PLAID is in season once again with a pastel twist

Introducing the Plaid Collection from DESIGNS BY KIKA. Why not mix up the fall season with hyper-vivid prints and pastel hues.

The collection was inspired by a post modern century where light and transparency is perceived as color rather than solid hues.

The customer for this collection is a young vibrant woman who has an interest in Sci-Fi films, space grunge clothing and raver aesthetic. Minimalism is never viewed as an option.

The plaids and stripes were designed with a preppy layout. Symmetry is compensated for the highly saturated palette

The balanced lines are designed to be graded to multiple patterns for the garments.

The mix of mild layering and contemporary pieces are made for the fall and pre-fall season.

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CFDA Collection: Out for Blood

Over the course of 7 weeks, I have designed a Collection for the CFDA. A lot of time and effort has been put into this collection during a vulnerable time in my life. I am incredibly proud of what I have accomplished and I am ready for the world to see my ability and versatility as a designer.

Out for Blood

       This collection derives from my vulnerability in the aftermath of my grandfather’s death. There are moments when I have to remember that he is no longer with us and there is this painful reminder that immortality is only for folk tales and grimm stories. After my grandfather passed away, my attitude changed.

 I don’t see life through rose colored lenses. like I used to. I see darkness easily because I happiness is no longer clear to me.

        I am exposed to my deepest sorrow like an open wound. On the outside, the skin cells are used to protect from harmful diseases and bacteria. If the skin is torn, you are exposed to the painful and sensitive muscle tissues that can cause extreme discomfort and sharpness in pain. I am in the stage where my shell is broken and I am left naked for others to see my sadness. I have no choice, but to grow another layer and hope to recover and remind myself that life goes on and we must be resilient in life.

      The pieces are developed to look stripped away one by one like each layer of skin only to reveal the most honest and truthful potential of a human’s core. Some of the garments are more covered, but the accents of slits with embellished tasseled crystals hang like torn muscle tissue. She is not naked, yet she is vulnerable because her rib cage, her back and thighs are exposed to blood vessels that can bleed heavily when slashed open. But as she wears these clothes, she is proud to expose here scars and see that she will let the wounds scab and she will heal again.

     From the external layers of the jackets and coats, bulky and dense leathers are to represent the thickness and durability in leather like skin. Under the layers, less sturdy fabrics are revealed to protect the skeletal canvas. Hues of red, grey and burgundy are used as a color motif for blood, muscle tissue and blood cells.              Fabrications of satin, velvet and brocade signify the different textures of the muscles, and blood tissue. The lightness is lace is designed as the spirals in blood cells or torn ligaments that intertwine with the bones. Some garments will appear more revealing than others due to the different stages of decay and physical torment. In the end, the clothes are dying gracefully.

If you would like to see the entire collection, please go to designsbykika.com 

Thank You.

2016 Ski Wear Collection

Sporty. Bright. Colorful. Who needs to blend in when trailing down the slopes?

Designs by KIKA: 2015 Collections

I can finally say that I am proud of the work that I have done last semester at FIT. From balancing 9 classes and working my part time job, and trying not to lose my sanity, I admit that I have the willpower to keep going.

I am extremely proud of my work so far and I am honored to have these pieces photographed for my portfolio. Each piece is designed under the sportswear specification and I wanted to focus on color to make the eyes dance.

Sportswear is a category in fashion that is easily the most diverse market to design for. I want to challenge myself into making every day looks a little more special.

I’m now working on my collection for the CFDA as well as a few pieces being made during my 6th semester here at FIT.

It’s a lot of pressure, but I’m pushing myself in order to graduate with a phenomenal portfolio.

Yet Another Brilliant Photo shoot from VOGUE Paris

As usual on my Saturday mornings, I like to hunt and gather some inspiration images for my mood boards for upcoming collections. And sometimes, images are important to keep and hold on to. This one happens to be form a spread from VOGUE Paris featuring perfect packages of Barbie dolls in theme of certain designers recent collection.

