Day 10

 

Sometimes things do not turn out like you expect.

Day 10 ran smoothly for the team, there's a motivation and strong design for today. But there is an air of disappointment at the end to today's design.

Today started like any other, Marina took the time to get inspired for day 10's blouse. She was encouraged and motivated, that the 30days / 30designs womenswear project is a third complete. It was compelling to her, that in search of intense time she was still finding creativity.

The blouse was inspired by a silhouette of Marinas pervious collection, Black Bee .Therefore, it has elements of layering, asymmetrical cut to show bare skin on the waist and a simple back. This blouse is contemporary and elegant.

But, on the completion of this blouse Marina felt disappointed. It was too close to Black Bee. This was an important milestone in our 30days / 30designs project, as marina Realised taking inspiration from her previous work made it easier, but it did not create the desired effect. Marina does not want to be inspired, she wants to be inspired every single day.
 
Thus, the daily inspiration should create new silhouettes and new shapes. Means to be creative each day. I would like to know that there is no regret from today's decision.

 

Day 9

 
1 (1).jpg

Day 9 was a day for reflection.

Marina woke up and started the day a slow morning, focusing on taking time for herself. This allowed for her to pick up a book of photograph and flick through it’s content. One photo jumped out at Marina and go her thinking.

It was a photo which reminded her of her childhood in Kazakhstan. Not so much a reflection of herself as a child, but a reflection of the boys she used to play with growing up. The image looked familiar and brought back strong memories. Marina felt warm and content with the recollection of her childhood and a clear image of the late 80’s, early 90’s style stuck in her mind.

Day 9’s blouse is simple, and follows a similar style and shape to the clothes worn by boys in the 80’s/ early 90's. The blouse all about the warm reminder that Marina associates with her childhood friends. It is a boyish style blouse which short sleeves and a childish silhouette, but it is heightened with elegant fabric and a dainty collar

Minimalism and simplicity is key to this design. As Marina remembers her childhood as a simple time. The key to this blouse is sophistication, elegant details and a boyish silhouette.

Overall today was all about reminiscing on childhood and how it was a simpler time. The blouse is sort of like Maria’s way of saying “thank you for the memories and I still remember you!”

 

Day 8

 

Day 8 is inspired by women

Today is international women's day and this is the inspiration we used for todays blouse. The team decided not to focus on the history of women or womenswear but the strength, power and sensuous nature of women.

The day began with Marina’s ritual, morning endurance workout. Followed by a breakfast in Rosenthaler Platz with Laura. It was at this breakfast, where the initial ideas for the design were formed.

Before arriving at the atelier the team bought flowers to remind them of the beauty, freshness and elegance we like to see in our womenswear. The team looked at books and art for further inspiration. We also took inspiration from the women we picture wearing our label. A woman who actively reads, enjoys art, works intensely and carries herself with elegance but power.

So, it was this woman we designed for today. Therefore, day 8’s is a combination of a blazer and a blouse. Picture someone in a blazer, they hold themselves differently too when they’re wearing a t-shirt. There is a assertive powerful nature to a blazer and we wanted this presence in our design.

However, we wanted to ensure we include a sexuality to this blouse, so there is a deep V-neckline exposing the wearers chest. We believe this is an important element to our blouse. A woman can be powerful, elegant and sexy, all at the same time.

The empowered feeling of today made the day 8 run quickly and smoothly. If you are a woman reading this blog post today take a minute to appreciate yourself and what it means to be a woman!

 

Day 7

 
IMG_7244.jpg

Day 7 was just another ordinary day for the Marina Schwan team.

The time spent alone yesterday provided some of the inspiration for today. Elements of yesterday's blouse like the raglan sleeves are reflected in day 7’s design.

Today was all about the blouse, there was a focused atmosphere and a routine to today. The team worked together with a confident ease, everyone now familiar the the tempo of 30days / 30designs.

Due to Marina’s organisation yesterday today ran smoothly. Day 7’s blouse started with a sketch, however this sketch was only to showed a few key details. These details were executed and place on the dummy, from there the design team layered and draped allowing the silhouette of the blouse to build up in a natural way.

Designing like this allowed day 7’s blouse to have some clean clear details, but to be balanced out with a voluminous silhouette. Today is also the first day the design team fully played with layering. Marina intended to create natural light movement, alongside a depth and complexity in this blouse.

