These are some of my favourite posts on Final Fashion.

our shared sin

Fashion is not bashful in declaring its unholy adoration of of unwholesome decadence. While it may pay lipstick-service to it, fashion doesn’t concern itself too much with the stylish possibilities of virtue.

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how to draw a fashion figure

If you can follow instructions, you too can draw a fashion figure. Grab three (or more) sheets of translucent layout paper or tracing paper, a pencil and you’re ready to go.

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the indefinable decades

I remember looking forward to seeing the 20th century laid out in a row of 10 clearly defined figures, but of course by the time that happened, I was old enough to realize that the 1990s didn’t fit the formula.

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street style signals

Can’t stop, I’m always late and they’re holding up the show just for me. The wind is in my hair. If you want my photo, shoot fast. Fabulous never waits!

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toe to type

Round toes remain the most current style at the present moment, despite occasional glossy proclamations that round is over, points have failed to gain much more than a niche toehold in this century.

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red dress blue dress

“I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way,” says Jessica Rabbit. It’s true – that painted-on red dress she wears makes it hard to picture her as a good girl, even if she is. When wearing red or blue, it is good to be aware of the messages these colours send, because if you’re mixing messages it is better to do it with intention.

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you too can be a self-creation

Fashion always adores an aesthetic self-creation. You are free to appear as you wish to be seen, and if you can achieve that, you can do anything you want.

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the insider issue

In fashion, insider status is coveted by those who lack it and flaunted by those who have it. In a business that makes a shrine to exclusion, the idea of being omitted from a list or unseated at a fashion show is on a par with being excommunicated.

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eight types of fashion designers

As there are different movements in art, different genres of films and endless categorizations within music, so it is with fashion.

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the technique trap

While technically focused designers often end up being influential to other designers, they almost always fail to develop a lasting legacy and the license-able name that goes with it. Technique-driven design is fascinating to hard-core fashion nerds, but it is not a route to riches.

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the fashion week thriving kit

Why focus on just surviving, why run with the middle of the pack? Why not pack a thriving kit instead? And instead of filling a bag with a bunch of branded merchandise, fill your head with some idea of why you are there and a vision of how you can rock the week.

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the aesthetics of scarcity

This Orwell chapter is well worth a re-read – once again, the last visceral shocker left to fashion is olfactory. This is why crust pants, whether affected or actual, seem to represent fashion’s last stand.

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five ways to end your fashion design career

Christobel Balenciaga chose when to retire, saying “it’s a dog’s life”. It is a rare designer who can exit so gracefully. From history, here are five more ways to drop out as a fashion designer.

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the economics of style – youth culture patterns

Nostalgie de la boue: we fetishize “functional” work because our own so-called work is so ephemeral and indulgent. Hipsters fixate on the trappings of manual labour with the same fervour that the Teds romanticize the clothing of a lost leisure class.

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what it is for – it girls and fashion

Don’t get sidetracked by the envy which is just a natural byproduct of not being an it girl in an it girl world. You are in denial if you think you can make it in fashion without embracing it.

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Vionnet vs. Chanel

They were both incredible female designers whose work defined the changing identities of women in the 1920s and 30s. They were both hugely successful in their lifetimes. Chanel remains a legend, whereas Vionnet’s name is almost totally forgotten outside of the bubble of fashion. Why?

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visit to the Dr. Martens factory

It was amazing to see my favourite boot get born – but don’t take my word for it, here’s some pictures.

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my Dr. Martens history

I’ve never had the heart to throw any of them out, even though several of them are no longer wearable. Now that I am moving to London, I have to throw out a lot of stuff. Before I lay these boots down to rest, I wanted to record them and their stories. Here is my history, in DMs.

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how to be a fashion illustrator

I can count the number of fashion illustrators I’ve met on the fingers of one hand, and as far as I can tell, we’re all just making it up as we go along.  Especially now, the experiences of previous generations are more fascinating and romantic than useful. So before you read any further – its normal to feel like you don’t know what you are doing, and you are not the only one that feels that way.

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terms of internship

I am skeptical that internships are the only way – or necessarily the best way – to get into the fashion industry. And via Final Fashion, I am essentially betting my own career on this.