FASHION FAUX PAS

As an experienced designer and pattern-maker with a keen eye, I sometimes see celebrities and the likes wearing badly fitted clothes.

Designers are often very eager to gift or loan out their dresses and outfits. because of the attention and free exposure they get from the media.

But these dresses and outfits are rarely Made-to-measure for the person, but usually just standard sizes, that designers tried to fit to the sizes of celebrities  - and it often shows.

Photograph by Horst P. Horst, Mainbocher corset, Paris 1939

So, for example, I often see corsets, where the cups are to small and strapless dresses that are either too tight or to loose around the bust. -Or the bust height is too short, which flattens and pushes down the bust and make it look less flattering.

Photograph by Irving Penn, Vogue, October 1994

 

Either the celebrities don't know, that a perfect fit is possible or they want to save money or they can't afford Made-to-measure. So, of course they have to compromise.

Another example I've noticed, is long slits in full skirts. There is really no need for that, unless you want to look cheap, showing of your legs. Slits usually have a practical function in pencil-skirts and long narrow skirts, so that you actually are able to walk.

Last, but not least, I also noticed full skirts, that are far too long in the front. They might look nice, when the wearer is standing still. But unless the wearer grab and lift up the skirt with both hands, they will not be able to walk, but possibly stumble. That is definitely impractical and makes no sense to me.

Do you agree or disagree? Let me know what you think in the comments below.  

I'm sure, there are even more Fashion Faux pas out there, but often it is just a matter of taste.  

Unfortunately, I didn't find nice photos of these three very obvious examples. Nevertheless, I hope my description of the Fashion Faux pas gave you an idea.

Until next time. 

PRESENTATION LEAFLETS

Going through some of my stuff recently, I found these two old Presentation leaflets of mine. Here is the story behind them. 

The first one, I conceptualized and designed myself. It includes my logo and two pictures of models, wearing my designs. It has an estimated price list and a short description of who I am and what I offer. The format is A4, printed on each side and folded twice.

 

 

 

The second one is made by a professional Graphic designer, that I knew through my sister. 

I provided the photos, description and some instructions on how I would like it to look. I always preferred clean and simple.

She came up with this nice design, that I really liked. Again, the format is A4, printed on each side and folded once.

Back and front

 

Inside

Idea and Lay-out Design: Marianne Holmegaard

These leaflets were mainly used for client inqueries, exhibitions and fashion events.

By the way, I also posted about another similar project years ago. The inspiration and design for a special Business card in this post. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments below.

WAISTCOAT PATTERNS

I wanted to write a little bit about waistcoats in this post, since that is the subject of my latest YouTube videos.

The Waistcoat/Vest is a very versatile piece of garment. It can be used in many different ways, depending of the choice of fabric. 

For example in the summer, without anything else like a T-shirt. Or you can use more informally with just a T-shirt or shirt under.

Or more formally, as part of a three-piece pant- or skirt suit of course. You can create the Waistcoat in different styles, with or without lapel and collar, and evt. add a back-strap for adjustment.

 

-And to illustrate I tried to find some examples of the Waistcoats, that I have made. But it was before the Internet took off and I started to document what I make.

But at least I found a picture of one, that I made many years ago. The same summer as I made a Gala dress for my cousin.

As you can see, this waistcoat was a very casual one. It was made of Ikat-wowen fabric, that a good friend from Copenhagen brought home from Burma. 

Ikat fabric is a dying technique used to create a distinct style of textile patterns and it is done by rersist dying sections of the yarns prior to the weaving. In Ikat the resist is created by binding individual yarns or bundles of yarns with a tight wrapping, applied in the desired pattern. 

My cousin Lotte and I, late nineties.

THE STORY OF A GALA DRESS

I don't think I ever told the story about this particular Dress, that was made for a very special occasion years ago.

This dress was created during my formal years (1996-99) at The University of Fashion Design and Crafts in Odense, Denmark. Take a look at my Resume in the menu above.

 

Dress design and Lay-out, John F. Clément, Model, Trine Bolander

One day in 1998, a teacher, the late Bente Solander approached me, to ask if I would like to participate in the Danish Master ships competition for Tailor and design students in Copenhagen. I think it was well in advance, so of course I accepted the Challenge.

We were only two from the University that participated this year. I participated in the Gala Dress category and my friend Coco in the Tailor Suit category with a pink pants suit.

