Congratulations to the Winners of the DIY with IOU Competition

Congratulations to the winners!  Their designs are pretty nice. If y’all get a chance, take a look at them on the IOU Project Facebook Page. I really like the convertible dress that becomes a handbag. Anyway, I can finally share my designs so here they are:

Now that y’all saw the process from my previous post, here are the final dresses! There’s 2 dresses, so be sure to scroll all the way down to see both. Both dresses have different ideas, but the concept is the same : The Go To Dress that is in your closet.

LOOK ONE:

Dress Name: Sankar (Named after Mr. S Sankar, the handloom weaver who made the fabric)

Type of Dress: Convertible Daywear For Spring/Summer. Can be long or short, sash can be tied in different ways or as a hair sash.

Note: I tried to maximize as much fabric for this beautifully handmade fabric, so I made the pattern wide and as square as possible. The pleats were made to make shape at the neckline.

Sankar as a Short Dress

Close Up Details. Pleats and Bias Binding

Note: Bias tends to have fabric waste but I figured it was either bias or lining or facing to finish the edges. I still needed to have straps anyway.

Raw edges was also a thought but washing and wearing it will shorten the life of the dress. This should be a long lasting Go To dress.

Plain Back with Invisible Zipper

Side View

With Sash:

Note: The sash can be worn in many different ways.

Snap Attachment

Note: To make the skirt long, attach the skirt at the hem by snapping it on.

Sankar as a Maxi Dress

Other Uses

Note: The belt can be converted to a sash for the hair

LOOK TWO

Dress Name: Asha (Means hope in Sanskrit)

Type of Dress: Versatile Daywear For Work or Week End

Note: Asha is more of a fashion piece since I had plenty of fabric to make two dresses. I chose to make fabric covered buttons instead of another type of button so that the fabric scraps are put to good use.

Front View:

Front View with Sash

Ruffle Detail

Sleeve Detail

Back View

Thank You!

Ready. Get Set. Go! Diy With IOU – The Process

It’s been a super duper busy month! I entered this contest hoping to become a finalist, but at the same time, I was actually training for a muay thai kickboxing competition. The contest’s deadline is March 26th, and the tournament is March 31st. Talk about challenging! In the end, it was all worth it and I am so glad I did all of it.

I’ve documented some of the process below:

CONVERTIBLE DRESS

Since the fabric is handmade and made with love, how do I keep it functional and to use as much fabric  as possible (maximizing the 0% waste concept)

I wanted to keep the dress loose and I did some sketches, but in the end, it was easier to drape so I could visually see how I could maximize fabric.

After draping, I took the muslin pattern off the form and transferred it to paper

Here I’m just seeing how much the paper pattern would take up on the fabric. This was 45″ wide muslin, so I was guesstimating. I didn’t know how wide the Madras fabric was.

So when I received the fabric, I was so excited! It was handwoven by handloom weaver Mr. S Sankar, so I decided to name my convertible dress Sankar.

After tweaks and revisions, I finally made the final proto out of muslin. The front neckline should actually be sharper, but voila! Sankar is a dress that can be a short dress, a maxi dress, and the sash can be also be tied in the hair.

SHIRT DRESS

I really want to make two dresses. The 2nd one is from the concept board I submitted to the DIY with IOU contest. The question is… is there enough fabric? Well, if there is, I will call her Asha

Stay tuned for the final garments!

Updates On The IOU Project & Source4Style Design Contest

In my previous post, I talked about my concept for this contest. I was so lucky to be one of the 10 finalists so I’ve been working like crazy getting my designs executed into something tangible. So far we’ve been getting a lot of great feedback and acknowledgement, which I am so proud of. I’m proud because this contest has to do with fashion AND making the world a better place. What more could a girl ask for?

Source4Style and IOU Project are the awesome companies that are holding this contest.

Ecouterre is the main media sponsor which will also have an Audience Award Contest. Look out for that in my posts!

Then we’ve got ecosalon and Smashing Darling, who are just super stellar sites that did a write up.

In the meantime, check out the espadrilles on IOU Project. Total cuteness. Also, as a premium member on Source4Style, I am receiving helpful trend reports and loving how I’m able to source handmade fabrics.

