'Making Connections' E/P Project

Sunday, 30 March 2008

check out Meat packing district and Chelsea!

Hi!

I am very excited to see you all!

Here are some places I want to recommend.

Here Meat packing district and Chelsea.
Meat packing district is New York’s most fashionable neighborhood, full of hip restaurants, and exclusive bars.
For example, just b/w 9-10th ave on 14 st, there are Alexander Mcqueen, Stella Mccartney, DVF, Yigal Azouel, Puma, Scoop, Jefferey and recently opened Mac store. Jefferey is a one-stop and easy shopping place. They select exciting pieces that fashion has to offer.

And when you walk toward north, on 9th ave and 15th st, you can get Chelsea Market.
I think it would be cool experience to go. The interior and exterior of the building is very interesting. There are very nice food and bakery places in this market. At the second Floor, there is food network. Sometimes when you sit down next artificial water fall in the market, you can see top chefs. Also you can get free samples of gelato and brownie too!

For sure the fashion and the art is very related. If you would like to check out art in NY, go to galleries. Most galleries located b/w 18th st to 22nd st on 9-10th ave. Here are my prestige galleries. Almost every Thursday, there are many gallery openings. You can just walk in so many galleries and enjoy arts with white wine.

I strongly recommend to go The Park. This restaurant/ bar is beautifully decorated.
It has outdoor and indoor space. At the second floor is lounge. It is on 10th ave and 18th st.
Before you get The Park, there is a Japanese restaurant, Morimoto on 10th ave and 17th st.
Very well known architect, Tadao Ando designed interior. The interior of the wall seems to be decorated with smooth silk fabric, however they are actually concrete. You can experience Tadao Ando’s exciting designs in this restaurant. You can just walk to the down stairs to the bar. And go to women’s bathroom at the down stairs. You will be surprised at endless cherry blossom at the mirror.

Saturday, 29 March 2008

Spring break and Photoshoot

Oversize metal artwork canvas bag.

Ombre burnt brown canvas bag with black radiator screen at base. Red and black rubber detailing on radiator screen, handles with shiny black rubber detailing.

Reversible fire hose bag.

Red patent leather reversible bag with knotted leather detailing on outside, fire hose material on reverse side. Straps with rubber tubing detail over black leather.

During the spring break, I thought I could go on a short trip or at least be relex. So far I have stayed at school until school closes-(midnight) almost everyday. I was almost done with my thesis and I just need to make my own look for a presentation.

However I heard a shocking news from the manufacture company! The company forgot to make my hardware and now it is too late to process. My dream of short vacation during the spring break was all gone and I had to find a solution. I contacted so many places, it was even hard to find all sources, but all of them said it is too late.

OMG!!!

I know there is only one way I can have the hardware. To carve in my hands... I sat down and started to carve a wax. It took about 3 days. After I was done with carving the wax, I made a silicon mold. And I got two brass hardware. However the color of brass doesn't go with my collection, so I did silver plate.

Due to being carved by hands, the hardware has melted feeling. I love this natural effection, because it goes with my theme, all about standpipe, fire department... and I have real silver hardware on two of my handbags. I will have the hardware attached final handbags in 1 week. I cannot wait to see them.

I had a photoshoot on Thu and it was awesome. A photographer would like to have my designs in his portfolio, so he suggested to me to take pictures of them! How great oppurtunity it is.

I am learning a lot and meeting so many people on my senior year. This process of preparing the thesis does help me to have open my eyes to see real fashion industry. It is not a school project any more. It is a preparation of jumping into a real design industry.

Saturday, 8 March 2008

New York Fashion

If you want to taste a little bit of everything, come to New York.
There are many different cultures and old vs new things harmony in New York.
Due to many differences, New York fashion industry designs by people’s life style.
New York fashion understands individual’s life style, for instance classic uptown women and street smart downtown girls and offers many different choices.

Wednesday, 5 March 2008

Finally!

I am so glad I can post finally!

It was very excited weekend for me.I received my second handbag samples on Thursday.

I am developing 5 handbags and 3 looks for the thesis.
CHO limited, the manufacture company which makes handbags for Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein and Burberry and so on sponsors me and this company makes all my thesis handbags free.
It is so awesome and they did the awesome work.

I think I found what I love to do. And I am very thankful to my learning life.

When I was little, I liked to play instruments- flute, violin and piano and to draw and paint. I was an orchestra since I was 8 years old. My curiosity about the art world let me prepare to go the art middle school in Korea. It was intense to prepare to go the school. I had a private art teacher and I drew and painted life objects over 6 hours everyday about 6 months. I think this training helped me to have very good eyes to find details.

However my father didn’t want me to limit myself to the art because he thought there are so many things that this little girl can learn in the world.

Fortunately, I entered the first ranking foreign language high school in Korea.
Through difficult tests, when I entered this school, I didn’t know what I do want to do, but I made very good friends.
My major in the high school was French and the second major was Japanese.
Learning other countries cultures and languages were very attractive.
I went to Women’s university with the same major, French in Korea.

I explored a lot in that university. I took all classes that I wanted to learn.
Advertisement and society, fashion and art history, 2D and 3D design, dance, business and so on! I love learning. And I finally appreciated to my dad to give me this opportunity to explore myself.

In 2002, I visited big cities in America.- L.A, Texas, Chicago, and New York.
When I saw Parsons in time square, I decided to come and tried my childhood dream come true.

I am very happy in every step toward to be an accessory designer.

I made corrections of the second proto samples today, and I cannot wait to see my final bags.

Monday, 3 March 2008

All About Clara Yoo

Hi, my name is Clara Yoo. I am glad to join this blog project. 
Presently I am completing my senior year in the Fashion Design Department at Parsons The New School for Design. In my time at Parsons I have been fortunate enough to learn my skills as a hang bag designer. At the foundation year, through a three dimensional design class, I found myself that I am very interested in finding new materials and adjust them to my sculpture. Through the concept development class, I found that I like to take materials out of normal context and introduce them into the realm of accessories.

There are so many hidden visual interests that people pass up everyday. During the summer, staying New York and interning at Banana Republic, I saw the stand pipe that sticks out from all buildings in New York City. I have lived New York almost 4 years, however I’ve never recognize the fine metal work, the stand pipe which is in wherever you go in New York.

The stand pipe. It is my accessory design collection’s inspiration that example of the hidden visual interest people pass up everyday. Like my inspiration, people could find materials that they see often in their daily life but not in fashion. Also my handbags are multi functional and have hidden surprises.

The New Museum which is reopened recently in NYC helped me define my collection. ‘Unmonumental’ exhibition offered a radically different experience. It introduced that “a visual art can help define the moment in which we are living.” I wish my designs can help find the value to small things we are passing up. 

Tuesday, 22 January 2008

Other E/P Project Members' Blogs

'Making Connections' E/P Project - Clara Yoo