I’m excellent at writing. I have a huge portfolio with hundreds of fashion write ups done over the years, but I’ve always wanted to act on another passion of mine…drawing. Yes, I love fashion illustrators of all kinds. Ruben Toledo is my favorite  and I’ve always admired his talent to capture the essence of any fashion designers work through his unique interpretation. His work inspires so many artist, designers, and yes writers like myself. I’ve done a few drawings for my book The Quirky Bombshell Guide to Fashion Organization, so I’ve attempted to sketch in some form. This book The Creative License by Danny Gregory has really given me a boost of confidence to draw my own fashion illustrations. This book has cool creative drawings, but it also gives some great insight on  developing your own style. He gives practical tips on drawing simple objects. What I love the most about this book is the fun tutorials and the freedom it gives to draw less than perfect. Maybe that’s why the subtitle for this book is “Giving yourself permission to be the artist you truly are”. Your toughest critic is yourself. I won’t let negativity thwart my drive to extend my talents beyond writing. Just say I/YOU CAN DO IT and IT can be done!

I recently came across a report describing how print screening will be trending for denim in Summer 2017/18. I believe denim is one of the most versatile fabrics to create with and style. Back in the late 1960’s, denim use to be exclusively for artist or people who did messy work and now look! It’s the most worn fabric AND the formality of it has changed dramatically. With technology brings new advents for fashion. The digital wave is changing the game in every industry. Computers are manipulating textures too; shredded denim and soft surfaces. Digital printing on fabric is only the beginning of what’s hot for fashion this summer.

Lets jump right into what the topic is, Quick Fashion. I’ve been reading tons of articles lately concerning the future of clothing that is mass produced and of low quality. Look, I’ve been talking about this since 2015. Stores like Forever 21, H&M and Charlotte Russe might have to switch things up a bit. People are becoming more and more environmentally conscious. Our landfills have mounds of clothing because the quick fashion houses produce pieces of low quality at a rapid rate to keep up with trends, and make a quick buck.  I have nothing against quick fashion, because lets face it, not everyone has the budget to buy a skirt for $2,000.00. It’s nice to know that we as shoppers have options. Quick fashion gives us the opportunity to be trendy on a budget, but now consumers are wondering if it’s worth it. People are starting to feel a certain way about buying an item that was made by a factory worker in deplorable conditions, earning meager pay. What’s the sense of investing in items that are usually no good after 1 wash cycle anyway? When your local clothing swap business won’t take it, in the trash it goes! Oh, and don’t think you can sleep well just because you dropped a bag off at Goodwill. They’ll do the same thing if they can’t sell it as is.  There’s a new word being tossed around in the fashion industry; “Trans-seasonal.” Consumers demand clothing with better quality and more wear-ability. Makes sense; I mean people do care about their pockets, but they are willing to pay an extra $10 for piece of mind.

Machines will soon replace workers in deplorable conditions, but then what? The workers the machines replace will now be without the meager pay they earned which to them is better than nothing. *sigh* sometimes it’s no winning for losing. There are so many things to consider for a positive change in fashion. Maybe THAT should be the focus…Change.