I became quite busy, working on this dress next to all my studies.

Beside filling out the participation papers, I had to decide which design I wanted to present and what kind of material was best suited. So, I designed different suggestions, before I decided which one to use.

I ended up with this Corset dress design, that you see above. I choose a multi patterned viscose fabric and used a polyester organdy as underlining. I hand-basted all the layers together, before overlocking and sewing them all together.  

To hold up the dress I attached a supporting inner corset with boning to the dress and hand-stiched the facing inside the corset. I also used hand-stiching to finish the wide train-hem.

From the beginning I knew I wanted to use my good friend Trine as a model. Luckily she said yes and I had a few fittings in Copenhagen, where she lived. 

She used to model, so she presented the dress very well on the runway in front of the audience and judges.

All in all, the Event was a very special experience, although neither of us won anything. 

Later on, I decided to transform this dress into a short cocktail dress with a cowl neck, that eventually was sold. 

Additionally I made a Corset out of the leftovers. It’s about a size 6 and still available, if anyone should be interested.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST

I realize, some people might find it difficult to categorize me, because I from time to time am alternating between Designing and making clothes to different Art-forms, as Abstract painting, Photography or Content creation on YouTube.

 

 Lisbeth wearing thunder-blue Couture gala dress with black tulle. 

From a photo-session at the Kgl. Gipsafstøbnings Samling, Copenhagen.

That's just how it is. I see no reason to constrain yourself to only one specific Art-form, if you have the ability to be creative in various artistic fields. Do you?

I've always have had the urge to create something with my hands. This process often begins with an idea and then they just keep coming. -Almost to the point that I can't keep up.

So, some projects doesn't always get finished, before I start new ones. Except for client requests of course. 

I always have several projects going on at once. -And before you know it, you end up with a lot creative projects. 

My Atelier are full of special designed clothes on several racks and abstract paintings in all sizes. 

So, if you are intrigued and want to own an exclusive designer dress, -skirt or a piece of abstract art, you are more than welcome to come by and have look. Just notify me in advance. 

I am curious, if this resonates out there. I would like to connect, if you know what I am talking about and have the same abilities. 

ONLINE ART GALLERY

For a long time I have experimented with online presentations of my paintings.

-And since I have closed my Instagram account long time ago, I thought it was time to explain my experiments here on my blog. 

Often, I zoom in or out on my originally abstract paintings, to get a new perspective and ideas for coming paintings.

-Illustrated in these particular paintings, that is from a series I called Cosmos.  

 Paintings from Online Gallery by Atelier John F. Clément

As mentioned before, in my view abstract art leaves plenty of room for different levels of interpretations. 

I am especially attracted to expressive abstract painting, because it has the ability to uplift, transform and even heal, if you give it a chance and take your time to wonder and reflect in front of it. 

My paintings are usually worked over a longer period of time. My approach is often intentional at first, with specific colors and a composition in mind. 

But as soon as I start, intuition takes over and the composition, often ends up in surprising ways, with bold colors, a lot of texture and several layers, until I find what I’m looking for. 

This process continually allows me to explore new possibilities. I never know where this journey leads me and how it turns out, which is why it's so intriguing. 

Take a look into this Virtual Gallery on LinkedIn, where I play around with different formats and sizes of my paintings to illustrate what I mean. I am open for commissions and would love Gallery representation.

To know more about me and my Art-practice and prices, reach out and connect. 

Feel free to comment or ask, if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day everyone.

ORGANIZING A FASHION EXHIBITION

Photo Session at Tidens Samling, Odense

This particular Cocktail dress was made for a very special occasion many years ago. My ten years Fashion Jubilee Exhibition in 2010 at The Exhibition building for Art and Design in Odense, Denmark.  

Ten years of making Made-to-measure clothes for a discerning clientele called for a celebation. The exhibition took a lot of preparations, so it had to be planned well in advance.

First I booked the place. Then I decided I wanted to design ten unique dresses, one for each year. 

But I also wanted to put something relevant on the walls. I chose ten famous fashion quotes from different designers, that I admired, bought the frames and glued on the quotes.

I had two dress-forms myself and borrowed the rest from my former Principal at The University of Fashion design & Crafts, where I graduated from in 1999.

And I wanted to elevate my designs, so I had three big podiums made with some help from my father and one of his friends. 

