Home Improvement

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How perfect is that today I'm headed back home to Texas for Thanksgiving Break and today is Home Improvement Thursday's here on 85 Dresses! Sometimes, all you need for a little home revamping can be something as simple as a black and white print. While trying to decorate your home or room with art pieces can seem intimidating at times,  a black and white print with either a favorite movie quote (say it with me, everyone : "uch, as if"!) or one by your favorite artist, is simple enough to be a good starting point. I love how the Warhol print above isn't even hung and instead is just balanced against the wall. There are so many options and that is one that doesn't require a lot of commitment by not putting any actual holes into your walls and sort of has a studio-like feel to it to me.

Would you decorate with a print like these? Not gonna lie, I'm really into the Clueless one.

Hope everyone gets home safely for Thanksgiving with all of the snow that we've been having over here! Can't wait to head home tonight and get a heavy dose of southernness. It's about time.

Home Improvement: Jonathan Adler

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One of my favorite brands for home and office decor is Jonathan Adler. "Mid-century modern, art and global pop culture" are what inspire Jonathan Adler and all of his pieces have a sense of whimsy and fun to them which I definitely admire when it comes to how I think about decorating my future home. I've gathered some of my favorites above including that fabulous pink couch (which is a piece that I know I want to include someday) and a creative vase that looks like an ice cream cone! Can't get much better than that.

Home Improvement: Furry Decor

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Recently I've found myself obsessing over furry decor - specifically sheepskin. I think that texture is one of the strongest elements in decor and design and these sheepskin elements provide such an amazing texture both visually and tactilely. When it comes to searching for interior design inspiration, I have found that I have been drawn to interiors that include these textural elements. Below are some of my current favorites. Also, how amazing is the pink floor throw?

On Wednesdays we wear PINK!

/ Pink set by me / Zara Heels /

With today being the 10th anniversary of the day Mean Girls opened in theaters, and it being a Wednesday (!), I decided what better occassion than today to pull out a piece I made last semester. 

" On Wednesdays we wear PINK " !

This is probably one of my favorite pieces that I have ever made. From the perfectly pink fabric, the black and white satiny piping, and another favorite, the bell sleeve, this little pink set that I made to complement a 60's style dress is just as fun to wear as it to look at. I love the idea that you can easily wear the pieces together as a set, or split them up. Options are fun to think about not only when designing, but when getting dressed as well. How cute would the pants look with a white t-shirt and denim jacket? Or, the top with high-waisted skinnies and fabulous heels?

As always, I'd love to hear any feedback.

Hope you all spent your Wednesdays piling on the pink.

xo

Updates

Since before this week I had been a little lax on posting, I figured it would good to put a little update here on 85 Dresses. These past few weeks have been rather busy and had some exciting things in them, and some of my favorites are the ones in the pictures.

1. Business Lady - After many rounds of trial and error, I finally printed my first set of business cards at the beginning of this month. I had been wanting to for a while, and kept them very true to myself with the 85 Dresses logo and gold glittered social media icons to make sure everyone who gets them will keep in touch. Now, who to hand them out to...

2. Spotted Sunnies - TJ Maxx isn't really a store that I visit very often when I am at home in Texas (or Syracuse), but all of my flatmates are major fans, so we ventured into the TK Maxx (London's version) and I couldn't resist leaving without these Moschino (Teen!) spotted sunglasses. They're severe cat-eye shape and classic black and white were perfect.

3. Styled - This past Saturday I styled my very first photoshoot with the help of my partner, Mariann Asayan, our photographer Samantha Stone, and model Hannah Gessler.  Our concept was heavily art-focused and I can't wait to share more. I got such a rush while doing it, and really think it was successful! 

4. Day in the Park - The weather was beautiful on Sunday, so a couple of friends and I headed to Hyde Park to sit and chat and take in the warmer temps. Perfect time to break out my favorite new Zara sandals that I had been eyeing for a while.

5. Coffee Craze - One of my favorite weekend activities is finding new coffee spots. There is nothing more that I love than chatting with friends over a great cup of coffee, and finding perfect spots to do so is an absolute must. After reading about Monocle online, a few friends and I walked to a new neighborhood nearby for some amazing iced lattes and people watching in the park nearby. Again, how can you resist those black and white stripes?!

Make sure that you follow me on Instagram @leshkoln to keep up with daily happenings!

