Article Review - Elle Magazine

"Spring Gives Way for the New Prettiness"
By Daphne Merkin

Journalist and fashion adviser Daphne Merkin writes this article to question what the new spring trends are saying about the appearance of women.  As we are entering into a new season the trends are showing up as pastel colors with frills and nicely polished dresses. This is an abrupt change from the winter season with our masculine combat boots and over large sweaters. Merkin notices that this is a change most people have not seen or at least not in a while but these trends have been around before. In 1947 Dior created a “New Look” that consisted of “tiny waists, with overly feminine patterns, and cleaner lines” this was a drastic change from the World War II inspired clothing of that time. But Merkin notes that these are both two extreme sides of the spectrum and that the overall purpose of clothing is to “look more beautiful and to be admired by men” while this is also true for some women and designers others are at a crossroads as to what to wear this season. Merkin finishes her article with incite saying that the proper mixture of the current boyish trends with the new feminine styles will result in a trendy fashion forward outfit. And that with these clothing styles we will also embody toughness as well as a soft side on the inside.

Daphne Merkin. Elle Fashion. Hearst Communications, INC. 23 Mar. 2012. <http://www.elle.com/Fashion/Fashion-Spotlight/Spring-Gives-Way-for-the-New-Prettiness>

Student Project Plan

Student Project Plan

Name: Caroline Hodge         School: North Hall High School

Mentor: Candice Hagin         Area of Interest: Fashion Design/ Marketing

Essential Question: How can I predict the fashions trends for the fall of 2013?

What form(s) will your final project take? I hope it have a prezi presentation that will show my findings along with pictures I have found from previous seasons.

What research questions do you have about this topic? What do you need to find out about this topic area?

What are reoccurring fashion trends from the past 30 years?

How often to trends repeat themselves?

Where do designers get their inspiration when designing a new line of clothes?

Check the boxes below of all the ways you intend to get new information to complete your project and list the specific sources:

Viewing television, video, films, etc (which?)Old Fashion Shows and look books from designers.

Interviewing people (who?) Contact fashion school professors and meet with designers that are available  

Observing and collecting data (what?) Look over previous designs and see if a pattern forms

Surveying (who?) Talk to people up to date with the fashion world and see what predictions they have for the upcoming season.

Working with a mentor (specify)

Attending a performance (specify)

Other (specify)

Press Release

Only after begin in business for a little over a year, Dress Up Boutique has expanded to four different locations and is still growing. Owner Derrick Case created the idea with his wife and sister in laws and it has grown into a phenomenon. The cozy appeal of the boutique is set up in Dahlonega, Gainesville, Suwanee, Woodstock, and in two weeks Alpharetta. He had assembled a great staff at all locations and keeps each store fully stocked with new merchandise with the arrival of 60-80 new styles each week. Dress Up is a local boutique that provides current fashion trends at an affordable price. 

Technology

I am hoping that by the end of my project I will accomplish accurately predicting the next fashion trends for spring and fall of 2013. I will use all types of reassures to do this, through looking at current designers old looks from previous seasons as well as looking at what is currently in style. 

www.style.com/trendsshopping/stylenotes/042009_Coachella/slideshow?loop=0&iphoto=5&play=false&cnt=6/

Mindsight

1. Resilience 
2. The Kite Runner, Crime & Punishment, The Hunger Games
3. Play Outside
4. Work backstage at a fashion show/work at fashion magazine 
5. Spend it with friends or on the computer
6. Going to sporting events
7. Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg 

Dr. Brown's Ted Talk Vulnerability

"Sometimes, I am afraid that I am not prepared enough" I am afraid of rejection and how my parents and friends perceive me so I choose to fall back and allow myself to go unnoticed. For the fear of making mistakes and not living up to my parents expectations and the fear that my  friends will lose interest in me or find me irrelevant. I would define vulnerability as allow others to see your flaws that you do not even address with yourself. I struggle with vulnerability because instead of realizing what I have trouble with I just ignore it and pretend like it is not there, but this simply only makes things worse. I normal freeze up and do nothing when I am faced with something overwhelming. I just become so stressed out that I am not able to do anything. The only way to get through that is to give myself time to think and figure out the best way to fix it. 

Are you a Provocateur?

Someone that I consider a Provocateur is Coco Channel. She was able to change the way women dress since the 20th century. She took mens clothing and twisted it a little to create woman's clothing which at the time was the first time this had happened. She picked up on the subtle changes in the fashion world and took a big chance in creating these design ideas. She was not sure how it would be perceived and if everyone else would catch on but she did not that it would be something different and change the world of fashion.


I think for me to become a provocateur I will need to learn to be ok with uncertainty. I would say that I am pretty good at having an eye to notice subtle changes in life and with fashion but I do not have the confidence to allow myself to be ok with ideas that I am not certain of. 

Essential Question

How can I predict the fall fashion trends of 2013?


I want to use technology to not only help me gather information from previous trends but to try and communicate with people working in the fashion world. Once I have all of my information I think the best way to display my findings will be to create a movie/slideshow and a handbook that will show the new designs I pick. I will also visit local clothing stores around Gainesville to see what trend our town locally picks up on but I will also visit fashion magazine websites along with Fashion shows in Milan to find where all the inspiration comes from.

Whom to I envy and what do I lie about?

I constantly find myself on social networking sites looking at other girls and comparing myself to them. When I do this I grow jealous or envious of them for having the perfect hair, the great teeth and also wear the right clothes. I get down on myself because I put forth all my energy on wanting to be like them when I am clearly meant to be different. I am thankful for what I have and I am blessed to be given my wonderful family and friends so I try not to get caught up in wanting things that other people have. But what I lie about are silly things like when people ask my grades in a class or if I have gotten into a college or what my test scores are. I will lie and say I don't remember or I haven't heard back yet because I feel self conscience about this and feel that my scores will not be good enough. I have a feel of being a failure so I lie and tell people that I have completed something when I actually forgotten just to save myself from admitting to forgetting and having to let people down. 

New Years Resolution

New, is my resolution word for the year. That sounds generic but I have but applying it to all the decisions I have made this year. When a new opportunity presents itself I would normally be too scared or not have time and say no but now I'm saying yes and trying new things. I started this year with something new I left the country for the first time by going on my first mission trip; to the Dominican Republic. Ive also applied my new years resolution at school and home. I realized that I have applied to all my colleges and if I get in thats great but if I don't that will be fine too, I am having a new mindset on handling things that happen to me. I hope that I will be able to keep up my resolution of trying new things and having a new outlook on life.