I Thought Royalty, They Said Peacocks..

So I want to show you guys one of my favorite pieces that I have made. I feel very proud of myself for how this came out. Over the summer, I took a pre-college program for three college credits. Below was a wrap skirt that was our main project for the course. I got an A on it (points lost only for a few visible slipstiches in the hem. Considering I slipstitched two layers of hem practically asleep until 4am, I'll take it).

Oh das me!

When I was looking for the fabric at Mood's, I was inspired by this fabric I had seen that reminded me of French royalty. When I saw this cotton mix, I was immediately drawn to it and felt that this was exactly what I was looking for. However, whenever I asked other people's opinions, they replied something like, "Oh my goodness, that's so cute. It reminds me of peacocks!" Not what I was going for, but I mean, whatever works..

Truly, this is everything I am and everything I love to do. The greatest satisfaction to me is seeing my hard work turn into something beautiful.

P.S
I just wanted to thank ALL of you guys for the growing success (or what I feel is) of this blog. Whether you follow me, leave kind comments, or just read anonymously, I really appreciate it. You guys have motivated me to keep going, and I hope I have provided you with something interesting to read.

When I have 100 followers, I will create a Twitter for vivant. Sometime after that, I will create a Facebook page as well. At the moment, I have just created a gmail specifically if anyone has any questions or comments for me personally. vivant.fashions@gmail.com. Once again, thank you all for everything!

Inspiration Artwork: Terra Cotta Army

My mom bought some tracing paper for me, yes! So today I hope to do a few more drawings if I finish my homework.

I haven't put any artwork up in a few days, so here's some more! For my college portfolio for one of my schools, I had design an outfit using inspiration from a piece of architecture. So this was one of my artwork that I presented!

Inspiration Point
Medium: Photoshop

Daytime Dress
Medium: Gouache and Photoshop

Thank you guys for all of your comments! Please continue to voice opinions and follow me. I love seeing that people are interested in fashion and in what I have to say!!

Images were created solely by myself.

Do You Shop for the Label?: UGGS

Working in retail (for me, Famous Footwear), you learn about the products you sell, and I'm sure you've learned that if you work in retail as well.

How many of you have heard of Bearpaws? And how many of you have heard of UGGS?

Well they are the same exact shoe. The only difference is the price, in which Bearpaws can be 50%+ cheaper than UGGS.

I have told that to many customers, and many have told me, "No, I have UGGS, they are much softer than these." I tell them to feel the inside to which then then reply, "Oh wow, these feel exactly the same as my UGGS."
Still don't believe?
I was doing shipment one day and my manager was telling something about the Bearpaw boots that we sell. Well, she was saying that when she worked at another Famous Footwear store, they had received an email. The email said that if they received any Bearpaw boots with UGG labels on them, SENT THEM BACK!

So what does this mean? The shoes come from the same factory, and different labels are put on the shoe. There is only a SLIGHT difference at the top of the boot. However I don't imagine that that would be a deciding factor, considering it is almost completely irrelevant when the boot is on the foot. (That's only my opinion). Personally, I never jumped on the whole UGG craze when it first came out when I was in middle school and I still do not own any to this day. UGG Boots Tall are $180 while Bearpaw's Emma Tall (the same shoe) are $90. If the quality is the same, then what are you paying $90 extra dollars for? Or $90 less dollars at that. What will/do you go with? The expensive name or the less known shoe with the same quality?

Below the UGGS are shown on the right, and Bearpaws to the left.

Please tell me your opinion! And continue to follow and read!

Images from the respective product's website.

Summer Resolution: Wear More Dresses

With all these designer haute couture collections this week, they have inspired me to make an improvement for my spring/summer wardrobe. I have decided to make it my summer resolution to wear a dress daily (or as often as possible). This winter has me itching for spring and I'm ready to break out the florals and some sandals. I am NOT a winter person in the least bit, and feel like I don't have any 'pow' outfits for this season, if you will. So this spring, I'm going to expend all my styling energy that has been stored up this winter into vivant, cutesy outfits. Below I have made a styling wishlist for an ideal week during this summer (excluding work days, special occasions, and internship outfits).

Monday: H&M
Tuesday: Charlotte Russe
Wednesday: Forever 21
Thursday: Net-a-porter.com - Tibi
Friday: ASOS
Saturday: J.Crew
Sunday: ASOS


Do you have a summer resolution? If so, what would it be?

Photos from respective store websites.

Jean Paul Gaultier: S/S Haute Couture

What Vogue calls "British punk meets Paris cancun", the genius Jean Paul Gaultier managed to do so with a sleek elegance. The pant suits were tough, yet feminine. His use of mixed prints and lace blended perfectly into this couture collection. The use of the mohawks: genius. The accessories accentuated each garment perfectly. Fish nets added sex appeal to these looks as well. The silhouettes made my eyes do a dance, in a good way. The sheer overlays moved like water. Many of the garments were cinched at the waist, which gave the models a beautiful shape. The models looked chic. The garments were flawless. And I was pleased.

I must say, I was blown away.

My favorite piece!

Photos from vogue.com

Emilio Pucci: Pre-Fall 2011

Emilio Pucci's Pre-Fall Collection was definitely one that made my shriek with excitement. The colors, the prints, the texture.. fabulous! Each garment had it's own sense of fluidity. The color palette was effortlessly smooth. The blues and greens in the beginning of the collection moved beautifully into the pinks, than purples, and into the reds until it eventually met with orange. I felt like I was moving my eyes through a color spectrum. Trés vivant.

