters and I might have worn in the late 70's or early 80's—probably in a more earthy color back then.)  I chose colors from this Spring's palette, but wasn't really sure about this whole look for Heather.  So I tried re-coloring it (in Photoshop) and I think it might be a better match for her:

Heather looks really pretty in bright colors, so I changed the blouse to red with another red tone for the stripes in the yoke.  Change the white jeans for khaki pants and the white belt for one in cream, and I like the look better. The real question is, what does Heather think?



for a night on the town



Once a year Heather goes to a semi-formal/formal . . . event —a fireman's benefit or ball or something like that—with her husband, so I designed this outfit with that in mind.  She has a green, asymmetrical top with a half-cowled neck on one side, ruching at the waist on the opposite side.  The top is made of a silky, lightweight, stretch ITY (a knit fabric which doesn't really wrinkle and drapes nicely). The "bling" pieces at the shoulder and side are actually bar pins that can be removed so the top can be worn with jeans or slacks for a less formal occasion.  The skirt is fitted at the waist and hips, straight to the knees with a flare down to the hem.  It's made in a black stretch velvet—or a slightly heavier ITY fabric—for lovely drape, ease of movement, and a very dressy look.

So there you have it.  The Heather line, and the last of my Illustration work for Spring semester; this was a fun assignment to do, but I really would re-do the whole thing at Heather's whim.

In the meantime, I have other big projects going.  I'll tell more about them as they unfold. :-)