more designer research.... Handbag I

Tocca- love there clothes and sense of color and pattern. Jill Stuart

Nanette Lepore

John Varvatos (his shoes make me wish i was a dude!)

TOTE BAG RESEARCH CONTINUES!

Dries Van Noten uses patterns and colors that seemingly don't go together but they work fantastically!

Intresting use of leather cut outs.

Stumbled across this site with intricate leather found from Novgorod. Amazing stuff.
http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/NovgorodLeatherp.html

TOTE BAG RESEARCH:Contruction/ Technical

TOTE BAG RESEARCH : A History of the Carpet Bag + Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins and her magical carpet bag.

Brief History of Carpetbags and Carpetbaggers
With the rapid expansion of railroads in the 1840’s and 1850’s . Ordinary people were traveling in large numbers, and there was an need for cheap luggage ,so thousands of carpetbags were manufactured. They were made by saddle makers in many town and cities and were many sizes and shape. They were called Carpetbags because the makers would buy old carpets and construct the bags from the pieces of carpet that were not completely worn out. This how Carpet bags could be manufactured cheaply , they sold in Dry Goods for $1 to $2.
By the 1860’s carpetbags were carried by all most everyone, Men, Women, well to do , middle class and not so well to do. Carpetbags were the first suitcases made in large numbers. When you traveled during the Civil War (1861-1865) and though the 1870, you packed your Carpetbag . This became a way to identify an outsider (traveler).
During the civil war Reconstruction Period (1865-1870) many people for the Northern States went South because it was so poor that there many opportunities for a person with money even a little money. For example you could own a farm by paying the past due taxes for as little as $25. These Opportunities attacked all sorts people from honest hard working farmers, to crooks, charlatans, con artist and of course crooked politicians. All these outsiders (identified by their Carpetbag) were called Carpetbaggers and still are in many places. It became the term to refer to a Yankee who moved to the south and usually meant a “damn Yankee and not to be trusted, a scoundrel”. Probably the worst Carpetbaggers were the politicians who used their positions in the corrupt Reconstruction Government to enrich themselves through bribes, graft and other despicable acts at the expense of native Southerners. Today the dictionary defines a Carpetbagger as “ an outsider involved in politics”.

These are a few of my favorite things......

I couldn't possibly have a blog without posting my favorite designer Gary Graham's clothes. His use of fabrics, textures, and historical refrences combined with impecible tailoring are just a few things I admire about this designer.

you can also find him at:

http://www.lagarconne.com/store/index.htm

http://www.shopzoeonline.com/

http://www.shopworthwhile.com/ (a boutique in charleston, SC!)

http://www.garygrahamnyc.com/

The Self Framed Bag - Construction/Technical Research

I really liked this vintage design. VERY much like a book.

This is a Marni bag. I love the Utilitarian feel of this bag even thought it is a frame purse.

I found the shape of this to be intriquing. It is a bit hard to tell excactly how it is constructed from this picture though.

Self Framed Bag - THE NOTEBOOK CONCEPT

The idea of the self framed bag to me invoked the idea of a book. The front and back covers being the opening to a book. I began to think about the diffrent types of books there are. Novels, encyclopedias, textbooks, sketchbooks, notebooks etc. I liked the idea of a journal or sketchbook being the basis of my design. The following is research on books, drawings, doodles, and other various markmakings styles that peaked my intrest. A book cannot exist without a marks. It all begins with the stroke of a hand. The concept for my self framed bag came from this thought. I like the idea that the bag is in itself a "notebook" with the contense telling it's own story about the owner.