Today was all about naturally balancing out the blouse by freeing up the design process and adding to the blouse once it was on the dummy. This created a combination of a traditional closed clean blouse with a stand up collar and a contemporary blouse with volume, in both its silhouette and hems.

 

 

Day 6

 
1_Vertikal.jpg
“I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person” — Oscar Wilde

Day 6 has been the first day Marina designed alone, since the being of the 30days / 30 design project.

This time alone allowed for a slow start in the morning, where Marina was able to organise and clean her workspace. The morning was spent leisurely and allowed for Marina to go through her books. She was not looking for inspiration but enjoying the memories of the special pages in each book. Especially the book “Textilien Handwerk und Kunst”, its images helped inspire today with its fine lines and masculine touch.

“Everyone should have their own personal library” — Marina Schwan

Due to day 6 being a peaceful solitary day, Marina worked in silence enjoying its presence. She did not even listening to music and for all of you who know Marina, you will know she does this rarely and often has a backdrop of sound while she works.

But, today the silence was welcome, it was her day. Therefore, she designed for herself. Day 6’s blouse is simple but strong playing with fine lines and subtle masculine elements. These elements are shown in the yokes which creates powerful shoulders. The blouse has a classic collar and dainty elegant detailing in the sleeves. The blouse matched the day it is clean, clear and simple.

 

 

 

Day 5

 

Day 5 is closely linked to day 4 - As you may remember day 4 was the first difficult day of 30days / 30designs.

Due to day 4’s difficulty and flat mood, the team surrounded themselves with people who support them and the 30days / 30designs project. We drank wine, played games and this created a relaxed atmosphere which allowed everyone to unwind.

Suddenly day 4 blended into day 5. It was 3am and everyone had left in a good mood, this mood allowed day 5’s design to blossom in Marina’s head right before falling asleep.

Due to the late evening last night, today started a little later. After a relaxed morning and some lunch. The team meet outside the atelier in Kreuzberg (Berlin) for some coffee and to talk about the blouse design of the day. Following this the design team (Marina and Laura) returned to the studio to focus on creating the blouse.

Day 5’s blouse is inspired by day 4. Some of the design elements from day 4 where adapted and reshaped to create an entirely different look. The relaxed atmosphere and support provided by the evening before is a big part of today's inspiration. It freed up the design team’s minds and allowed them to start today inspired, relaxed and excited to execute this blouse.

Today's blouse plays with lines similar to day 4. But today the team played with layering and creating shadows. Volume is a key aspect of today's blouse but there is also a strong focus on the sleeves. We like to think of the sleeves as two flowers encapsulating an arm, which creates an elegant feminine shape and a gentle touch to this blouse.

There is a magic to this blouse, which would have not been possible without the struggles of day 4. It was empowering for the team to move on from a difficult day and tackle today with such creative focus.

 

Day 4

 

Day 4 of 30days / 30designs began with a different tempo. Today was the first day where the admin and organisational part of this project really took toll. We began to understand that designing everyday for 30 days is more then the creative process, there are organisational elements and coordination factors.

Even with this realisation Marina’s morning began with a routine spinning class. As you may know by now the Marina Schwan brand and the individual, are about balance, wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, it is import that we maintain these values during our 30days / 30designs project.

Today the team arrived to a completed sketch. The idea played on button plackets and 6 asymmetric lines to destroy the classic silhouette of a blouse.

As normal after the team discussion the design team started working on the patterns. But something was wrong, there was a lack of focus and a damped atmosphere in the atelier. Soon it became clear the original idea of the day had not captured the imagination of the team and of Marina. There was no magic to this design, thus no drive to focus.

Marina chose to act on this feeling and stopped the design process. Everyone took a break to clear their thoughts and re-evaluate the design. The inspiration for today was to distort a classic blouse, which we all agreed was an inspiring concept. But the execution was the problem.

So, we took a break and the blouse design changed. We stayed true to the original inspiration, deciding to continue with a distorted blouse. Day 4’s design is made up of 6 vertical lines that are evenly distributed. Each of these lines act as their own placket, meaning the blouse can be worn open and closed in several areas. This idea plays heavily on destroying a silhouette and creating a contemporary piece. The blouse can go from looking clean and symmetrical to modern and asymmetric, dependant on the woman wearing it.

Today, was our first difficult day, but don't mistake this for a lack of passion! Today we learnt it is ok to redesign and redo ideas and not have a set design from the beginning of the day. We adapted and changed which is ironic because day 4’s final design silhouette can be adapted and changed.  

