Dress Journey: Rainbow Chevrons

A couple of weeks ago we were commissioned to make this amazing rainbow chevron dress, here is its dress journey...

This was the toile/mock-up of the design of the dress, a simple t-shirt shaped top and a gathered waist skirt. Please excuse the one sleeve! I was using up scrap fabric and to save on time I only needed to show one sleeve...

So from this our customer asked for some of the fullness in the skirt to be taken out as it was a tad too much, but other than that it was just right.

This was the fabric, I'd searched everywhere to find a suitable rainbow chevron fabric, which isn't easy to come by! This was a cotton poplin fabric and was lovely to work with, even if it did send my eyes funny at time!

Cutting out the patterns were a tad difficult to match the pattern but I soon found out the pattern would not match across the side seams. But as long as it matched the same colour rows going across, it was the only thing I could do. It did take me 2 hours to cut it all out but I knew it had to be right.

Here is the top sewn together and as you can see, the side seam pattern didn't match perfectly but the colour rows did, which was all I could do. I made sure that there was a perfect chevron line running straight down the centre front and centre back though to keep the balance of the garment.

The skirt had to be a large rectangle shape, it couldn't have been done in triangles to make the skirt swing out as the pattern would have just sloped off towards the side seams. So it was a rectangle and then the top was gathered in to create a bit of fullness and ripple.

This point was the top and skirt joined together, I was so eager to see what it was like! It still had the neck and hem to finish however.

The concealed zip and neck facing was next in, finishing off with my label put on and then hemming on the skirt was the last step!

It's finished! I think its such an impact statement dress! Plus any accessories can be matched to it as it has all the colours.

As a little extra, out of the scraps I made one of our cute rounded shirt collars to team up with any outfit because the fabric is just too cool!

And here is our lovely customer in her dress! Amazing! <3

An Evening Out With Joanna

On Monday evening I was invited out to a charity 6 course mystery meal in Leeds and of course I had to make myself a dress to wear. I chose the Joanna dress from our current collection, a classic pencil dress with a slash neck and waistband. Within my stashes of fabric, I had this beautiful blue and beiges floral abstract viscose fabric and instantly knew I had to make it!

I teamed it up with my beige faux leather Jacket from New Look, nude high back heels from Atmosphere and a black quilted circle bag, making sure it was my dress that stood out amongst the outfit.

Our Joanna dress can be purchased from our shop and made-to-measure in your size. Bespoke colours and fabrics can also be requested, contact us directly with your requirements. See it here http://www.hannahelizabethfashion.co.uk/product/joanna

S/S 14 Design Evolution: Rosie Dress

The second in our series of showing our design evolution is featuring our Rosie dress, a fit & flare vintage inspired dress with short sleeves and finishes at the knee.

In the original sketch it had full length sleeves but decided to make them sweeter by shortening the length to just above the elbow.

This toile (crazy cheap fabric was used) was when the main dress was together before adding sleeves and collar. Was already loving the subtle silhouette and couldn't wait to see it complete.

The completed toile/mock-up looked so sweet and vintage-esque, especially with the pointed collar.

The first properly made dress in the design was a printed jersey fabric and we really liked how the darts created these lovely falls through the skirt.

And the second dress made in the design was a Paris crepe fabric and vintage fabric collar. This fabric was more stiffer and held the shape more better throughout the skirt.

10 Reasons You Should Be A Fashion Designer

10 Reasons you should be a fashion designer | Picture: Elie Saab Haute Couture

If you're passionate about fashion, be it any field from PR to textiles, or in any other creative industries, we all have a little designer-esque traits in us and if you didn't already know that, here's just a mere 10 reasons to start you off with.

1. You Can't Find What You Want When Shopping

You go out shopping and you have the exact thing you want in your head but you can't find it anywhere! This perfect dress just cannot be found, therefore you may as well just make it yourself.

2. You See Something In A Shop and Think 'I Can Make That Myself'

So you spot a dress or a top you like, but upon further inspection you realise its a pretty simple design and that you could easily make it exactly the same yourself and for half the price!

3. You Doodle Fantasy Dresses

Whether this be in your classes, at your desk job, on layed on the sofa, you just naturally start to do fashion illustrations of beautiful ball gowns, over the top party dresses or crazy stage dresses. These fantasy items are figments of your imagination, but have unlimited possibilities.

4. You See A Piece Of Fabric and Instantly Imagine It Made Up In A Dress

So you wonder through the markets or into a haberdashery shop and see some wonderful fabric and within seconds you already have 10 ideas of the style of dress it could be made up in.

5. You Have A Dream Team Of Famous Models

If you ever had the chance to put on your own fashion show and had the pick of any models throughout the world, you know exactly who you would have. This dream team of models could range from Karlie Kloss, Jourdan Dunn, Lara Stone or Miranda Kerr, you know exactly who you'd pick.

6.  You Upcycle Old Clothing 

Maybe you have some old clothes hidden at the back of your wardrobe or you love a good charity shop, you see items where you see they could be upcycled into something beautiful again and to suit the next season.

7. You Carry A Sketchbook With You At All Times

This could be a sketchbook or a notebook from full sized to pocket size, but when creativity strikes and even at the strangest of times, you have somewhere to get it all put down and it's always within in reach.

8. You See A Garment And Think 'That Would Look Better With A Different Neckline'

Someone passes you in the street or you see something on a mannequin in a shop window and even though it may be pretty, you always see a tweak that could make it ten times better. This could be a different neckline, a shorter hem or longer sleeves, but you always spot an area where it could be made better.

9. You Have The Perfect Theme If You Ever Made A Runway Collection

By some off chance you get approached to make a one-off, zero expenses catwalk collection, you already know the perfect theme you would base the whole project off. This could be a bohemian-gothic hybrid, an underwater tale or a birds of a feather collection, you tell us!

10. You Know Exactly Which Designer You Would Work For, Even If For Free!

We all have our favourite designers and if this dream was to come true, you'd even work for them for free! All because you just love them that much! My choice would have to be Elie Saab.

Find yourself nodding to any of these reasons? Or do you have more to add? Let us know what yours are and if any of them have actually led you to become a Fashion Designer.