I can’t wait to show y’all what I’ve created!

In addition to this contest, since I have access to Source4Style’s site, this is seriously convincing me to make my own little collection a sustainable one!

Butter & Jam -Source4Style & IOU Project

When I first found IOU Project before it launched, I was so excited that someone was able to execute a similar dream of mine. Kavita Parmar had a clear vision, which made me realize dreams can be tangible. Though I predominately design dresses, it would be such an honor to be a small part of this worldwide initiative.

I created a concept board of what reminded me of IOU Project. This brand makes great core items that belong in anyone’s closet. I can turn to IOU items without thinking and still feel great wearing it. Though my style is a bit different, I tried to make a collection that could keep that core concept.

Butter & Jam

This inspiration,(click here to see the board) , came about because they are “core items” in everyone’s diet.  It reminds me of words and phrases such as ‘made with love’, ‘wholesome’, ‘comfort’…  staples that belong in everyone’s cupboard….and who doesn’t love getting homemade butter & jam cookies or sandwiches from their mother? Hence the Mother/Daughter concept came about….

Thank you!

Minna

Update

It’s been a great 2012 so far. A beautiful couple I know purchased three of my illustrations (see below), a friend commissioned me to knit her a hat, and two people I know are getting married and decided to go with a Minna K! I know it seems a little all over the place, but to me… it’s creating things that is important to me and that is just what I’m doing. Between juggling these projects and work, to training in Muay Thai and other things, I’ve got a full Winter and Spring. When I have some downtime, I’m also working on getting a little business going with my illustrations. Stay tuned! xo Minna

Art#2 S1 "Selena"

Art#1 S1 "Marlena"

Art#3 S1 "Greta"

The Next Morning

She’s doing the walk of shame right about now. Hope 2012 brings you everything that you wish for!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! What will the year of the Dragon bring you?

I was imagining what dress I wanted to wear for the New Year’s party tonight, and found some black and white print silk fabric in my closet. So.. this is the design I came up with. Have a wonderful night tonight and party like it’s 2012!

Fashion Illustrations

Happy Holidays! I headed back to Houston to spend time with the family, when I came across my gouache set. I used to use this medium but quit doing it, turning to marker and pencil. It took hours and hours to get to “My” style, but once I started getting it, it either moved fast or I just didn’t notice the time….and so I wanted to share a couple. I used gouache, brush pen, ink pen, pencil and water soluble colored pencil.

Shop And Give – All In One

This season, I decided to create a site that merged consumerism and charities. The reason is that I see so many beautifully handcrafted items from artisans around the world and yet many people are unaware of this.

This lead me to building a website that includes both artisans AND charities AND hope. Hope. It saves lives.

I just ask that you take the time to surf through the site so that I did not do this in vain. Seriously y’all, this took a lot of time and I am not profiting from it. I know that it’s not the most beautiful site but I just want people to be aware. Instead of giving money to a big corporation during Black Friday and the rest of the season, give money to help ones in need. Thank you!

Table from Nkuku.com

Dresses and Muay Thai

What’s the relation? Nothing, really.  I do have to say though that this is one of the most inspiring trips that I have ever been on.

If you follow your desires, your dreams, you achieve a different level of gratitude. You feel and experience things that you would have never felt if you hadn’t followed them. I had this dream to go to Thailand, to go to a Muay Thai camp for years now. Even prior to starting my own dress collection. I never fulfilled it because I kept thinking how I didn’t have time for it. Well… I guess this year is all about fulfilling lost dreams, so I did it without thinking too much about it. Turns out, time was too short and I was so sad when it was time for me to leave. Now, I will make time to go back and to stay longer.

I met the root of Muay Thai at Sinbi in Phuket. The trainers here have done it all of their lives, since they were kids. They treated me like I was family, though they hardly knew me. I chose one trainer to do privates with, Pot, who really cared about what he taught me, so I listened with my heart wide open. This really brought my Muay Thai to a new level. All the trainers are like Pot. You can go whether you are brand new at this or a seasoned fighter and learn something. That’s what makes it special.

Also, have any of you gone to Thailand? It’s gorgeous. It’s an inspiration in itself to start a collection entirely based on this country. It has definitely influenced me in my design direction.