Click below to see my finished Store Front, Store Layout, Window Perspective, and Cashwrap Perspective.
Raw Beauty Retail Store: Concept Statement & Visual Boards
Raw Beauty by Estee Lauder represents enhancing your beauty through natural products . With organic details, the retail store provides a fresh and lightweight feeling. Natural tones such as beige, whites, soft browns and accents of green and teal bring together a comfortable place to shop for cosmetics. Textures such as distressed wood, bamboo, and stained glass give the place a modern place to shop for cosmetics. With an open layout, you are free to try out products on the tables to find that perfect lipstick for the night on the town. One unique feature we offer behind our teal glass panel, is our Beauty Bar, where you can come and get your makeup done for special occasions or have a makeup lesson with a makeup artist. While you wait we have a seating area, where you can sit and check out editorial magazines showcasing your favorite Raw Beauty products.
Edited: Rebranding Project
I chose to edit my Rebranding project to provide a better sense of what the Raw Beauty brand is. Click below to see the refresh.
Rebranding Project 1
Product Statement & Demographic Report
Estēe Lauder is a cosmetics retailer that began in 1946 and quickly became one of the leaders in the cosmetic industry. The company has managed to maintain a profitable success with people who have followed them since it began and generations after that. With that being said, they tend to attract middle aged women with advertisements from celebrities of the same age. Younger women are not specifically targeted to these products, although they create some of the best cosmetics compared to others that do target younger people. Therefore, I am choosing to rebrand Estēe Lauder and create a line to attract a younger market but still keeping some of the classic qualities of the Lauder brand.
Raw Beauty by Estēe will be division within Estēe Lauder brand to target the young adult market. It will target mostly women from the ages 18-28, with a median income of $25,000. Most of these women are high school graduates, either working full time or attending college/university. There will be a precise budget price points, ranging from $15-$50. The brand will only be carried in their own store and online.
These cosmetics will be used by the young woman who needs the refined beauty products without the older generation feeling. They are looking for trendy cosmetic products with a fixed price point and chic packaging. Also, they are going to be targeted with cruelty free products, since Estēe Lauder is known for testing on animals. Promotion and marketing will be based on emerging artists and actresses. Overall, with Estēe Lauder classics and a refreshed concept, Raw Beauty by Estēe will be prosperous in the cosmetic industry.
ART 204: Final Garment
This was my inspiration for my Final Garment. I love the boldness of the color seeping within the cloudy gray color. I love the precise detailing and how it starts to create a silhouette just by the rope detail.
The final garment I created from the inspiration was a wrap dress. I originally had created a one shoulder dress with a ‘poofy’ sleeve to mimic the tubes and a ‘flowy’ type of skirt to portray the bottom of the vase. Professor Lung and I agreed that there were too many ideas in my original dress so she created something similar to this.
I decided to go with this simple dress but it more interesting with a very elegant trim around the dress. I picked a bold, darkened blue green and a gold and turquoise trim.
I started by creating my pattern. Although we had already done a wrap dress in class, I decided to start it again and lengthen the sleeves a bit and make it shorter as well.
My First Attempt at the Wrap Dress. Everything came out fine but the sleeve gave me so much trouble. I don’t know exactly what happened because my sleeve pattern was fine but I had to make some adjustments.
My second attempt was a bit better. I used a stretchy, cotton fabric for my sample and my sleeve came out better. I wish I would have picked a cotton fabric once I saw it on my sample because it seems to flow with the type of dress. But I already had bought my fabric so I decided to just go with the polyester-spandex blend.
(Sorry for the wrinkles, I accidently thought it was scraps but it turns out I was about to throw away my dress)
After much debating if I should do another sample to calm my nerves before actually cutting out my fabric, I decided to just go ahead and continue with my corrected pattern pieces. Here are my final pattern pieces.
Ready to cut my fabric with my marker on top.
Once I started sewing, I felt confident enough that my dress was coming along fine. I enjoyed sewing it since it is pretty straight forward. My only concern was the way I was sewing the sleeves but they came out pretty good. My fabric was a bit stiff, even though I had washed it before I started sewing. Here is my completed dress before adding the trim.
I decided to make the dress tie one way only. I know a lot of wrap dresses have a way to wrap on both sides but I just liked it like this better. I attached a piece of trim on the inside for it to tie to the inside front piece.
