Over the last few years I have developed a fondness and appreciation for men's and women's fashion and fashion design. After spending years walking down the street and passing by the clothing places on 24th St. I began to enjoy the various window displays and arrangements. I took more time to notice the cuts, the shapes, the forms, the patterns. My favorite place is Ambiance. The window displays are almost always beautifully integrated arrangements of color, pattern, and form. This photograph was taken from a dress in one of their displays. I rather enjoy the scalloped shapes and the amazing contrast of the warms and cools. I took this into Photoshop and messed around with the color and saturation levels a bit. I always look forward to their new displays. Oh, yeah the Phoenix bookstore also has fun arrangements of books based on color schemes. This is always fun from a color and text perspective.
My only lament is that there are very few clothing places for men in this neighborhood. I do enjoy dressing up myself, especially for work or work related things. I still love my Carharts, black t-shirt, and baseball cap, but I have developed a fondness for nice button down shirts, ties, pants, and shoes. I was already headed this direction, and then after watching Don Draper and Co. on Mad Men for the last year or so, I really developed a stronger appreciation for dressing up. When I dress up I feel accomplished.
On the flip side of dressing up, I have also taken an interest in finding t-shirt designs. I found a couple that I really liked at the recent Threads fashion event in SF, and ordered another from BrassTack Apparel.
Now, after years and years of drawing the nude figure, I find myself interested in spending more time drawing clothed figures and clothing. I like looking through fashion magazines for interesting figures, portraits, styles, and trying to draw them, but would prefer to work from life. I am looking for any interested models, who may have some interesting outfits, or arrangements.
Haha dressing up does give a (sometimes false) sense of accomplishment. I've been dressing up nicely for work all summer, but the people on the subway don't know i'm just an unpaid intern (HA!)
ReplyDeleteWho do you think is at fault for the lack of men's fashion options? I guess men don't feel as comfortable "looking silly" as women or something. Or women pull it off without looking silly? I don't know.