Along side all of that, I was designing the dresses, making the patterns, buying the fabric and sewing all the dresses, with some help from friends and interns with the finer details.

For example, on this asymmetric cocktail dress, that is made out of a duchess silk, underlined with silk organdy, a friend was hand sewing the black applications and a lot of different jet-pearls on to the dress. It’s about a size 8/38 Eu-sizes and still available.

I had to write and send out Press releases and not to forget Invitations for the reception that you can see here. 

Just to show you what goes into an exhibition like this. I could not have done it without all this help and the support from my husband.

THE "BUSINESS" PRESIDENT

This post is very different from my usual content. But the current situation calls for it I think.  I am just trying to make sense of it all. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 The World as of today

I have long wondered why no one have connected the dots between Trump’s past and the way he’s ruling the Country today.

He apparently never learned about responsability, mutual respect and how to interact with other people. Not even a simple thing as to treat other people like you want to be treated yourself.

Raised by a sociopath father and distant mother, craving for attention and never loved.

Influenced by Roy Cohn, a lawyer and prosecutor under McCarthy and a cold, calculating and cynical mentor, with Mafia connections.

-A recipe for disaster.

Cohn gave him the playbook he’s been using ever since. He told him to always attack, counterattack and never apologise to his opponents, no matter what. - Does it sound familiar?

You can say, that this outrageous behaviour and incompetence most probably caused all his business dealings and ventures to fail.

No wonder he turned into what we are seeing today.

Or we can look at it the other way around and say, if the way he runs the country today, is any indication of how he ran his business’s, no wonder they all failed.

Nobody likes a Bully, that only demands, threatens, retaliates and revenges, if he doesn’t get his way and can’t figure out how to talk, negotiate and compromise. Simple as that.

And with his deteriorating health, becoming increasingly megalomaniac, delusional and imperialistic, does not make the situation better.

I think, he will not stop until he has run the country to the ground, because he couldn’t get what he wanted the most - love, attention and respect. It is tragic really.

 -And the incompetent people that surround him, with similar issues, will always take advantage of that, to promote their own selfish agenda.

I really hope for The United States own sake and the rest of the world for that matter, that people will come to their senses sooner rather than later and change their minds, at least at the midterm's. Otherwise the prospects looks very gloomy.

The world is watching! 

Conclusion: You can not run a Country like a business. We need to realize that a transactional Business person, that just wants to make deals, might not always be the best solution to run a country. It is not about making deals.

How to avoid something like that in the future? 

First, there needs to be serious repercussions and then laws put in place to prevent this from ever happening again. Maybe even a psychological evaluation of candidates. 

Not to speak about transparency into sponsors and donors and their agenda. They can support, but not influence, in my humble opinion.

Read more about Roy Cohn and Trump in this BBC article.

By the way! When you flatten out a Globe, it gets distorted. In reality Africa is actually 14 times bigger than Greenland. 

THE CHRISTMAS TREE DRESS

The foundation of Made-to-measure clothes, is your measurements. This is the secret to create clothes, that always will fit you perfectly, no matter your size.

 

 

In my new video on YouTube, I am showing you how to construct your own Made-to-measure Christmas tree Dress. I actually made this dress for fun, to use it as a Christmas tree with a lot of decorations on it.

But it’s about a size 8/38 and made out of a non stretchable nervous velour, some cotton fabric and tulle, so it is wearable.

If you would like to make something like that for yourself, start by making your own basic dress pattern according to my previous video on the subject. Make the necessary adjustments for the top of the dress and follow along in the new video.  

You need to measure the length from the top to the floor and find out how many layers of gathered pieces you want. - And how wide they need to be, to create the desired effect. The upper layer should be the shortest one and the bottom layer the longest.

In my coming videos, I am open for your suggestions. So, if you have any subjects you would like me to cover, feel free to reach out. 

If you got inspired and want to learn how to make something like this, follow along and subscribe to support my channel and please spread the word if you know someone else who could benefit.

As always, if you have any questions or need help for a project, comment here or on my YouTube channel and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

 

TRIBUTE, LEGACY and HERITAGE

The recent years loss of family members made me reflect on the impact they have had on my life.

It’s only now in retrospect that I fully realize how important they were to me and to the path I chose. 