Then, I attached a trim on the outside for the outer front piece can tie to. I think I like this concept for a dress like this, especially because of the fabric.
Overall, I am not too keen on the simplicity of the dress but I managed to spice it up with the trim. I think the fabric needs to be softened a bit more to make it flow better and contour to the body. I wish I would have gone for a more complex idea but maybe I would have got too carried away and probably would have made a ‘too many ideas’ garment. I love the fact that I managed to correct my problems and didn’t become frustrated along the way, which is an improvement for me. As a Merchandising Major, I didn’t think I would be able to create patterns and make things from 2D to 3D. I definitely enjoyed the class and I’m grateful for being able to take this class and learn so much from it. I wish I had enough creativity and patience to be able to do more things like this because I enjoy it very much.
My mom loved the dress, and sure enough, it fit her perfectly.
ART 302: Reading #9: Living Dolls
The female doll or cyborg in particular can also be linked to the search for the perfect body in Western culture, often played out in the idealized images of women in fashion, as well as the ubiquitous Barbie doll. The desire for the right image… alienates womenfrom themselves, turning them into automatons.
What exactly is considered the “perfect” body? Society engulfs this idea of having the perfect body, in relation to the proportions of the Barbie doll. Her market is mainly for young children, ages 3+, and with that in mind, she is what girls will want to look like as they get older, perceiving this as the ideal body all throughout their lives. Women go through extreme lengths to fulfill their desires of becoming “Barbie” like. From non-evasive procedures such as Botox or Filler injections to extreme plastic surgery.
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Designers use of dummies or other inanimate forms of display gestured towards experimentation but also fixed their work firmly in the field of fashion- with its links to industry and commerce- rather than art. For the dummies only made sense in the context of the tradition in fashion of using living women to display clothes, a tradition which draws attention to the commodification of the body through fashionable consumption in nineteenth-century Paris.
The models on runways are required to be a “blank canvas” to designers. They are to be free of any “unique” traits that can interfere with their designs and fashion shows. Designers take this into consideration when hiring models because like that they can mold the models how they desire. They want their designs to be exactly how it looks like on a dress form or mannequin. Designer Maison Martin Margiela showcases his models often (picture above) wearing pantyhose to cover the models faces and give the illusion of a walking mannequin. What kind of example is this giving to women? The fact that we have to look like a mannequin to even be able to consider wearing one of these pieces. Its definitely a problem to have to put models into a pantyhose to cover their faces rather than having them walk and be able for women to relate to them.
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The same visual shock tactic is often deployed at the end of the contemporary fashion show when all the models parade down the runway: fashion, supposedly about individuality, is actually about uniformity. The body which is produced is a disciplined, streamlined and modernist body, in which the outer discipline of the corset has given way to the inner disciplines of diet and exercise.
We’ve all seen the models walk after a fashion show is over. They all walk down in such an organized manner and as if they were in the military. They give the illusion of a cloned “ideal” woman. Tall, thin, and with a uniformed walk. The models go through different obstacles just to stay that thin. Unfortunately, not all women look like these models. The average woman takes into consideration her curves and when she sees these models, she thinks why she can’t be that thin? Then, the mental image of the “ideal” body cannot be shut down and the dieting begins. Getting slimmed down is never a bad thing but if its in an extreme manner, women become blindsided and see nothing but “fat” in their body and become traumatized, then that leads to anorexia, bulimia, etc. Models follow their diet regime because they have to form into the model body. Its no coincidence that all the models at the end of the runway look exactly the same. Some may be taller than other but the “ideal” frame is enforced here.
ART 302: Beauty & Culture Exhibit
Fantasy versus Reality:
What is the Definition of Beauty?
There is no real, solid explanation of what is beauty. Beauty is not determined by age, size, shape or color. Looking at all the photographs from the Beauty & Culture Exhibit inside the Annenberg Space for Photography really sparked all the different pressures that I’ve felt as a woman, and well as a plus size woman. The “ideal” perception of beauty from advertisements from television and most importantly, magazines really create a huge demand for an unrealistic appearance. Sadly, beauty is determined by society. Even if you are brought up in a culture where beauty is different from others, at one point you might think something within your culture is ugly, and others in your culture may not.