Lingerie Collection 2015: Plus Size Fashion Meets Day of the Dead

I decided for my lingerie collection, I should design for women who are considered to be “well fed” in the fashion industry. My inspiration for my designs are derived from the lively and vivid colors of Mexican Folk Culture as well as the event for the Day of the Dead. Enjoy!

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Knit Wear Collection 2015 Inspired by The Somber Days & Winter

For one of my projects, I designed a knitwear collection inspired by a painting I saw at the MoMA a few weeks ago. The painting titled Intimacy Autonomy, by Joan Semmel really struck a chord with me because I noticed how emotional and sad I felt after leaving the museum. I can be the type of person who can be very dramatic and passionate for other works of art because somehow I was captivated by the essence and root emotion of the painting; Maybe not the intentional emotion the artist wanted, but at least I felt some strong emotions churn inside me as I observed the piece. For one of the obvious things that I noticed, was the odd palette of blues, grey, green and soft yellow. It resembled these odd hints of decaying hues like a dead corpse. The nudity didn’t bother me since as well as the unflattering angles, it was more of a question if the couple lying down was dead or alive. Joan, the painter, explained that she documented a lot of her work with her lover from Spain where they pose in sex positions or lay with one another sharing beautiful conversations. I saw her interpretation as something very romantic and personal, but I developed another concept for myself.

The grotesque colors and vulnerable angle in the painting brought me back to a dark place in my life. I, like many people, felt depressed in their lives. Not too long ago, I dealt with something that made me feel worthless and alone. I would lay in bed naked, alone during the winter time contemplating whether my existence in life after being rejected from college and unemployed made me feel worthy. I spent an entire year wasting my time sleeping, sketching and preparing a portfolio for my admission at FIT after I was rejected the first time. All of my friends started college without me and I felt left behind. I couldn’t find the motivation to get out of bed and find a job, because I was dead inside. I couldn’t pick up fabric and start sewing or design a collection either. I had all this free time and I wasted every day waking up at 3pm, take a shower, eat and play video games until my pupils would burn. Not to mention, I was involved in a made-up romance with someone who saw nothing good in life, but to act reckless and selfish. I was at my worst. And as of today, every morning that I wake up I feel inspired to get something done because I have a job, I am a full time student and I am in the best relationship I could ever be in. This isn’t a story about depression or resilience. Every person I have met has experienced deep sadness that has lasted for very long periods of time. It’s important to acknowledge the tribulations in ones life to find the motivation to go far in life.

My collection manifests from my experience of depression as well as the brilliant painting into knit wear pieces for the cold season. The season of winter is misleading in a sense that we focus on the holidays and how great the change in weather can be. But days are shorter, we don’t see the sun as often and there is not much to do outside. We stay inside our homes to keep warm from the biting cold and we feel lonely because we are trapped leaving our homes. The cold is a reminder to us that change is an often thing and sometimes it can be unpleasant and unbearable at times like winter.

It’s okay to feel sadness, just remind yourself that at the end of the day the sun can come out and make the days feel warmer.

My Bodysuit is Here!

I finally finished sewing my body suit and I have to saw out of all the frustration and pressure to do a phenomenal job, I managed to pull through. All I have to do is schedule a photoshoot for this piece to add to my collection. Maybe I’ll  make a few bodysuits in the future since my patterns are perfected for a seize 10 figure. 

What do you guys think?

Archery & Design (PLUS The Reveal of My New Collection!)

I’ve decided to take part in designing a collection for Archery. I had a lot to play with since the usual uniform in archery requires only common clothes. I took inspiration from one of the most famous female archers, Wonder Woman. A strong amazonian woman who is ahead of her time, stronger than most men, and has a strong hand in archery.

The main process of me designing the pieces was the be in effect of posture and stretch in the armholes. I wanted to give my girls a little more edge and style. I wanted to focus on anti-perspiration, and all around comfort.

 The higher the armholes and more room in the sleeves, means more movement in the arms. The arm covers are used to for the wrist padding for the comfort of holding the arrow with out piercing the skin.

The side panels on both the bodice and leggings/shorts are for support and firmness in the sides for ergonomic stance an archer much focus on when posing. Designing for a specific sports requires a lot of thought process and smart arrangements of comfortable fabrics and manipulations.

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