Warmer Colors

These are the three logos that I created on Illustrator for my blog. I stuck with the sunset theme in order to coincide with the background image I created for my blog.

In the first logo, there are multiple forms of contrast. I used different hues of the purple color in order to contrast and make the cloud appear similar to pop art. Because the lines of the cloud were so bold, I opted for a thinner font to contrast.

In the second logo, I wanted the font to speak the loudest. This is the icon I chose to replace my logo right now. I think it is very simple but conveys exactly the message I want it to. The main contrast is the boldness of the text versus the pastel like brushstrokes of the three sunset colors.

Finally, I have another sunset-like logo. This is very similar to the previous logo but with a bit less contrast. Rather than having the bold name, the text is in white. It is a much less contrasting form, and I think it would be hard to read as the blogs logo.

For this trend update, I would create the paneling in a different place that is most complimentary to the body. These would be bold, with the front panels in a solid color and then the back panels in two different patterns.

For this t-shirt, I would update the look making it a higher crop, ending at the bra line. Extreme crops are becoming more popular throughout time, and allow for less fabric to stick to the body while working out. I’d also make the sleeves a bit longer and add a roll to them. My pattern would either cover the whole shirt or be a panel at the bottom.

• 

• 

For these two products, I would sell them as a set (with the bra crop and the biker short). For the bike shorts, I would add sleek pockets for updated technology, as well as make the shorts longer. The bra top would cross in the back and potentially have cut outs. Both looks would be bold, either filled completely with pattern or with stripes of pattern around the tops and bottoms of the fabric.

Looking at trends for Spring/Summer 2020 makes me excited to see what trends are going to emerge over the next year. One trend in specific I found really interesting is the potential focus on digital technology and nature that is set to come to life within the year. This, according to WGSN, develops a contrasting color palette that incorporates bright tech-y colors and nature-like colors, as seen below.

Big changes are also coming within the sneaker region of clothing, which relates to my activewear line. There are many changes, including the sourcing of new materials and an added focus on sustainability and technology.

Another activewear trend that I found interesting was the ability for clothing to feel like a “second skin”. This requires the implementation of certain biological products which make the product more breathable, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing.

Within this same vein of comfort, there is increased emphasis on maximizing the stretch levels in active wear in order to make the product more usable. I think this would be perfect for my activewear line, considering I am trying to create the most productive, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing piece of clothing someone could ask for.

In addition to comfort, there is also an added focus on sustainability and nature. Although my color scheme lends itself to louder colors, I believe I’ll also have a focus in softer, more natural color. I believe this balance will help to market my clothing and make it more appealing.

The satin moments that were researched in WGSN were also extremely appealing to me. That gives the product an expensive and interesting finish, as opposed to a blander cotton. The products the PowerPoint displayed were really interesting, new, and appealing.

Guatemalan culture is astounding and beautiful in many different ways. Brightly colored handmade textiles, an influence from Mayan culture within Guatemala, deliciously prepared foods, and beautiful bird’s eye view paintings all characterize the day-to-day life in this South American country.

Textiles and Embroidery

• 

• 

• 

Where present-day Guatemala currently resides was once home to the Mayan civilization, of which some members still reside in Guatemala today. The Mayans are one of the first groups recorded to have created textiles; therefore, textiles has quite literally made present-day’s Guatemala’s history. Weaving was seen as a semi-sacred act connected to the goddess Ix Chel, the embodiment of wisdom, fertility, and female virtues. Ix Chel is often pictured wearing a backstrap loom, which is how traditional Mayan textiles are created. Weaving textiles was considered the most important artistic creation in the ancient Mayan times.

When the Spanish colonized the Mayans, many Mayan cultural practices were diminished; however, textile weaving remained. Today, it is still practiced often, as about 50 percent of Guatemala still identifies as Mayan. Real Mayan textiles are still created on the original backstrap loom.

As seen in the photos above, Guatemalan culture has also brought embroidery to importance on top of their naturally dyed woven fabrics. Vibrant and intricate embroidery has become a staple of Guatemalan textiles post-Spanish colonization. Each village around Guatemala has a distinct embroidery style and color scheme that they have passed down through generations.