2.jpg
 

Day 3

 

30 days / 30 designs is a project dreamt up by the Marina Schwan team and we are delighted to execute this project and publish everyday!

Day 3 started off with a different process and a collaborative focus. There was no initial blouse idea before the team's arrival. Instead on arrival we went outside and soaked up the bright Berlin sun. We sat outside for 15 minutes in the carefree sunshine and the strong cool air, there was a feeling that Berlin’s dark winter was over and we were welcoming the bright new season.

This mood and team spirit created a feeling of lightness which inspired today's blouse. There was no need for a sketch, the idea was firm in everyone's mind. The design team immediately started working on the patterns of the blouse.

Have you ever had an idea so strong in your mind that it's all you can see, think about and look forward to?

That feeling is exactly how we felt today, day 3`s blouse was all our design. A mixture of elegant elements came together to create this piece. As you know blouse is inspired by lightness and air, which is shown by the transparent nature of the fabric and the voluminous silhouette. The whole blouse is soft and gentle, feminine and light like the soft sunshine of today. There are also elements of draping creating an elongated oval cut-out in the back. This is to reveal bare skin and create a feminine silhouette.

Take the time to picture a woman's back framed by soft transparent fabric, you can see the fabric ripple with the movement of the women wearing it. Pure elegance and luxury encapsulates this image. The team could picture this and design to this imagery.

The whole day continued in this airy-light mood. We even prepared a light healthy lunch balanced with a soft crisp white wine. The mood of the day had captured us all and this mood had become the aesthetic of the blouse.

 

Day 2

 
1 (1).jpg

Day 2 of our 30days / 30designs project, began with anticipation and passion.

Day 1 had continued late into the night, but this enabled us to focus on the meaning of our project. 30days / 30designs is about being creative each day, not creating a perfect final blouse each day. So, we re-aligned our expectations and adjusted our day to allow for a longer creative process and to not get distracted by the fine constructive details.

Prior to the project we constructed a moodboard of assorted images. The board does not focus on fashion but on moods, textures and movement.

Today an image stood out to Marina, a photo by Berlin photographer Florinel Frătică. The image contained and everyday scene of bus seats, which may not seem like much. But the folds, play of shadows, and the rippled texture of the seats planted the seeds for an idea and this grew into day 2’s blouse.

Immediately Marina could picture the women who would be sat in Florinel Frătică photo and this image solidified the design of the day. This blouse has a focus on sleeves and the rest of the blouse is reserved and strong with a traditional closed collar. The sleeves contrast to the closed neckline, by playing with an open slit to show bare skin. There is billowing volume in the sleeves, that moves and settles to create delicate shadows, reminiscent of the bus seats photograph.

Inspired by Berlin, we went out to enjoy the frozen crisp air, exploring areas of Kreuzberg and breathing in the cities atmosphere. Refreshed from walking the team was ready, we were focused. The design was fresh in everyone's minds, ready to escape from sketches and become a tangible creation.

Soon the tasks were established and allocated with ease. Today we knew what we were doing, focused and ready we moved in rhythm to create day 2’s blouse.

 

Day 1

 

Today was the dawn of 30days / 30designs.

As you may or may not know 30days / 30designs is our project, which focuses on what it means to be creative everyday.

Today Marina began with confident excitement, a morning cup of coffee and simply a sketch. Essentially a whole new idea for a whole new blouse, just with the sip of coffee. 

Staying true to the balance that we believe encapsulates our brand, the next step of the day was a morning workout. Now you may think, how is this part of the creative process? But, the morning workout provided time away from the design, which brought clarity to the blouse. We were sure this was the silhouette of the day.

After the team arrived the design was agreed upon quickly. Everyone was inspired, able to envision the blouse, so the fine details fell into place.

Day 1’s blouse focuses on women's shoulders and creating sensuous lines with soft asymmetry. Fine details in collar are mirrored in the cuffs, to create a gentle balance. But, the focus of this blouse is the adjustable collar. Which can change the feeling and mood of the blouse from open and relaxed to edgy and strong.

This blouse is all about fabric touching skin. We envisioned a sensuous elegance to this blouse which is powerful but playful. These feeling are the key to the inspiration and execution of this design.

The team caught up in the feeling of day 1’s design, started quickly working on patterns and once the fabric was cut we could see the design and picture its movement. From there the design processes ran like clockwork, there was an ease created by a strong design, a mood and simple inspiration.

IMG_6481.jpg