Hawthorn bush by Jeppe Larsen (1935-84)

My late aunt Annalise, the sister of my father, who passed recently at 96, had a certain influence on my later path. She was in charge of Valdemar Juul for many years, a known Danish manufacturing company at that time and attended Fashion fairs twice a year in Copenhagen. I had the chance to join her and her colleagues several times during my teens.

This exposure to the Fashion industry most probably made me choose to venture into fashion later on in life.

My late uncle Frede, who was married to my aunt and passed years ago, was also a big supporter of my early artistic endeavors and a great benefactor of the local art community in general.

He must have seen something in me, since he always brought me along to all these art exhibitions from a young age. He encouraged me and showed me a way of life that I otherwise never would have seen.

At exhibitions, he often asked me about my opinion and if he should buy certain artworks. I met several of the artists that he knew at different occasions.

When I look back, it is now very clear to me how much this influenced me in my later choices.

Since they didn’t have any children, I, my siblings and many others inherited quite a few of their cherished artworks.

Among them these two bronze sculptures by Steffen Christensen, a Danish sculptor that lived in Belgium. My uncle had several dealings with him and they became friends and the painting by Jeppe Larsen, the grandson of Johannes Larsen that you see on top in this Blog post.

Family members who influenced you somehow, continues to live on in our memories. So, I guess with this, I just want to say: -appreciate the people you still have, while they are here. Before it’s too late.

Until next time! 

GIVING BACK

Hello all you creative and curious people out there.

Some of you might wonder why I am doing what I’m doing here and on my YouTube channel. So, I’ll try to explain.

The older you get, the more you try to make sense of it all. -Your life and your experiences. Why am I here and what is the purpose?

Throughout my life I’ve gained a lot of experience in  creative areas like art and design and I have created and compiled a lot of abstract paintings and dresses in time.

Maybe you’ve also noticed, I really like to inspire people, to teach and share my knowledge from all these years of experience. 

I would really like to pass all this and  my experience on in some way, for it not to be wasted. 

If you’re curious, read more about my experiences in my Resume and Services in the Menu section above. -And if you have any questions, suggestions or requests, just reach out.  

But, at the same time I also urge you to take action and not hesitate to make it happen, whatever you might have in mind. Follow your dreams.

If you don’t start or put it out there, nothing will happen and no one will ever know. Life is too short not to give it a try.

Like this blog posts title says, it’s my way of giving back by paying it forward.

Maybe you can call it my legacy, I don’t know. But I’m curious to know what you think. So, feel free to leave a comment below.

Looking forward to hear from you.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN PANTS

The foundation of Made-to-measure clothes, is your measurements. This is the secret to create clothes, that fits perfectly.

 

In these two new videos I am guiding you Step-by-step on how to construct your own Made-to-measure pants. So, you can experience the feeling of pants that actually fits you perfect.

 -For these pants, you need some additional measures, that I am mentioning in the videos. Add them to your Size Chart, that you can download here for free. 

If you don't want to watch these videos over and over, you also have the option to buy manuals with illustrations and detailed instructions about how to construct the pant pattern, for a small amount. It is available via this link.

I am also offering to create your personal patterns, if you prefer that instead. I just need your exact measurements to do that. Contact me via email, if you are interested.

In my coming videos, I am open for your suggestions. So, if you have any subjects you would like me to cover, feel free to reach out. 

If you got inspired and want to learn how to make something like this, follow along and subscribe to support my channel and please spread the word if you know someone else who could benefit.

As always, if you have any questions or need help for a project, comment here or on my YouTube channel and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

DESIGN INSPIRATION AND ESTHÉTICS

From my latest video on YouTube about a topic that lies very close to my heart.
In my experience, your sense of design esthétics is not something you have or suddenly get.

-It is something you develop over time.

If you are conscious about what you are exposed to through your life, you will eventually learn how to recognize good taste from bad taste and develop your own design esthétics and vision.

Or maybe it will manifest itself at some point, if you’re passionate enough about it and pursuing it.

Not everyone is able to perfect their taste like that. But when you are stimulated and exposed to different environments and art forms from a young age, you eventually develop a certain sense of taste.

Personally I was very interested in architecture and design from a young age.

But, I was also exposed further through different educations.

So, you can say that a keen interest and experience played a big part in developing my esthétics.

One of my late teachers once said, when she encouraged me to participate in a tailor/design competition: -because they master a trade, they don’t necessarily possesses design expertise.

