This summer, one of our most popular class options has been the new DIY (Design It Yourself) Fashion Workshop. I’m excited about this not because my background is in design or because I appreciate fantastic fashion statements (when others wear them!), but because it shows that there are so many young girls wanting to create pieces all their own to wear. They have so many amazing ideas to share and show about who they are and what they can do, and they have a spread of tools and techniques right at their fingertips. In Eleanor’s words (age 9): “I want to design-it-myself because then I can wear it and no one else will have it.” Self-expression – now that’s what we’re talking about!
Supplies and inspiration for creativity surround us in our everyday lives. To get started, you don’t specifically need sewing machine prowess or expensive materials. One of my favorite examples is using kitchen utensils for fabric stamping. Open your kitchen drawer and see your utensils as pattern-making tools – the curved switch-backs of a potato masher, the slightly flared spokes of a slotted spatula, the concentric circles of a set of measuring cups or spoons. A wide, flat shoelace wrapped around the length of a rolling pin makes a perfectly parallel set of stripes. The bottom side of a mini-muffin tin can be painted for dot patterns, and of course the humble potato itself can be halved and carved into any simple stamping shape.
One of the easiest ways to add your mark to any item is using permanent markers; you can pick up a rainbow assortment of colors at office supply stores. Then get doodling! Sharpie’s Uncapped online gallery shows endless ideas for customizing everything from sunglasses frames to laptop cases to the basic tee.
Previously, I’ve touted Todd Oldham’s Kid Made Modern and shared the duct-tape messenger bag project from this book. This is really just the beginning of what can be designed with the tape. Duck brand’s Stuck at Prom contest shows off evening ensembles assembled entirely from duct tape.
Truly – with the “maker” revolution, the ease of the Internet, and the industriousness of our young designers – we are swimming in great ideas! There are a few fun resources that I go to often for DIY Fashion projects.
1. My Wonderful World of Fashion by Nina Chakrabarti is a fashion coloring and doodle book dotted with quick and easy projects.
2. DIY Fashion by Selena Francis-Bryden is a great project book for teens (or tweens with a crafty grown-up’s help). Most designs make use of recycled clothing and a few simple accessories.
3. DIY Kids by Ellen Lupton (a prodigious designer, curator and critic) and Julia Lupton is geared more toward the elementary set. The various activities make use of basic materials and are cleverly coded for level of difficulty, time and expense.
4. For online resources, Erica Domesek’s PS I… Made This is great fun and so easy to follow. Last year, she compiled her popular projects into a book by the same title. Each post pairs an inspiration board with a 3-step project, like an iPad clutch crafted from two feet of drawer liner, a square of self-stick velcro, and – yep – duct tape! Most of her projects are designed for the 20s set but many are appealing and accessible to all ages.
5. And of course, my favorite magazine resource is Kiki. Each issue highlights at least one DIY fashion project (like converting rain boots to clogs) or style source (like sassy school outfits inspired by the palettes and compositions of iconic paintings).
These resources are just the start… now get designing!