Food

• 

• 

• 

There are many regional markets that exist throughout Guatemala. The cuisine is based upon the two predominant cultures in the region – the Mayan culture and Spanish culture.

Art

• 

• 

Throughout my research, I discovered an interesting Guatemalan painting technique that involves a bird’s eye view of workers. They typically highlight work traditionally done in Guatemala, such as workers in fields harvesting coffee. Characterized by distinct shapes and colors, these paintings are both inspirational and beautiful.

For my inspiration brand, I chose Outdoor Voices. The brand is known for their simplistic designs, soft colors, and extremely functional products. Rather than focus on complex designs, patterns, and hold no functionality, Outdoor Voices was made to be worn during workouts and be fashionable at the same time.

For athleisure wear, I believe it’s extremely important to rank functionality over beauty. This being said, I still want to look and feel cute at the gym, because that helps to maintain my motivation and pushes me to work harder. I believe Outdoor Voices does exactly that. Their high-waisted leggings will not fall, their crop tops go down low enough that they are fashionable but will still hold everything together, and the pants seem moveable and breathable.

With all of this function, the cuts, colors, and small patterns make the clothing very minimalistic, flattering, and visually pleasing – that is all anyone could ask for in clothing!

The first picture I wanted to highlight was my manipulation of the Ranch House image. Beyond the practice of moving the hat, jacket, and copying the shoes, I wanted to make this ranch house feel like a home. I searched images of home-y and country pictures in frames on Google and used the Polygonal Lasso Tool to cut the images back. I then converted them to grayscale and dragged them into the ranch house image, placing them on the wall to give the image a welcoming feeling.

The next image I manipulated was the ducky. After using the marquee tool to cut him out, I duplicated him multiple times, and using free transform I added different sizes to give the picture some depth and perspective. As he is swimming towards the viewer, he is leaving some darker blue waves in the water.

For the palm tree image, I wanted to make something to the effect of a postcard. I had a middle-aged woman in mind when making this card, so I crystallized the image and added text in the same color as the sand.

Finally, with the sunflowers I wanted to make a diagonal pattern that had a bit of interest, something akin to a garden of flowers gone wrong. After copy and pasting the flower multiple times, I extruded all of the flowers so they held the original shape from the Marquee Tool, but they looked cut open and confused.

Walking around my campus at Virginia Commonwealth University, there is so much activity and creative energy that can be felt in the air. I have always lived near here, and my childhood home was about 20 minutes away from campus. Between those 20 minutes, one would think the feeling is quite comparable. This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth.

I grew up in the suburbs of Richmond, where the houses were spread apart and the coolest restaurant within walking distance was a local sports bar – and even then we usually drove. I would come to Richmond during the weekends, but was never able to fully experience the energy and culture as going back to the suburbs loomed over me.

I love the way the campus and energy feels at VCU! There is always a hustle and bustle outdoors, especially on warm and sunny days. There are interesting restaurants and boutiques surrounding the area, and inspiration is tucked around every corner. Although it may not be as culturally exciting as somewhere like New York or Los Angeles, it has character and a distinct feeling around the city. It still holds a small town feel, but with the culture and interest of an up-and-coming city.

There are so many interesting characters in Richmond, especially around VCU and everyone seems to be so unique and true to themselves. The art, architecture, and fashion that can be found around the campus is unique and inspiring. There aren’t many places like Richmond and the VCU campus and I love to be a part of the community.

This morning, I walked around campus intentionally observing and digesting everything I saw. I usually try to keep an eye out on trends or colors I see people repeating, especially as I walk through the campus or groups of younger people. I think younger people have the greatest capacity for beginning trends and for that reason they should always be observed! I get so much style inspiration from just glancing at other students walking by.

For my color relationship I chose to explore monochromatic greens. Green has always appealed to me due to my love of nature and hiking, as green is the color of the natural world. Something about it seems to connect to the Earth, yet at the same time it can be a very royal and high-end color. Here are multiple images that explore green and the various shades, all with different meaning…

After reviewing my images, five adjectives that come to mind include:

• warm
• natural
• strength
• bold
• diverse