Of course one doesn’t exclude the other, but often it takes a certain sense of expertise and esthetic to master both.

One of the most interesting couturiers in this regard, that has been very influential and inspiring to me personally, is Christobal Balenciaga.

His innovative designs and meticulous craftsmanship set him apart from other designers, such as Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, who referred to him as "The King of Fashion" and "The Master of Us All."

Because he mastered every aspect of the design process, from design to actually executing the designs himself.

His unique approach to tailoring and fabric manipulation inspired and influenced designers like Hubert de Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta and André Courrèges to explore fashion in new ways. -And he continues to inspire designers all over the world.

Take a look at my previous blog post here, to learn more about Balenciaga. 

I am curious to know what you think about this subject. Please, share your thoughts in the comments below.

THE MAKING OF A BALL GOWN

This post is a supplement to my latest video on YouTube.

As I showed you this Ball gown in my previous video, back in Denmark, I will just describe  how I sewed the dress in this post. So, please check out that video to get the full picture. 

After I cut out all nine panels for this dress in silk taffeta and silk-organza, I underlined each one of them with the organza, by basting all the layers together. To enforce the taffeta, but also to support the shape of the dress itself.

 

I overlocked all the pieces, before I sewed them together. I ironed all the seams carefully, so they didn't show on the front.

I marked the hemline 8 cm up with the basting thread and sewed two rows of stiches at the edge to be able to gather it to the same with as the dress has 8 centimeters higher than the hemline. Once gathered I secured the hem with a bias ribbon, before I hemmed it with invisible stiches all around.

I sewed in the invisible zipper before I placed the dress between the two layers of the corset very precisely. I inserted all the rings for the lacing of the corset.

Finally, I finished off the lower edge of the corset with bias ribbon. 

As an alternative method, you can also place the dress back to front on the corset and sew on an enforced facing instead. 

You need a lot of patience for a time-consuming project like this. But I think the result was worth the effort. I used one of my big tulle-skirts under this dress, for the full effect.

If you got inspired and want to learn how to make something like this, follow along and subscribe to my channel and please spread the word if you know someone else who could benefit.

As always, if you have any questions or need help for a project, comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

GRAPHIC ART MUSEUM

As you might have noticed, this blog is not only about fashion. Like the Header says - it's also about Design, Pattern-making, Art, Creativity, Inspiration, Lifestyle and Culture from my personal point of view.

While on a brief stay-over in Copenhagen recently, we discovered a hidden gem nearby the Hotel. 

The Art Museum Kastrupgård Samlingen, that was entirely dedicated to displaying Graphic Art in all it's forms. It was a very nice surprise and on top admission was free. 

Very unusual for Denmark, where everything has gone up in recent years. Don't get me wrong, Denmark is beautiful, but also very expensive to visit. 

Here is few snapshots from this exhibition. Press the photos to get a better look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photos by John F. Clément

 

 So, I definitely recommend you to pay this very specialized museum a visit next time you are in Copenhagen.

HOW TO MAKE A TULLE SKIRT

As I explained in my latest video on YouTube, it’s not complicated to make a tulle skirt. It just takes some planning, time and  patience to do.

First, you need to create a solid base skirt to sew all the layers onto. I usually use a half circle skirt, which I enforce.

It could be short or longer, depending on how big you want the skirt and how many layers are needed to give you the effect that you want.

 

The tulle skirt shown in this post has a ca. 50-60 cm short base skirt and six dense layers.

You need to figure out how long you want the tulle skirt and what shape you want it.

Then mark the lengths of all the layers onto the base skirt pattern with space in between and stitch these guidelines on to the base skirt. 

For the closing, I always create a pants closing without the zipper, so there’s an overlap.

Find out how dense you want the layers before you cut them. You will often need more than you think.

Gather the layers with two rows of a solid thread and distribute them evenly and pin them on right against right, except for the waist layer. This gives the skirt more volume.

Start with the second highest layer and work your way down. The longest layer is attached to the waist at last.

Finish the tulle skirt off with an enforced waistband and several hooks and eyes.

 Design and execution: John F. Clement

The story behind this particular dress.

This dress was made for a Flower Festival event in Denmark years ago. It was made-to-measure as all the dresses I created for this event. All the dresses had some kind of floral motif in the design, since it was a Flower Festival. 

-As you can see in this old posts, here and another event here.