rain soaked days

Pen and ink fashion illustration by sandra santa lucia/24/25/11

The classic 'Trench-coat' is a must for the rain-soaked days of spring and summer. The waterproof 'Trench' has been around for years…decades in fact!
In 1879 a young man by the name of Thomas Burberry invented a special type of fabric for a rain resistant coat. The British army were the first of many armies that ordered the 'Burberry Trench-coat'. Earlier versions of the trench-coat were waterproof and usually calf-length.

Movie go-ores and the style conscious public have witnessed many newly created versions of the old classic Trench-coat over the years. Now you will see short, long, mid-length, glamourous or simple 'Trench-coats'… all of which still have that classic look of the first 'Burberry Trench-coat'.

The edgy black leather trench-coat below is rendered from  Blumarine's Fall 2010 Fashion show. Shinny black leather boots and black studded leather cuffs and collar give this classic trench a rock-chic look.

IF's illustration word of the week  is 'soaked' presented by Alecia  Goodman

safari fashion

Ink rendering of the above colonial safari fashion and lioness by sandra santa lucia /19/5/11

 The word 'safari' is derived from the arabic 'safara' and means 'to make a journey'.  Along with crew and models  film companies and fashion photographers alike make that very safari to Africa.  
Africa, entices fashion designers, photographers and film companies from around the world to its tremendous wealth of  amazing scenery and wild animals such as the lionesses below. The lioness is a female member of the species Panthera leo. Lionesses are the core members of, and primary hunters for each pride or primary social group of lions. 
One film in particular comes to mind that exemplifies the beauty and costumes of Africa…that movie being — 'Out of Africa'. The colonial safari fashion; worn by Merle Streep was designed by Milena Canonero who was nominated for an Academy Award for her designs. Why she wasn't chosen is beyond me…her designs were magnificent. 
This week's, May 13  - 19, Illustration Friday's topic is "safari" suggested by Jill .

fashion trends…new beginnings

Pen and ink illustration rendering by Sandra Santa Lucia 5/11

The science of fashion design stems from ones creative ideas, ideas that are constantly changing…a new beginning every time the pen is put to paper.
"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from" — T. S. Eliot.
A new fashion season will soon be upon us, the latest fashion trends of Fall 2011 will have our full attention. If you track back to any Fashion Week roundups, you'll see that there are plenty of trends to get excited about.
In the illustration above I  choose to illustrate the following fashion icons. All of these four designers have very different and distinctive styles, all creating new designs for the beginning of our next fashion season…fall 2011.  Starting at the far left to right: (a) Jil Sander —minimalist designs…sense of simplicity. (b) Alexander McQueen — sexy and distinctive…dramatic and controversial. (c) Stella McCartney — a play on modern shapes…think graphic. (d) Christian Dior — glamourous and feminine…opulent. They, along with many other well known designers are all featured on Elle's blog.
This week's Illustration Friday's May 6th - 12th topic is "beginner" was suggested by Wendi Chen (http://wendichen.blogspot.com/). "A man ceases to be a beginner in any given science and becomes a master in that science when he has learned that he is going to be a beginner all his life." — Robin G. Collingwood .   Collingwood’s principal contribution to aesthetics was The Principles of Art. He portrayed art as a necessary function of the human mind, and considered it collaborative, a collective and social activity. True art, he believed, created an “imaginary object” which could be shared by the artist with his public. In viewing art or listening to music, the audience imaginatively reconstructed the artist’s creative thought.

the dance…a lesson of love

 " then there was the dance"… wagging tales book illustration a ink drawing by
 sandra santa lucia/published 2009

Training paddy to dance, a lesson of love. In chapter eight of Wagging Tales, Dorts Stafford's book about her family and many four legged friends there is a wonderful story about Paddy the dog and Barrie, Dorts eldest boy.
Barrie happened to be Paddy's favorite child. Being the oldest, he understood more about what a dog would tolerate and enjoy. He could sit on him and teach him tricks. Barrie would play ball with him and Paddy would retrieve it then saunter back to him, hoping Barrie would throw it again. Then there was the dance. Barrie would hold Paddy's front legs on his shoulders and they would prance about while we all laughed at the sight. They were good buddies.
      The illustration for Illustration Friday's April 29 - May 5 topic portrays Barrie and Paddy dancing. This week's word "lesson" was submitted by  Susan Sorrell Hill.

royal wedding hat fever

ink fashion hats illustration by sandra santa lucia/4/2011

let the Royal Wedding begin…1980s to 2008 hats
The last of my three illustrations are complete…just in time for the Royal Wedding. Expect to see  hats of all shapes and sizes, this wedding will be the main headline for all fashion magazines and outlets throughout the world…let the Royal Wedding begin. Below are hats from the 1980s to 2008.

