Why Tell This Cat

Spending an extra year at college was one of the best decisions I have made. Due to the fact that I didn't know what I wanted to do or whether university was the right decision for me, plus I didn't have near enough work for a portfolio at that time so I doubt that I would've even got into university. So I took a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. Not only did I manage to decide to go to University and put together a portfolio that helped me get a place but this course helped me gain a lot of confidence in myself and in my own work. Which played a crucial part in me going to University.

But also this course allowed me to have the idea to have a go at starting my own brand which is something I've dreamed of. This was a part of my final major project for this course, which started off with me researching the trend of "Feminine masculine" or androgynous fashion for woman. Where I noticed shirts were worn my woman to show Confidence,Power and Sophistication and wanted to emit this into my own designs with my own quirky style, I also think that the fact that shirts have always been a fashion staple for me due to my love of 60's Mod Fashion. So this lead me to the idea of creating detachable collars with my own style of machine embroidery

I previously had the idea to call my brand a name relating to my name like most designers do. I chose my surname "Cattell" which I then came with the idea of splitting it in to " Cat Tell" then designed a Logo with an image of a Cat with Tell underneath then developed in to Tell This Cat which I adore as I wanted a brand that takes in the comment of others as well as making personalised items so "why don't you tell this cat something witty, while I make you something pretty" was a phrase I wanted everyone to know because I want feedback and conversations about my work and to create a community of people that love being creative and passionate about fashion. I know that everyone is Unique so how it is possible to create a perfect item for someone is hard so if it is batched made then how is it made for everyone as I suggested everyone is unique just like my work. Everything I do make I make for myself because I love them and hope that someone else with love them as much as I do.

I wanted to discuss the ideas behind my First 3 collar designs the cat logo with the text “tell” is obviously my brand logo it’s playful and adorable and ideal for those cat lovers and I chose a peter pan styled collar as I think it goes with the playful aesthetic

 But my main point was that I wanted to create a collar that represents a belief that I’m passionate about and something I have been affected by personally that I wanted to share especially to younger woman which is...As woman we can single ourselves out from other woman, by comparing our bodies, our looks and our lifestyle but in reality we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others as everyone is individual and beautiful in their own way using the pink thread on one models represents “you” then the black thread is everyone else and how you can feel you don’t fit in or stand out from everyone else and I think as a society it’s so easily done as we are so used to comparing our self’s to each other on social media, when we shouldn’t.

My third collar was a design I created to link the two collars together by incorporating the three models and my cat logo.

 I am so passionate about my work and would dream to carry on making these but sadly I haven't found many people that love it as much as I do hence why I thought blogging would be a perfect way to form a community with lovely people that hopefully enjoy my work as much as I do. As I dream off one day to have my own brand, selling my clothing/Products across the world and inspiring others, but I know this will take a lot of work as I've got a long way to go. I’m hoping at University in my spare time to continue to improve my products to a sellable level while continuing to blog my progress and hopefully I will be able to start selling.Below are photos I shot of my beautiful friend Gemma modeling my collars.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Tell This Cat, any support would be so appreciated, Follow my blog and twitter for update as well as my Instagram Links will be bellow. 

http://leia-hannah.tumblr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hannahleia/

Tell This Cat 

https://facebook.com/tellthiscat/

https://www.instagram.com/tellthiscat/

https://tellthiscat.tumblr.com/

https://twitter.com/tellthiscat
https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tell-this-cat/

Portfolio 

http://hannahcattellportfolio.tumblr.com/

Why don't you Tell This Cat something witty,

while i design you something pretty xxx

19th Birthday.

Just sharing a few happy memories from my 19th birthday I was sure spoiled. My boyfriend treated me to breakfast in bed with a fresh watermelon and then was given a beautiful Pandora Necklace, Flowers, Mango and the Pina-colada Bodyshop moisturisers and a Lush bath bomb. Which is all Favourites. 

 My sister surprised me and made me the greatest cookie dough birthday cake that looked and tasted Amazing, I really appreciate the hours she must of spent to make this and that means everything to me...and it tastes sooooo good!

I had such a nice day having a meal with my family and got some amazing gift from them too, It was definitely a birthday to remember and am so blessed and thankful to have such a great family and friends to share it with. With days like this I feel like i should appreciate what I have as I'm lucky to have the life i do have. 

Why don't you Tell This Cat something witty,

While i design you something pretty.

xxxx

New Found Love for Fashion Collage's

When I think of Fashion collages I immediately think back to when I was younger and spent afternoons cutting and sticking magazines pieces, to create something that is so far away from anything that I would consider as art nowadays. But now to 2016 where I have recently been inspired by the medium. This was due to finding "Lauro Samblás" work on HUNGER TV. His work is not far from my original idea of collage as Samblás wants to keep is work far from the digital wash we commonly see nowadays and don't get me wrong, digital art and photography is my personal comfort zone. Which is why I was intrigued about his style as it would push me as an artist, out of my comfort zone to make image like Samblás. Looking at his work, it reminds me of a dream like fantasy set in the 80's because of his dramatic use of neon colour palettes and geometric shapes. Creating campaign work for designers such as Desigual, Gucci and Converse - to name a few, really shows how Art and Fashion can work perfectly together to promote popular brands. After finding Samblás work really changed my perception of collage art, It still has that youthful and playful side that I originally perceived but looking closer the imagery has a sophisticated yet modern edge and ignites so much energy and creativeness by just looking at his work, which is just what a brand wants their campaigns to accomplish. Backing away from the new digital wave of art, breaks his work from the crowd.

