IMPROVED VERSION:[link]

STRATFORD OPULENCE

Models:
Cassandra
Kali
Sabrina
Ana
Cadi
Ashley
Cassidy
Ambola
Cecila


THEME:
A revisit to the Elizabethan Historic lifestyle fused with the present form of fashion, my Stratford Opulence Collection is inspired by the captivating tragedies and romances of William Shakespeare in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Each of the 9 pieces convey their own story as far as how social status was viewed at the time: looks 1-2 are the lowest of the classes that consist of the vagabonds and slaves; looks 3-6 are the middle class who serve for the protection for the monarchy, such as soldiers and guards; looks 7-8 are the upper class who impose position of superiority; and lastly, look 9, which is the Queen, the “upper uppest”, most revered and exalted. All these, though very distinctive from one another, are united with their beauty, majestic looks, extravagantly designed garments and careful detailing. The entire collection is created to bring what was to what is…

The title Stratford Opulence is derived from William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. I chose to call it this way to, obviously, convey my inspiration for the theme. With it, I used the adjective “opulence” to indicate the elegance and majesty of the entire collection; to mark its beauty.

Music:
Marche Slave by Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic soundtrack from Romeo and Juliet

Interview:
1. If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
My sister, because I would want to know how and who she is, and what would have become of her if she were still here...

2. [What] inspired you to sign up for Project Designer?
I wanted to take an initial step forward towards my aspiration; to really challenge myself, and realize what I am capable of as I reach for my dream. I joined Project Designer because I wanted to expose myself.

3. Did you learn anything from this competition? If so, what?
As much as this competition is just a mere competition that most people might regard as an amateur contest, I value my participation in it. I've improved so much from boney bitches who are stiff, to the realistic figure of the woman body with such movement of both the parts and the garments. My coloring has improved, my creative potential has expanded, and I've also learned to value the talents of my competitions and learn from them. Apart from that, i gained an amount of knowledge about the world of fashion itself that would undoubtedly aid me towards pursuing my career.

4. Was it fun? ^^ And why?
The experience was an absolute EXCITEMENT! From Tailor for the Tropics to the Final Collection, as the intensity rises, the fun of it grows just as much! What makes me feel this way is because, although there may be times that it made me or other contestants upset, the fun is felt from the competition in itself (especially the anxiety of seeing our battling pieces compete!)

5. In your opinion which topic was your best? Which topic would you want to redo?
For a favorite topic, I'd have to say the Team Up challenge! I learned so much from ~lasmith, and our collaboration worked very well that i'd definitely want to do it again, either with her or anyone! It's fun fusing two very different aesthetics! On the other hand, the topic I least like and want to redo is the Scene of the Crime. For some reasons, the topic itself was very confusing and my outcome was the least I had expected from myself...

6. Among the other designers, who did you admire most & why?
I'd have to choose the person who has the most drive and potential. ~sparklefly (steph) has such strength that even though she has been upset a few times in the competition as far as the critiques, i did not see any effect on her at all (despite the few ranting journals! lol! love yah steph!!!) GO STEPH!!!!! I WUV YAH!

7. In your opinion, do you think that any of the designers were eliminated too early?
~Hankita would have exhibited such wonderful designs, had she stayed longer...the drop outs were not cool I wished they had stayed longer!!

8. How do you bring your personal style into your designs?
I'd wear all of my designs, had i been a girl...It's completely what i love...I love contrasting pallets, flowy garments, very chic accessories! It's how I am that it's almost taking away my masculinity! LOL...jk!!!

9. What are your plans for the future?
Being one of the youngest in the competition, my future is not quite as planned as it would be if i were a little bit older. But, i do have dreams folks!!! Fashion is my passion, and that's definitely what im gonna be doing for the rest of my life! I'm planning to attend to Academy of Art San Francisco and get maybe a bachelor's degree...or FIDM for an associates...i'd also want to apply to either pratt or parsons...ambitious... But in the short term, i just want to graduate with Flying colorful rainbows!!! and to have my collection for my senior project be a COMPLETE success!!!!!!


Judging:
This line is full of frills and experimentations, and not that they cannot be carried out, but I think only a select few of these could be worn by the everyday person, and a lot of them are more flashbulb pieces...great on the runway and for gathering attention, but not very practical. Ceazar's collection was a stunning throwback to the the good ol' victorian days. We loved it! We loved your overall attention to the curve of a woman without resorting to exposing so much skin. We also like your use of ruffles and flounces, as it seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout the pieces. the styling is in the garments themselves...accessories aren't needed at all. in fact, I'm glad that the accessories are minimal, with only a belt thrown in here and there to cinch the waist. Save for the two second to last pieces, there is a very renaissance feel to it (those two seem victorian/edwardian in a way). I think a few of the pieces may be a bit too manly for women today and might call attention to places a woman might want to keep looking small: her shoulders, hips, thighs etc. I am also a bit disappointed that these are just mere illustrations and I really cant tell the construction or fabrication, as you havent included any of that information for me. That is why I gave such a low cohesiveness score because in a line a repitition of colors, fabrics, details and trims is essential to not only cover cost but to offer an array of styles to your customer. One of us think you would make an excellent evening gown designer. You can tell he wasn’t afraid of bringing artistic flare in his designs, and taking risks and making a statement. The only links I could see between them was of the course the time period it was based on, using the same patterns and ruffles, but each design was completely different to next which was nice to see. I like to see each piece have its own personality. As Ceazar didn’t add any text describing each design, you would have a good look at the designs, and they do the speaking for themselves!


To Christopher: Thank you so much for such a wonderful oppurtinity! i look up to you sah!
To my colleagues: YOU GUYS WERE WONDERFUL!!!! AND I ADMIRE Y'ALL!!!! *kisses and ceazars!!!!

Special Thanks to: All of my deviant friends who pushed me to do it, and they pushed me too far!!! Lol…and…to Eric…thanks babe!


Click here to know more about the competition, the designers, the judging and previous cycles!