Dress Up

/  The 1960's Decade: Mine is the one in the center /

For today's Dress Up post, instead of a dress that I would love to own, we are featuring one that I actually made. The Junior fashion design class puts on a fashion show near the end of their fall semester and this year the theme was Fashion After Five: The Clothes and Culture of the Cocktail Hour. Each Junior was assigned a decade from 1920's-1990's and created a classic LBD inspired by that decade. As you can see in the caption above, my decade was the 1960's. The show was last Wednesday November 15th at the Onondaga Historical Association in Syracuse, NY. Most exciting news of all? Each decade had two winning pieces that will get to be displayed in the museum until June. One of the winners from the 1960's decade? Yours truly. The same people in our class always win, so it was exciting to see some other fellow classmates get the chance, as well.  The other winner from the 60's is the dress second from the right in the image above. 

/ Original 1960's Inspiration Board /

My initial inspiration started with the board above. I knew I wanted to use wool and a heavier fabric and knew I wanted a high collar, and after my two rounds of 25 rough sketches, I knew what I wanted to make. Oddly enough, it turned out almost exactly as I had planned. 

/ Close-up of the collar that I beaded and earrings I made /

/ L: My dress the night before the show putting finishing touches on / R: My beautiful model, sorority sister, and friend, Brittany looking perfectly mod /

/ Lining up for the show /

/ Post-show with Brittany and my mom who surprised me with her visit /

Thanks again to everyone who came to see the show! It was really great to be able to share our hard work with people other than classmates and professors for once. I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm back home in Texas for the week for the holiday soaking up some warm weather and family.

Instagram Updates

Hi, everyone! I am so sorry for the lack of posts in the past week or so. While I am taking four classes this semester, it seems as if Draping and Magazine are controlling everything. Since sadly the blog has had to be on the back burner for the past week, I rounded up some of my Instagrams during that time that can help give a glimpse into what I've been working on. 

1. Rough sketches for my 1990's sketch project. Looking into lots of mesh and plaid and being inspired by Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain and androgyny. Does it show? I'd love to get feedback!

2. For a break after pulling a few all-nighters this week, which now resulted in a cold, I made a new set of sparkly earrings like the ones that I had made this past summer. I wanted to go for smaller pair that still packed lots of glitz. I think that the light green, pink, and crystals keep it fancy but still easily able to be paired with casual wear.

3. These were for my 1930's sketch project last week. Each week we have had to do 12 piece collections from certain decades (including technical flats). Here, I was inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli and more specifically her color, Shocking Pink. Can you tell?

4. These were the first sketch project that we did this year focusing on the 1970's. Not really a fan of 70's fashion, this was certainly the most difficult for me. Here I focused on Studio 54 and easy glamour.

5. Oddly, I had never been to Salvation Army. After my roommate raving about it each week, I decided to take a peek for myself and headed to the local Syracuse store for the first time. Happily, I found this fabulously quirky red, white, and blue dress that reminds me of an old cheerleading + flight attendant uniform combined. And, bonus points, it was only $5.00!

6. This is a bodice that I had been working on in my Draping class. While it looks simple, and I am slowly getting the hang of it, it's been a lot of struggles to get there. Also, if you know me at all, Starbucks always helps. 

To see more into my everyday projects, make sure to follow me on Instagram at @leshkoln.

Let me know if you like this post on updates. I'd love to hear.

Home Improvement

Pastels are playing a huge role in coats for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. What used to be reserved for darker blacks, grey, and navy, have been replaced by more subdued cotton candy colors. With pastels making a statement in a season other than traditional Spring, I came across this room above, that keeps the pastels and sweet colors slightly toned down with a graphic black and white rug, funky light fixtures, and a bit of nature with a pop of kelly green plants. Keeping the furniture simple both in shape and style is key in a room like this one. With the prints and patterns displayed on the fabrics, the basic furniture helps to balance it out, and the robins-egg blue table picks up on colors in the blankets. 

How would you arrange pastels in your home to keep them from being overly sweet? I'm in love with that rug!

Home Improvement

I've recently noticed that I am becoming more and appreciative of a perfect black wall. What used to seem so dark, dreary, and depressing when it came to interior design, now feels almost as clean of a slate as a spotless white. When black walls are decorated with contrasting colors and elements, it creates a sense of warmth that I have yet to find in different colors-it is also much more unexpected. The image above features a black wall in an office-like setting, but black is such a versatile color whether in clothing or design, and could work well in any space. Don't worry, though, if you don't feel quite ready to make the leap over to the dark side (ha), this is a key opportunity to test out a black accent wall. Who knows, you might just fall in love with it.

What are your thoughts on black walls? Love 'em or hate 'em?