 (His choice of colour pallet helps too of course.)

 

Lauro Samblas campaign for GUCCI - illustration

Finding Lauro Samblás inspired me to look at other artist that use collage to create fashion images, which led me to discover Ernesto Artillo, who creates stunning and elegant as well as quirky fashion collages. His father, was known for making collages since Artillo was younger but it wasn't until in his later life when he started using this medium in his work. I read an Article on anOther where he speaks about how "Collage means detaching from my tendency of keeping everything in order" and that "Collage makes me challenge my own conventions." Which was my own personal feeling towards this style and what attracted me to it. And I guess. the idea of cutting up or folding an image that was purposely made to be viewed in its previous original format, can be reshaped to create a completely abstract image to give another meaning to the work makes this style such an interesting concept that I adore because of this fact. His work, also has a resemblance to a surrealists work, where else can you find a piece of artwork where a Renaissance picture is paired with a 2 two faced cut out image of a model placed floating on top, or an image of a male model with a dinosaurs backend placed on top. This type of work truly lets the viewer escape from the norms of reality which is why this work is so attractive to me and I hope to many others too because this work is so unique and I’m so glad that it is being used for popular brands campaigns as Artillo has worked for brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Yves Rocher. Which proves how popular this style of work has become.

 

Collage by Ernesto Artillo, 2012

I'm so glad I have rekindled my love collage fashion art. I've been inspired by these two artists and I’m sure that there are many other artists that I could of looked at as well and will go on to explore another time. But I can't wait to start using these artist as inspiration for my own work as I really want to create similar pieces but with my own personal twist. This style of work will really help me leave my comfort zone. And I’m sure I will keep posted on my development on this but do have a list as long as my arm of other thing I want to do but it’s definitely high on the list so look out. 

Why don't you Tell This Cat something witty,

While i design you something pretty.

xxxx

For of there work visit: 

http://laurosamblas.portfoliobox.me/

http://www.ernestoartillo.com/

Sources as Referenced 

http://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/2650/ernesto-artillo

http://www.hungertv.com/feature/acid-reality-neon-collage-art-by-lauro-samblas/

Here i am again.

How many blogs can one person start? 

So yes, this is my second attempt at running a blog, but i am going to try hard to make this one work with a new chapter of my life just beginning, i wanted to find a way to document my experience at university (maybe avoiding stereotypical freshers photos but I'm not promising anything)I also wanted a way to share my ideas and work through blogging. 

Moving approx 208 miles away to Brighton to study Fashion communication with business studies is going to be a massive step for me, as i might not be the most independent individual, but i hope that this move will help me develop as a person and prove that i can get a career in something that I'm passionate about. I'm not going to start writing something cliche about how "..." is a career I've wanted since i can remember because as a young adult i still don't know what career i want, which is completely normal, but i do know what i want out of life and these goals keep me striving to be creative and hope that one day i can make a career out of something I'm truly passionate about.

So A brief history lesson of Hannah's past, i spent 2 years taking a fashion course at college where i studied fashion design, pattern cutting, illustration, branding, printing and brief sessions in photography and i found my interests (design ,digital illustration and photography and branding) and i found my weaknesses *cough* pattern cutting but i still wasn't ready for uni and had nowhere near enough work for a portfolio so spent another year at a different college studying art and design where i worked on my sketchbooks,illustration as well as having the idea to start my own brand where I(and help from a friend)came up with the name Tell This Cat- which is word play on my surname "Cattell".I was so pleased with the work and progress i made from this years course even though there was a few problems along the way i managed to create a portfolio that was good enough to get me a place at 3 different universities. With my families dismay i picked the Sea-side town of Brighton where it hopefully will help me get my foot in the door in the fashion industry.

I'm hoping this is vaguely interesting and having a blog will help me with my written work for uni as this is something i can struggle with , criticising and analysing my own work as well as artists and designers I'm inspired by on this blog will help me a lot. Also a good way to share my multiple creative ideas that scramble my brain everyday.

So this is about all i wanted to say in my first blog post and hope that there will be many more to come. I Don't know what type of post you can expect next but i will put 100% of my effort into for you to enjoy. I'm going to put all my links to my other work and Instagram. 

Many thanks 

Tell this Cat 

Personal 

http://leia-hannah.tumblr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hannahleia/

Tell This Cat 

https://facebook.com/tellthiscat/

https://www.instagram.com/tellthiscat/

https://tellthiscat.tumblr.com/

Portfolio 

http://hannahcattellportfolio.tumblr.com/

Why dont you Tell This Cat something witty,
While I make you something pretty!
xxx