• 1960s: Left: A  pillbox hat is a small woman's hat with a flat crown and straight, upright sides. Jacqueline Kennedy, First Lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, well-known for her 'signature pillbox hats' in the 1960s, designed by Oleg Cassini. The sixties boosted of a great many glamorous hats.
• 1980s: Top centre: small hat with a slightly shallow crown and a round brim accented with lace vail surfaced during the late 70s and 80
• 2000s: Right: There have been fans of floppy hats for as long as women have wanted to shade themselves from the sun. But over the years the style has grown out from its roots as the hat of choice for not only lounging by the pool and digging in the back yard garden but the floppy is back in the fashion magazines. Hats have taken on a new younger look. Our soon to be Royal Princess, Kate Middleton is setting the pace with very stunning hats. 

hats…a fashionable essential

ink hat parade from 1789 to 1912 illustrated by sandra santa lucia/04/2011 

Hat parade…1789 — 1912 
Through the ages one sees a wide variety of hats. Initially the headwear offered protection from the elements, injury from falling rocks, weapons or masonry. Later head coverings became symbols of status of authority. Soon after hats progressed to become not only a uniform, but also an art form. 
On the day of the Royal Wedding the world will be treated  to an extraordinary range of couture millinery.  Continuing on with a few more hat sketches I choose, researched and sketched three very different hats. The vast numbers of hats between 1789 to 1912 was phenomenal.

• 1789:  Centre: Large brim hat in the shape of a mushroom and made with white muslin, trimmed with large bows of velvet.
• 1808: Left:  Riding hat: A version of the masculine top-hat which replaced the Directoire jockey hat. Fashioned with silk or coloured beaver, often had a gauze veil which floats behind in the breeze.
• 1912: Right: In 1900 the Edwardian period was not as universally wide as is sometimes thought. The new century began with a continuation of art nouveau influence in fashion  and as skirts swirled around the feet of women forming in fans like bell flowers, so did hats swirl and swoop around the head as in the 1912 felt hat illustrated above. This felt hat was ornamented with swirls of fine silk and worn well over the head with the left side higher than the right.  
• Watch for more hats to come from mid-1900 to 2011

Note: reference material from "The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Costume and Fashion" by Jack Casin-Scott          

period hats making a statement…1300 - 1600

hats from 1377—left, 1500 — centre, 1678 right ink illustration by sandra santa lucia/4/2011 

The Royal Wedding, Friday, April 29 will soon be upon us.  The women whom will be in attendance will no doubt be wearing the very latest and most stylist of hats.  A real Hat parade! — designs of which may  have had a link to the millinery delights of the past.

Just for the heck of it I thought I would sketch a few hats from the 1300 —1600 century.  Who knows one just may catch a glimpse of a design which may have inspired a hat designer to one of his/her creations at the wedding.

• 1377 :  Left:  depicts a  Caul, which is a historical headdress worn by women that covered tied-up hair. The drawing below shows the hair completely hidden and covered by a decorative gem and  gold embroidered Caul over which was attached an ornamental padded roll.
• 1500:  Centre: The German/Swiss mercenary soldiers known as Landknecht, also created a mixture of fashion which included a flat (platter hat) felt brimmed hat which was slashed and decorated with feathers. Soon women were adapting the men's Landknecht hat to suit themselves. They covered their hair with a jewelled Caul and attached colourful feathers to the flat felt hat.
• 1678:  Right: Headdress (Hennin) was the 'cornet' — a lawn cap which had a standing frill in front and long lappets falling behind the shoulders, or tied in front under the chin. More hats to come — watch for more sketches from the 1700 to 1900 centuries
• Note: the rendered drawings were from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Costume and Fashion by Jack Cassin-Scott.