T-Shirt Fun

I normally don't create from T-shirts but for an event for Global Action through Fashion (at which I spoke about the importance of Green Fashion), I was asked to create a design a la VAGADU in a t-shirt form. The idea behind creating a t-shirt was that they would be teaching people how to rework their old t-shirts into something great. Therefore, I went to work to show how I would do it.

At first I was unenthusiastic, mainly because I am sick of t-shirts and the fabric that is used in most ready-to-wear. To me, t-shirt fabric is cheap and ugly and doesn't last. So, I don't work in it. However, in honor of the event I decided to participate.

To my surprise, I actually had fun and created a design I was proud of. As you can see in the image my reworked tee turned out pretty well.

So, what did I do?

1. Cut the sleeves and bottom off the dark green tee. Took the sleeves and and rouged them into the flower on the front. In order to get the shape I hand sewed it. Yes...using my couture techniques that I use on the very high end VAGADU pieces. As I know, couture is appropriate for almost ALL DESIGNS!!!

2. Took the bottom of the shirt and used it to created a mini ruffle and trim around the neckline. Again, applied through laborious hand-sewing.

3. I had another tee that was falling apart, and so I used it to create the cascading ruffles. This was accomplished by simply cutting spiraling circles into the green fabric and then letting them unwind creating the effect you see in the image. Next, I stitched them to the shoulder.

Voila! You have a couture-inspired tee!!! Amazing!

The Vagadu Man Emerges...

In just the last couple months I have surprisingly gotten very inspired by menswear. This is a very unexpected development, yet it has come about so naturally that somehow it just feels right!

A little back end tidbit....besides creating clothing I have branched out into image consulting and my primary clients have been men. Through the research and development of how to create great style for men, my creative juices started to expand as I got more and more requests for custom clothing. Given my flair for the unusual , it has been a fun journey to find the sweet spot between striking and over-the-top. Granted my idea of striking is probably much bolder than most, but still, I am find that avant-guard men's clothing is a very up-and-coming market and men are just plain AWESOME clients.

The other day I got a commission for a special b-day shirt. The man was an artist and so I wanted to tie the shirt in with his artwork. My client's art is photography where he essentially collages different bits of the image so that it has depth and texture and has you rethink the entire image. I wanted to apply that same concept to his shirt...which you see--in the image to the left--is a reconstruction or a collage of several shirts in one garment.

Another concept I conceived for a shirt is using my "scrap technology" (as seen in the scrap tech vests in previous post) and applied to a masculine design. In the end, it became more of what I consider to be a new take on the tuxedo shirt... or in other words, a reinterpretation of the classic ruffle. In the image pictured here, the gentleman is also sporting one of my custom ascots...a great variation on the classic tie.