Want to be truly cool? Ignore fashion’s hot diktats

“There is nothing wrong with loving clothes, but mindlessly following trends isn’t making us stylish, it’s turning us into sheep”.

Well, the Melbourne Fashion Festival finished on Sunday and so those fashionistas in the know are now on the go, hunting down those key pieces that will identify their fashion currency and credibility. This article I found on Google Alerts by Wendy Squires (SMH.com.au) did catch my eyes. Here’s the screen shot of the mail I received from Google Alerts, under Fashion Category:

Today, fashion is accessible to anyone and everyone. Walk down any mall in any city in any country and you will see the same chain stores offering the same clothes. Literally hundreds of thousands of pieces of the same item are made and distributed globally, meaning the girl in Quebec is buying the same as the chick in Queensland.

Her point on fashion and personal attitude is quite true:

” What I see is that this perennial requirement to update, to be fashionable, is actually a farce. By making us look current, it is just adding to us all looking the same“, Wendy said.

Incorporate trends in ways that work best for you! Not every fashion trend is going to be great for every girl.  Looking like you are trying too hard or over-styled is never good!

“ I was buying into the whole fashion shebang – until I realised this pursuit was painful and fruitless, making me only disenchanted, depressed and, well, destitute. Because the very nature of fashion is to constantly adapt and change. Which means want more, need more, buy more“, Wendy emphasised.

Perhaps the solution is to stop thinking about clothing as fashion and start thinking about it as we do food – read the tags, see where the material was sourced, where it was produced, and then contemplate how it got to the shelves here.

I realize that the most stylish women in the world are surprisingly consistent with their styles, whether that means keeping to basics or getting creative all the time. Be confident and do what you want when it comes to fashion because that’s an aspect in your life where you can generally do whatever you want and express yourself that way.

Again, always keep your originality, choose trends that you like and find ways to make them work for you own personal style.

(Google Alerts on 24/3)- Find the link here: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/want-to-be-truly-cool-ignore-fashions-hot-diktats-20140323-35bo7.html

 

Digital Drawing – Recent Issues

In Dr Jenny Weight’s lecture, she expresses the basics of 2D drawing and the difference between Bitmap and Vector. I have learnt about the differences between Raster ( Bitmap) and Vector and the use of Photo Editing Softwares.

1/Raster vs Vector:

• Raster images are made of pixels. A pixel is a single point or the smallest single component in a display device. Examples are gif or jpeg file.
• Vector images on the other hand, are mathematical calculations from one point to another that form geometrical shapes. Examples are; eps file or Adobe illustrator file.

Raster vs Vector. Photo: Vector-conversions.com

How to determine what size your raster image must be, for good quality printing:

• Multiply the resolution required by the area to be printed. Examples:
• If a printer requires a minimum of 300 dpi and you want to print an image in an area that is 5 inches wide, multiply 300 pixels x 5 inches (300 x 5 = 1500). Your image must be at least 1500 pixels wide.
• If a printer requires a minimum of 240 dpi and you want to print an image in an area that is 12 inches wide, multiply 240 pixels x 12 inches (240 x 12 = 2880). Your image must be at least 2880 pixels wide.

2/ In Use:

• Most companies create all of their logos and insignia as vector images. These files are saved and are used as the basis for raster copies that get used in print and web publishing. Keeping a nice library of vector images can save you time because of the ability to resize on the fly.

High-resolution, high-quality clip art is often developed and sold as vector images as well. You will get more flexibility and more for your money when you buy vector-based clip art rather than high-DPI images. Type and fonts are also created as vector images, which allows you to change the size while maintaining quality

• Almost all of the images you find on websites are raster images, even those that may have originally been created with paths. Raster images are typically acceptable for digital publication but may not work well in printed projects. Often these files are saved as low resolutions and are not suitable for print reproduction.

In printed mediums — such as books, magazines and newspapers — raster images are often used to reproduce photographs.

**I think Compatibility is always a concern when you are working with different file types, but when it comes to graphics and images the type of computer graphic format you use is essential to how the image renders.

Advanced blogging ( HTML): Pharrell Williams Teams Up With Adidas

The demise of Google Reader caused a bit of a hoo-ha last year, with many news addicts left to search out another RSS reader to house their numerous feeds. 

This task mainly focuses on how to improve the layout of more complex blog posts by using HTML markup. I went with The Old Reader for RSS feeds Subscription. 

The latest collaboration between adidas Originals and Pharrell Williams is very exiting to me. They are planning to create an eco-friendly apparel and sneaker line. Here is the screenshot from my The Old Reader account:

The Grammy Award winning artist, producer, singer and etc has just now added yet another accolade to his ever increasing list of HOW DOES HE DO IT!?

To me, Williams is no stranger to fashion, but he has always dabbled in the industry in his own way – an attitude that tallies with his work in music, really. While images of the Adidas collection are yet to be revealed, I’d bet they’re a bit more grownup. In his statement, Williams referenced Adidas classics such as Stan Smiths and the three-stripe tracksuit.

“Adidas is giving me a great opportunity to develop products which I love and will also be using Bionic Yarn and is more of a partnership than a collaboration as we look to work together for the next few years,” he said.

Adidas is clearly making a play to become the top dog in the sportswear-meets-streetwear market – wrestling the crown from its arch rival Nike, which is still the bestselling sportswear brand.

With so much focus on Pharrell’s latest endeavors and fashion statements ( the infamous Grammys hat anyone?), we almost forgot that he’s got his own line of clothes, Billionaire Boys Club, and just dropped an album, “GIRL.” But if you ask him, he’s got everything under control.

This year has already been a busy one for Williams, and I am excited to see what else he becomes involved with later on. Williams is a pop-culture icon that never fails to inspire, not just through his musical talent and craft, but through his many other interests. I personally think he is the perfect fit for the multifaceted company that is Adidas.

Congratulations to him on the new deal with Adidas Originals. I’m sure feeling happy is an understatement!