When I began this project I searched the internet for inspiration for my collection and to see if any other designers had tackled the topic of the & deadly sins. Apart from photography and hair and make up artistry work I found very little.
America's next top model did a 7 Deadly sins inspired shoot which looked amazing. I particularly found the colour use and the way the shoot was done brilliant and thought it directed the message very well. I will consider something like this for my own shoot when I finish my & deadly sins collection.

I found a designer/stylist in New York who had tackled the 7 deadly sins project as part of a Charity fashion show. I think the individual design work is brilliant and well thought out as well as the photography. I love the depth and truth that stands out from the photographs. I will definitely be keeping this idea in mind for inspiration of my own work. I particularly like the "Sloth" photo with all the cobwebs, I think the message is very powerful and I will definitely put this in forward and try it in my own Sloth photoshoot.

I do however feel the collection is too miss-matched in fabric and style. My collection will be using of similar fabrics and print as well as similar in design. With using so many prints and colours I feel there needs to be some similarity for it to represent a collection.

I do applaud this work though as I feel each garment got the message across without any confusion.

http://www.fashionrolla.com/2012/03/seven-deadly-sins.html

Today I went location hunting for my Apocalyptic photo shoot. I drove around and looked at old walls, buildings and overgrown rundown scenery. i found a few different places that I like but the best one was my dads farm. There was a section in the cow shed that had a blank wall; it was rusty and dirty and would be a great back drop for my photo shoot, all I need now is some props and add ins to set my scene. I also chose this location as it has electricity, lighting, a roof and walls. all these things will help should the weather continue to be awful.
As I spent a lot of time looking for my perfect location I thought I would share my photos with you all.

 This back drop is my favourite

 This will be great to burn a fire in

Love this old wall and rusty railings

 This place would have been great but I couldn't find the owners.

The old regal cinema would have been a great place to shoot but I just found out it's due to be ripped down in the upcoming weeks.

Whilst searching the web I came across a company called Bleeding star clothing. They have done a T-shirt collection based around the 7 deadly sins.
I found their work full of imagination and charisma; whilst very dark and disturbing I found the collection fascinating and attention grabbing.
I really like the way they have done the photo-shoot for the collection and thought it mirrored each design and sin extremely well.
http://www.bleedingstarclothing.com/zwvs/lookbook7deadly.html



With my own photo shoot looming I decided to do some last minute research for ideas for props and location /backdrop.
I came across a apocalyptic inspired  photo shoot done by photographer Kevin Flint. I really like the weapons that are used and the story that they tell of protection from the corrupt and unsafe world. I think I will look for old weapons for my own shoot and see how I can use them to tell my own story.
http://geekxgirls.com/article.php?ID=280

Fabric choices

Fabric Choices

My fabric choices for my collection are taffeta and Chiffon in the colours I talked about in “Colour palette”.

I will be screen printing some of my artwork onto my chosen fabric.

    Here is an example of some screen printing on the catwalk. I really like the definition and depth of screen printing compared to usually printed fabric which can sometimes look flat. I wanted to give feeling and emotion to my fabric so that it jumps out and grabs attention. 

Her is an example of how screen printing is done. 

Dolce and Gabanna vegetable screen print two piece on the catwalk.

My final collection

                               My Final collection.

For my final collection I chose the theme of the 7 deadly sins. I came up with this idea by researching into predictive trends for 2014. I found that patterns were created and events influenced how trends come about. In the 1930's, in the great depression, this was shown by people making do and re-creating but doing so in an overstated and glamorous way. Backless floor length dresses and hourglass silhouettes were very popular in evening wear. In the 1980's when another recession hit, the same method applied by people making do and re-creating. Although there were a few different trends, people did their best to stand out from the crowd and make a statement.

Today is the worst recession since the 1930s but instead of cutting back and making do, we are burying our heads in the sand and climbing into more debt by splurging out to make ourselves feel better.  If the Jones’s next door have it, we want it, and since credit is so readily available, we are overindulging and buying the unnecessary, even in this time of financial difficulty.

The 7 deadly sins are wrath, greed, gluttony, pride, envy, sloth and lust; everything I believe we encompass today during this recession.

Therefore my collection will be rebelling against today’s recession and using influences of previous recession trends; the 1930s silhouette and glamour as well as the individuality that the 1980s showed.

I will do this whilst portraying the 7 deadly sins as I feel it is how we are represented in today’s financial crisis.  Each outfit will have been influenced by a sin.

Target Market

The market level I chose to aim my collection at was the high end of the high street. The company I chose was ‘Forever Unique’. I chose this company for its glamorous, unique style and its appeal to a variety of people. This includes the everyday, working woman wanting that special dress, to celebrities looking for a red carpet number.

‘Forever Unique’ use a lot of sheer floaty fabrics and layering as well as embellishment.

When designing my collection I had glamour, layering, sheer fabrics and embellishment in mind. I also wanted my collection to be affordable but special and unique, and not something you could pick up in your average high street store. That’s why I chose ‘Forever Unique’ as they stand for everything I want to represent in this collection.

Muse/Customer

For my ‘muse’ I wanted someone who earns a high-end wage, likes to look glamorous and attends a lot of parties and events. I chose Michelle Keegan, who plays Tina in Coronation Street, as she always looks so effortlessly glamorous yet comfortable on the red carpet. She doesn’t spend large amounts of money on a dress when attending parties or events and she loves ‘Forever Unique’.

Colour palette

Pride- To represent Pride as a colour and design I thought of Peacocks because they are proud and vain.  Peacock blue and peacock feather print fabric for Pride.                     

Wrath- To represent Wrath as a colour and design I thought of flames, red angry faces and barbed wire printed onto fabric.

Gluttony- To represent Gluttony as a colour and design I thought of the colour pink like a lollipop or a greedy pig and all the words associated with the sin printed on to fabric.                             

Greed- To represent Greed as a colour and as a design I thought of the colour green like money and of hundred dollar bills and dollar signs printed onto fabric.

                     

Envy- To represent Envy as a colour and design, I thought the colour green was very appropriate; green with envy and the green eyed monster. Printed onto the fabric green eyes and green snakes.                               

Sloth- To represent sloth as a colour and design I thought of off white or grey because it’s a lazy colour with not much going on. Also clocks and pocket watches printed onto the fabric.

Lust- To represent Lust as a colour and design, I thought it had to be red as it is the colour of passion. I also thought of red lips and kiss prints printed onto fabric.

This afternoon I started to search for a photographer, make-up artist and hair artist for my post apocalyptic photoshoot.
I found a great photographer who is just starting out named Beverly. She has a very distinctive edgy style style which I loved and think she will work great with my theme.
I really love the way she highlights colour and draws attention to where it is needed. I particularly like the dark fantasy look about her work and how she captures the essence  and they story that is being told.
I picked out some of her images of her website that I really liked and also I have given you the link so you can see all her work and contact her.

http://beverlyicely.4ormat.com/

I also found a hair and make up artist from Manchester named Yvonne, she is very talented and I really liked the work that she had shown on her company's Facebook page.
She has done a wide variety of hair and make up, from weddings, proms, fashion, prosthetics and advertising. I really like her professional finish and how she brings about her looks, I think her work really finishes off the image that is being captured.
I have taken some of my favourite images from her work page for you to look at and also given you the link so you can see the rest of he work and contact her if you require her services.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Von-make-up-artist/474079325978297