Katherine Gerdes

AUF'D Runway: "High Flying Fashion" Episode 8

4 October, 14:21 - thus far 27 insightful comments have been made

I totally didn’t expect this to be a hard challenge, and I can’t completely explain why, but it was definitely the hardest challenge so far that I’ve worked on and I think it’s going to be the hardest one. I couldn’t figure out what to design even after I had sketched and went fabric shopping, I still ended up changing it a few times and eventually ended up pretty close to where I started!

Personally I feel like a lot of questions weren’t really answered on the show, like is this supposed to be something I would personally wear in my current life to travel in? Or is it supposed to be for the theoretical time when I’m a jetsetter celebrity? Do jetsetters really travel in the outfit that they wear to the even? As a jetsetter, am I to assume I travel first class, or coach (as it is in reality, and the two make a difference to what you wear!)? Is it supposed to be a “party” outfit or something that travels well and is stylish? I think I could go on, but you get the picture…

Basically, I guess I was having a hard time figuring out what to design because the challenge really seemed to be open wide for interpretation. Laura’s dress was lovely, but chances are I would never get that dressed up, especially to travel and Vincent’s outfit looked really comfy to travel in and looked nice, but the judges thought it was too simple. In the end the judges appeared to be judging highly on how the garment actually traveled. To be honest, I imagine that even were I a “jetsetter,” I would probably travel in the same things I do now (jeans, hoodie & tee), because it’s comfortable, looks decent after sitting and is layered because I get warm really easily.

So, with all that in mind, I decided to try and make something fairly simple, comfortable and something that I might actually wear (the other challenge is that I NEVER make clothes for myself). I also wanted to try and make it something cute enough that I could potentially wear it to an event of some sort and it would show my design style. Therefore, I decided to make a pair of jeans and a hoodie with a tank top layered over it.

So here for your enjoyment… my attempt at “modeling.”

And that attempt didn’t last long:

Jeans? Simple right? No. Jeans (and pants) in general are some of the harder garments to make (if you ask me) because there is no room for “fudging” when you make pants. Everyone knows what they’re supposed to look like, fit, etc. If I’m making some gown, I have room to mess up a little and tweak it and say “what that? I was planning on that.” With pants the fit has to be perfect or everyone notices. There are also a lot of pattern pieces to making pants and putting in a fly is one of those things I know a lot of designers still refer back to the how-to books on! Anyways, my idea with the jeans was to make a pair that was my “perfect pair.” You know what I’m talking about… you have jeans you like, but there is always something little you’d change? So I thought I’d make a pair with all the details that I’ve wanted; wide waistband that cuts up higher in the back (no plumbers butt please!), dark dark denim, fitted but not too tight, slightly flared, etc… They ended up turning out pretty good. I think they need a bit more “living in” but they fit pretty well and are comfortable. I added a slightly distressed pin tuck down the center front of each leg to help add a bit of “length” and I did some stitching on the back pockets to add in a bit of color and detail. There’s not much that I would change, but I think I would change the pockets to a trouser cut, rather than a typical jean shape. I think I might cut the leg opening a bit wider as well, but maybe I’m just not used to less flared legs yet (no skinny jeans for me).

For the tops I decided to make an white short-sleeved hoodie with a olive green zip tank. The tank top is sort of a play on the typical hoodie with the front zipper and pocket, but I thought it’d be fun to put those on a tank and layer it over an actual hoodie. I wanted the hoodie to have a fairly open v-neck, and made the front v cross over a bit, which was mimicked on the sleeve cuffs. I also made the hood a bit open in the back so it’s not as covered as a usual hoodie. I think both of them turned out pretty close to what I had wanted. They are very comfy and I can easily imagine traveling in them. The one thing that I would do differently on the hoodie is that I had to double up the fabric so it was too sheer, and I think it made it a bit bulky. Next time I would try to find a better fabric or not make it in a light color, so I don’t need to double up. Unfortunately the zip tank is green and the only separating zipper that I could find in that length was brown, so I would definitely change that if I had the chance!

As promised, I wore my outfit to the Project Runway final 4 fashion show in NYC. I forgot in all the excitement to get a photo (silly me), but here is one of Laura K (of BPR fame): and me.

I had planned on wearing it to travel home in the next day, but as it was raining the whole time I was in NYC and the outfit was still wet when I had to go to the airport, I decided against it. Sorry! I’m pretty confident in saying that it would travel well though considering the fabrics it’s made out of (denim and tee-shirt jersey).

I have no idea how the outfit would have been received by the judges, but I like it and doesn’t the saying go “the customer is always right?”

Hmm… so this week’s play list is a combo of what I listened to while sewing, when I was in NY for fashion week and what I’m listening to in anticipation of some shows I’m going to this week: Architecture In Helsinki, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, TV on the Radio. Sweet!

AUF’d Runway: “High Flying Fashion” Episode 8 Play list:

1. TV On the Radio “Return to Cookie Mountain” – Wolf Like Me
2. TV On the Radio “Return to Cookie Mountain” – A Method
3. Grand Buffet “Grand Buffet” – Candy Bars
4. The Polyphonic Spree “Together We’re Heavy” – Diamonds
5. The Polyphonic Spree “Together We’re Heavy” – One Man Show
6. Radiohead “Hail to the Thief” – Sit Down. Stand Up
7. Radiohead “Hail to the Thief” – I Will
8. Coldplay “Parachutes” – Don’t Panic
9. Coldplay “Parachutes” – Everything’s Not Lost
10. Ben Folds Five “Whatever and Ever Amen” – Selfless, Cold, and Composed
11. Ben Folds Five “Whatever and Ever Amen” – Missing the War
12. Jamie Cullum “Twentysomething” – These Are the Days
13. Jamie Cullum “Twentysomething” – All At Sea
14. Sergei Rachmaninov “Piano Concertos 1-4”
15. Iron And Wine “The Creek Drank the Cradle” – Promising Light
16. Iron And Wine “The Creek Drank the Cradle” – An Angry Blade
17. Architecture In Helsinki “In Case We Die” – Tiny Paintings
18. Architecture In Helsinki “In Case We Die” – Frenchy, I’m Faking
19. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah “Self Titled” – Clap Your Hands!
20. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah “Self Titled” – Is This Love?