hazel llanes

Decided to join in on Tiffany’s neat daily color block project except I broke the rules and didn’t actually do any color blocking… I just thought it would be more fun to look at the textiles I wear everyday.

Be sure to check out the other participants at the #daily color block tag !

My two friends Kevin and Jordan recently collaborated to start a fashion blog called Twins in Town. It’s unique in that they bring their own talents to the table; Kevin posts his illustrations and paintings while Jordan uses the blog to document his adventures in the realm of styling.

I got to help them out with their custom blogspot layout as well as other general website stuff like obtaining a domain name and integrating social media profiles into the blog.

So far their posts have been exceptional and I’m so excited to see where it’s headed. Make sure you give them a visit!

October 2nd marked the beginning of my design internship at Whitman Emorson. So far it’s been an absolute blast! Their varied clientele means I never know what kind of work I’m going to do next and this keeps me on my toes.

It has only been a couple of weeks but I’ve already learned so much. A lot of it consist of lessons that I would have never learned in school. I’m immensely grateful.

The first work I did for them was designing this website for The Frocktail Party, an annual fashion event in Toronto that auctions off designer garments to raise money for diabetes research. It’s a fairly simple design but it feels good to see it up and running.

Played around with some photos I scanned from old issues of NYLON while listening to the David Rakoff episode of This American Life.

Lately I’ve been getting this itch to experiment on photoshop and illustrator. There’s been this sudden influx of ideas for poster designs, magazine layouts, and Tumblr themes that I’ve been too excited to even sleep!

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that school starts again next week and by then I won’t have time for personal design projects, so in a desperate bid for some fun before it’s too late my brain is overcompensating.

This is where my head has been for the past few weeks: inside books and magazines that have been sitting in my to-read queue since the start of the semester.

• (un)Fashion by Tibor & Maira Kalman: I wish I had bought this instead of borrowed it from the library because I couldn’t stop marvelling at the photos. Incredibly inspiring.
• On Bullshit by Harry Frankfurt: Self-explanatory.
• Brand Thinking by Debbie Millman: Like her podcast series, this book is a compilation of interviews with esteemed designers from around the globe. In short, brands are more than just a logo.
• Colors Magazine #83: Happiness: A magazine about the rest of the world. It’s chock full of great photography and fascinating articles. Lucky for us, many of the articles from the issue can be found online.
• Worn Journal #14: Not your average fashion magazine.

E-books:

• Design is a Job by Mike Monteiro: A book I will probably refer back to for years to come. Read a chapter here.
• Shape of Design by Frank Chimero: One of my favorite lines from the book: “Design doesn’t need to be delightful for it to work, but that’s like saying food doesn’t need to be tasty to keep us alive.”

Oh look, pretty dresses!

Originally posted on GUISE:

Two days ago Amanda and I had the chance to watch Mass Exodus, the annual runway show featuring collections from Ryerson’s fourth-year fashion design students.

This being my first year in attendance, I didn’t expect to see such a great breadth of designs, all with varying cuts, fabrics, and styles, within a span of just one hour. It was overwhelming, in a good way.

Still, I couldn’t help but wish the show went on for a few more hours. Sixty minutes was simply not enough to give all 58 collections the appreciation and attention they deserved. The construction of many of the pieces were so good it was hard to keep my constant exclamations of I’d so wear that! to myself (sorry Amanda).

Aside from those in the photos, other notable designers whose work stood out to me include Kendra Pegg with her androgynous ensembles, Alexandra Boultzi’s troupe of Japanese warrior women, Lia Valdez’s highly provocative fetish pieces, Monica Saraguro’s lace-fur-and-leather collection, Kelli Kikcio’s menswear, and Alexandria Julian’s cast of Little Mermaid ballet dancers, complete with a tights-clad prince!

Thanks to the Mass Exodus crew, you can watch a live stream of the whole show right here and see photos on Flare.com.

Those who know me in real life know that I am crazy about anything nautical-themed. So much so that my most worn pieces of clothing are, by far, my numerous striped tops and my good ol’ trusty navy blazer (complete with gold anchor buttons). I even have a captain’s hat that I throw on during Halloween.

Naturally, I created this huge set on Svpply called Nautical Nonsense. It’s a carefully compiled collection of all things nautical, from accessories and menswear to books and home decor, and it’s still growing. For anyone having difficulty getting me a gift, you know where to go.