Home Improvement

As much as I love falling asleep during a thunderstorm, I love waking up to a bright sunny morning just as much. There is something about that perfect surge of morning light rushing through your windows that adds a bit more pep and energy to start off the day right. When I came across this bedroom, I started imagining waking up to the flooding of light through those incredible windows. The slanted walls create so many amazing opportunities for decoration and style and make the windows even more interesting. With the unique shape of the room, I also really appreciate how the owner took the chance to play the shape up and create a sort of focus wall filled with an abstract floral wallpaper. In a pattern that may otherwise overwhelm if spread throughout the whole room, when narrowed in on a small and angular part, the pattern is not only easier to take in, but more complimentary to the space, as well. 

What do you think? Wouldn't you love waking up in this sunny bedroom?

Home Improvement

When I was younger, I collected everything from quarters from each state to porcelain dolls. Through the years, though, I have grown quite an affinity for collecting and admiring coffee table books. With their typical high cost, my collection (here, here, and here) is still small, but in their nearly endless categories of inspiration from fashion, photography, and art, I see them not only as amazing references for my interests, but as beautiful decorations in themselves. While their name mainly places them on the coffee table, the way that they are displayed in the image above, is not only much more interesting to the eye, but allows for the true beauty of the content and covers of these books to be showcased. Just as artwork can show the owner's personal style, these coffee table books can do just that, as well as provide passages into the owner's interests. On my current dream list: fashion, typography, and a favorite artist.

What are some of your favorite coffee table books? Would you display them like this?

Home Improvement

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One of the most important things that I have learned from dorm living in the past year and a half is that proper space utilization can make a huge difference in not only the feeling of the size of your room (or home), but in the feeling of cleanliness and organization, as well. Both being design students, my roommate and I definitely have our share of stuff. However, it is the little areas in which we discover to house them all, that can make our room feel more like a home, and less like a storage room for our things. In the kitchen above, the room utilizes the sort of awkward curved corner to turn into a dining nook. What once may have been an odd empty space is now transformed into something cozy and unique to the room that also manages to add charm and an interesting appeal. 

What are some of your space utilization techniques? 

Home Improvement

Now, I know that everybody loves a little bit of glitter and shine throughout their days, but this kitchen by architect Emma Templeton and her design team at Templeton, is a whole lotta fabulousness. With such a powerful and sparkly focus of the backsplash behind the counter, the team made sure to balance the room with neutral colors and materials--like variants of brown woods-- to ensure that the space felt special, but not overwhelming. This kitchen is surely a place where enjoying your morning coffee will make sure to start your day off right. 

Would you like some sparkle in your kitchen?

Person of Interest: Elisa Nalin

I have been watching stylist and design consultant Elisa Nalin's style for a while now, and I have to say, that I am currently smitten. Her style is sort of quirky and unique with a tomboyish flair and platinum pixie cut, but at the same time feminine and definitely colorful. I am particularly fond of how she can make prints that would otherwise be too symbolic, such as palm trees or leaves, be toned down with a blazer or pleated skirt and still come off with a sort of charm and interest to them. From the collage above, Elisa is also a master at combining interesting color and pattern palettes to create instant trends and overall appeal.

What do you think of Elisa Nalin's style? Are you as in love as I am?

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A to Z: Design

It seems obvious, but when you think about it, there are so many different types of design in the field. From packaging design, interior, and of course, fashion, design is something that constantly changes the way that we buy, interact with, and view the products around us. 

Packaging Design-

As consumers, one of the first ways that we come in contact with a product is through sight and how the product looks and appeals to us. Personally, I know that when I find myself in a pharmacy or grocery store, the products with interesting packaging design or logo is the one that I will usually prefer.  These wine bottles have a series of sunglasses that not only make an appealing look, but also are interesting in that when held up sideways across your face, it appears as if you are wearing the glasses, as well...not that you would do that. 

Interior Design-

Interior design is something that I have grown to really be fond of the past few years. How you choose to decorate your space is something that is so personal to each person and can really be a way to showcase your individual style. The image above is one that I really love for an interior space, as I absolutely love a gallery wall anywhere. Gallery walls appear to be extremely thought out and intricate, but I find that they look best when the owner of the space decides to arrange random compositions of art that they find special. Also, the neutral palette with the pops of the natural green of the plants provides a fresh look to an otherwise almost monochromatic space. 

Brand Design-

In a business, it is important that there is a sense of consistency throughout. When everything from business cards, headers on documents, and even certain colors are kept at constant, it is easier for the customers to be able to remember the company and to relate to it when seeing these things. I think that these business cards are great. While still in the typical rectangular format of a business card, this company utilized the shape to their advantage to display what their company is in a creative, unique, and aesthetically pleasing--while still simple--way. 

While clearly there are many more areas of design than only packaging, interior, and brand design, these are areas that I don't often focus much on, but am interested in and really make a difference when it comes to design in general and of forming ideas for companies in the future.

What are some of your favorite fields of design?

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