As I saw the photographs of magazine advertisements, I imagine the average consumer falling for these photoshopped images and thinking if they buy the products they’d be able to be “beautiful” as the models in the advertisements are. Consumers fall for this ideal perspective of beauty, even though it is in a fantasy setting.
The real problem here is that women go to extreme lengths to follow the ideal qualities of a perfect woman. Plastic surgery being the biggest “solution” for the ideal nose, perfect lips, or high cheekbones, whether you’re 40 years old or as this image below says, 8 years-old. While looking at the video talking about the Toddlers & Tiaras children at the exhibit, I immediately thought of this issue that occurred recently. A mother was injecting her 8 year-old child with Botox to enhance her features and be able to “compete” at beauty pageants. What type of message does this create for the child, that Botox is the solution to be able to compete against others and have more chances at being successful, based on your looks?
The exhibit captivated me in a way that you have to get through the bottom of why beauty is displayed the way it is, and how it can be changed. I think that ultimately, you have the say as to what beauty is. As a freelance makeup artist, I always get clients who want to look like a certain celebrity or bring out features and hide others because they are “unacceptable.” I always tend to challenge my clients and let them know that I, the makeup artist, only enhance features that they love and not be ashamed of the others. Makeup is seen as a way to cover flaws and to have what beauty is to them but I think makeup makes a confident woman. If you feel confident without makeup, more power to you. But for others who don’t leave the house without makeup because of their dark circles under their eyes, with a little concealer under the eyes, they feel the most confident. And that is what beauty is to me; feeling confident in yourself. You will never be able to change the beauty industry. Models and celebrities are in an ideal world, but for the average person, we should have our own unique beauty ideals entitled by your opinion.
ART 204: Final Project
The Beatrice Wood exhibition left me absolutely breathless. I was captivated from all the different elements each piece had and how by using different shapes and colors created a beautiful, timeless effect. I was immediately drawn to this sculpture, which is called “Blue Luster Double Necked Bottle With Braided Design.” This picture is from an online gallery because we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the exhibit. I really wish I could have though because this picture doesn’t do it justice. The colors captivated me in the from that it had a million different types of blue hues; from teal, navy, royal, all with a beautiful silver sheen. Besides the color, the shape of the object really made it stand out as compared to the other sculptures in the room that had more shape to them in terms that this one was the only “bulky” item I saw. I love the structure of the two necks and the curves of the sphere. These two opposite elements make a really interesting design when it comes to getting inspiration to make a garment. One thing that my design will focus on is the braiding element of the sculpture.
I really want to focus on the neck element of the sculpture. I love the sphere shape as well but I think its pretty obvious what kind of shape to do with the sphere so I rather focus on something a little more “unique.” I originally had wanted to do a puffy, one sleeved shoulder dress but it was too many elements at once. With that being said, Professor Lung edited all the elements I wanted into a garment, in one solid piece. Its a wrap dress with a longer, kimono type sleeve that we originally did. The back part, I want it to be a bit lowered from the neckline to create an elegant effect. I like the simplicity of it. The detailed elements I want to add will ultimately make this garment unique.
I plan on using the same color palette that the sculpture has. I picked out a teal-gold braided-like trim to use all around the dress and ultimately be the ties for the dress. The colors I plan to use is a royal blue cotton fabric or a blue-green rayon-polyester blend fabric.
The pages in the book I will use are:
Pages:
338-351 for the sleeves
290-292 for the A-line skirt
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Visit the Santa Monica Museum of Art:
ART 204: Collared Shirt
The collared shirt is one of the most complicated garments to make, in my opinion. It has so many elements that make it difficult, but I know how much we all love our dress shirts. I think this project was the one I was dreading the most because of my bad experience in my ART 106 class with reconstructing a dress shirt but this wasn’t bad at afterall. The finished product was from a second attempt because in the first one, I sewed on the sleeve upside down, if that makes sense. See! Notches do wonders and really help out. Also, the collar was giving me trouble but I resolved my issues with a little redoing. Overall, I think it came out pretty good but as always, its at Professor Lung’s discretion 🙂
P.S- I used my tracing wheel thinking that I had my cutting mat underneath but it turns out, it wasn’t! I engraved the dart pattern into my mother’s dinner table! She hasn’t noticed yet, but when she does, eep!
Jasmine A. Hernandez 