I loved the belts he used on many of the garments. And Pucci was one to implement a new growing trend: the tassel. Definitely loved this collection. Below are the pieces I felt highlighted the collection.

Photos from vogue.com

Chanel Haute Couture S/S Review

Today the Chanel Haute Couture collection was shown at Paris Fashion Week. The line opened up with Chanel's classic tweed with modern twist, a necessity for Chanel. That was a great way to open up to the show. Karl Lagerfeld did a great job with adding hints of glimmer in places without looking excessive, such as solid sequin pants, jacket cuffs, and lapels. The sashes around the waist gave the silhouettes a light, airy feel. However, there were a few things in this collection that I may express a difference of opinion to.

I have stated before that I am not a fan of the flats on the runway and, in this case, especially for haute couture. If flats are necessary, they should at least be done in moderation, not on every model. At the very least, a kitten heel would have done some of my favorite pieces justice. The flats used did nothing for the legs of the models. They especially did not enhance the look of the longer dresses.

There were some pieces that I loved. The textiles used were absolutely phenomenal. Again, the tweeds were amazing and the dresses were beautiful. However, there were not any looks that I found to be the "it" piece. I was not a fan of the slim fitting denim pieces. I did enjoy the slim trousers in other textiles, but not the denim. From the waist down, it did not give me a sense of mystique or give me chills. To me, that just looked like extremely well constructed white wash jeans. I felt that it did not fit well in the collection.

In conclusion, I must say that this season I will be Team Dior for this season's haute couture shows (in terms of the two houses). I felt like there were a lot of "filler" pieces and some of the outfits did not have a place. I was much more blown away by Chanel's 2011 S/S RTW collection than the haute couture collection. I did like a lot of pieces in the collection. Looking below at what I picked out, I feel like this collection could have had much more of an impact if there were not so many pieces that I did not like.

Here are my favorite pieces. And feel free to voice your opinions!

This was my favorite look

Photos from vogue.com.

Oh How History Repeats

Today I was looking my fashion books at some of my favorite pieces. I found it interesting that how many of out styles today are derived from history. Not to say that that isn't the case with other decades. But I feel that to many of the trends today are more of a direct interpretation from the times of Generation X up through the '90s. The textiles and silhouettes of the past are making a return with modern twists. I, for one, have been able to go straight into my mother's closet and pull out staple pieces that she wore in her twenties. So below I've taken some pieces blast from the garments that I found could easily go down the runway for Fashion Week!

And the Yves Saint Laurent "African Look" is my absolute favorite piece of all time.

1. Vivienne Westwood - 1997
2. Yves Saint Laurent - 1967
3. Jeanloup Sieff - 1971
4. Jean-Paul Gaultier - 1990
5. Christian Lacriox - 1990
6. Yohji Yamsmoto - 1999
7. Dior - 1990s

Photos from the books:
FASHION From the 18th to the 20th Century The Kyoto Costume Institute
and
FASHION Twentieth Century


And just a note, thank you for all of you who are beginning to follow! It really make me happy when I come online here and I see new comments and followers. I feel like I'm writing something worth someone's eyes. So just a thank you, and please continue to write and comment!

FloralsFloralsFlorals

With spring approaching, it brings one of my favorite prints: Florals! Here are some pieces that I love! Comment your opinions!

Harem Pants: Forever 21
Yellow Dress: Mark Jacobs
Sleeveless Dress: Material Girl at Macy's
Chino Shorts: J.Crew
Oxfords: Forever 21
Ring: Charlotte Russe

Images from Forever 21, J.Crew, Macy's, Charlotte Russe, and net-a-porter.com

The Age of Aries....-ius!

Please don't leave me alone on this one, but how many of you BUGGED OUT when you found out that your zodiac sign had been a LIE for all these years? Then how many of you then said twenty minutes later, "Forget that, I'm still a (respective zodiac)." That's exactly what I did. I am originally an Aries. An avid Aries, at that. I feel that I hold all the characteristics of this sign. And then one day, "You are a Pisces". Good jokes. I don't know how to be a Pisces. I've been living the life of an Aries for all these years.

Then it hit me. I had two concerns for this alleged sign change.

1. The Aries birthstone: diamonds.
2. A ring my father had handmade for me.

Both of my parents are from Guyana, a country in South America. So on my first trip during the summer of 4th grade, my dad had this 14K gold ring made for me. I was really sad to find out about this sign change, especially because of this ring! But then I heard two things about this news that made me feel better.

1. The changes only apply to people born after 2011.
2. The scientist who came up with this is a nut job.

And so, I remain an Aries.
What was your reaction to this zodiac change? What was your old and "current" zodiac sign? Please comment! And continue to follow me!

Pre-Fall 2011: Balenciaga

Looking through the the Pre-Fall collections, it was definitely Balenciaga that won my heart. The purple and cream floral textiles are absolutely PHENOMENAL! I actually got chills! The silhouettes of the trousers and the tops with the pleated hems, AMAZING! So to you, I am sharing some of my favorite pieces of the collections. Enjoy and feel free to comment!!

To see the rest of this collection, click here!

Photos from vogue.com