Kathleen Sykes


Kathleen Sykes


Kathleen Sykes





Kathleen Sykes








Kathleen Sykes

This was a dress I designed for a competition for a company called Shabby Apple, It was inspired by Japanese gardens and kimonos.





This was my midterm for my Fashion Illustration II class. It was done in marker and outlined in colored pencil on Bristol paper and the background was done in gouache. I got my idea for this when I saw the movie Coco Before Chanel. I was inspired by the scenes in the south of France when Coco and Arthur were at the beach. I looked up pictures from the movie and of French artwork as well as posters and magazine covers from the era. From this I got a very strong color scheme of blue, pale yellow, red and gray. I also illustrated some tailored items like a pants with cuffs, jackets with rounded collars, and a ladies tuxedo dress shirt. The two dresses were inspired by 1920's bathing suits. The asymmetrical gathered collars were my interpretation of the collar that I saw on a French impressionistic Painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir of a woman sitting by the seashore with a big lace ruffled collar.

http://www.greatvintagegraphics.com/art_gallery/european_travel_posters.html
http://www.alteredabbey.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=434
http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/ibts0707/impsea_06.htm"
http://slsvggfashion.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/what-caught-our-eye-coco-avant-chanel/coco_before_chanel08/
http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/2009_coco_before_chanel_013_big.html









This was the final for my fashion illustration class. I was inspired by the romantic era of ballet and Edgar Degas' paintings of ballet dancers. I did quite a bit of romantic draped evening and cocktail wear inspired by the dancers but I also added in some tailored evening pieces that somewhat represent Degas himself.
I touched up the croquis in photoshop and I photoshopped them in with the Palais de Garnier which is where the Paris Opera Ballet is housed.

http://www.thefineartcompany.co.uk/Impressionists/d-star.jpg
http://www.topofart.com/images/artists/Hilaire_Germain_Edgar_Degas/paintings/degas004.jpg
http://image.wareseeker.com/software/Home-Shell-Desktop/Misc-Screen-Savers-A-G/details_edgar-degas-screensaver-210-paintings-1.0.jpg
http://www.edgar-degas.org/Blue-Dancers,-c.1899.jpg
http://www.allpaintings.org/d/53781-2/Edgar+Degas+-+Dancer+on+Point.jpg
http://www.abcgallery.com/D/degas/degas69.JPG
Kathleen Sykes


This was the bridesmaid dress that I made for my sister's wedding. It is navy blue charmeuse and jacquard. I drafted the pattern for extra credit for my pattern making class.



This is a bridesmaid dress that I made for my sister. I made the bodice pattern from scratch and I draped the skirt and made pockets for it. The neckline is slightly asymmetrical with a pegged pleated skirt and it is fully lined. It is made of black dupioni silk.


This is a dress that I draped at a workshop. It is made out of an Anna Sui print silk chiffon and lined with yellow rayon. The skirt is slightly longer in the back and has two grosgrain ribbons on the waistband that terminate in bows on the side zipper.



This is a skirt that I made out of red crepe back satin from a 1940's Vogue pattern. The front is shaped like a pencil skirt and the back is pleated at the darts to eliminate the side seam.
(Note: I did not make the blouse, it was purchased at express)


Kathleen Sykes








Kathleen Sykes
I took ballet lessons (as well as other types of dance lessons) for 14 years (Ages four to 18). I had also danced on my high school modern dance company for one and a half years. During that time it became a major part of my life and it still is.

This was a video of me dancing about three years ago at a repertoire class in summer intensive. I am dancing the first variation of Kitri in Don Quixote with music by Leon Minkus.

I am the dancer on the right of the screen in the blue leotard with black tights and black skirt.