On Crop Circles, Phi, DaVinci, Cezanne and the "Golden Ratio"

The Golden ratio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The golden ratio, also known as the golden proportion, golden mean, golden section, golden number, divine proportion or sectio divina, is approximately 1.618, that possesses many interesting properties.

Shapes proportioned according to the golden ratio have long been considered aesthetically pleasing in Western cultures, and the golden ratio is still used frequently in art and design, suggesting a natural balance between symmetry and asymmetry. The ancient Pythagoreans, who defined numbers as expressions of ratios (and not as units as is common today), believed that reality is numerical and that the golden ratio expressed an underlying truth about existence.
So, about three years ago, I met with a client who had an idea for some shirts with crop circle graphics on the front. Oddly enough, I keep an idea diary, and had just developed a fascination for crop circles and the concept of the "golden ratio" as a sort of mathematical proof for good design. I actually showed him my notes, so that he would know that I wasn't just making up some strange coincidence just to develop a false sense of comraderie.

I am now revisiting that idea, since I watched a TV show on mathematics, and they presented the idea that when you strike a vessel filled with water, it produces a tone -- then, if you take an identical vessel, double the size and add double the quantity of water, it will create a complementary tone. So this idea of ratios and aesthetics applies to music as well. And, it seems, you don't have to know anything about music to know what is pleasing to the ear.

Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are all sorts of other reasons why we find things beautiful or pleasing. Sometimes, I think we emotionally respond to the beauty of something that is intentionally out of synch -- something that blatantly defies this notion of proportion. Like a wailing rock guitar riff, a Jackson Pollock... Chinese Opera, for example, is like nails on a chalkboard to me... But just maybe, on the most basic level, there is scientific proof for good, basic design and aesthetic balance? Perhaps all else is acquired taste?

So what does this have to do with clothing... Well, I am really curious about how people approach "fit". It seems that every person believes that they know what "fits", but if you define fit as neither too tight nor too loose, neither too short nor too long, and stays in place during activities, that would seem to define fit. But it doesn't... People have a wide variety of preferences, and it extends beyond what they can feel - they need to examine even the most comfortable garments in the mirror. People generally don't want garments that skim their bodies - they want garments that create a flattering silhouette, which may be quite different than the body shape the garment contains. So where does that aesthetic reference point come from? That is the question I am exploring.

Maybe fashion magazines, TV, movies, the influence of the general cultural mosaic creates a client's vision of ideal "fit"... Whatever it is, it is so specific, so current, so exact, that most people don't realize how many truly unique requirements they have. That is one of the reasons why this business is so endlessly fascinating.

Okay, final strange thought - I didn't know that the artist Piet Mondrian was also thought to have used the golden ratio in his work. See the "what I'm working on" post in this blog. Is this why the dress appeals to me so?

WAHM (Work at home Mom)

A blizzard. The perfect opportunity to update the blog...
Here's why I love working from home -- my children. I've got two beautiful kids, ages 4 years and 8 mos.

They are fantastic human beings, and I love that I can help support them by doing something I love, and am uniquely talented and qualified to do. They get a mother who is happy, focused, and involved. I get a flexible schedule and no commute. I know a lot of moms thrive on the adult interaction they get in an office environment, but I find it suffocating. Even before kids and marriage, I could hardly stand to be cooped up in an office for any period of time. It just isn't who I am. I work a heck of alot, and my lifestyle forces me to be insanely committed and organized, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Funny thing is, I look at my life since my daughter was born, and wonder how I would have maintained any successful 9-to-5 had I not chosen this path.

Here's the chronology:
Sept 11, 2001 - our city is severely impacted by the terrorist attacks. Subways, phones, communications all severly impacted. (I sew and design to relieve stress)
October 10, 2001: After a tough pregnancy, complicated by dehydration/severe hyperemesis, our daughter is born! (I started designing at night and during naptimes to earn money and relieve stress)
April 2002: My father is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. (I sew ALL the time to relieve stress)
June 2002: We move closer to my parents' home,playing musical apartments with my sister, so we can help with his care. (I design to earn money and relieve stress)
July 2002: We begin home hospice care until his passing in August. (I take a short break)
February 2003: We move into the family home, switching places with my sister. (I sew to earn money/relieve stress)
June 2005: After another difficult pregnancy, our son is born! He is born with a congential skull abnormality (craniosynostosis), and needs extensive surgery. (After finishing two wedding gowns, I take a break)
October 2005: The neurosurgery is performed, and, after a few weeks, he recovers beautifully! (I design to earn money, express myself creatively, balance and enhance my life)

In between, plenty of wedding dresses, jackets, pants, fun and wild projects have been created... All the while, the business has continued to thrive and grow. Life is amazing, isn't it? I can't separate my professional life from my personal life - and that's just how it is.

To the aspiring designer...

It is a new year. Creative energy abounds!

This is my special post to all of you aspiring designers, creative artists and dreamers out there...

It has been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Starting a design business is a very serious, expensive endeavor. At this point, the ideas may still be in your head. There is an idea, a sketch, a vision, a philosophy... but it doesn't mean a thing if you have no products to display. There are a million decisions to make... fabric choices, notions, choosing suppliers and negotiating deals ... it can be overwhelming. If you do not know how to sew very well, make patterns, drape, or sketch, you will need to employ people who do.

Initially, you will need at least one trial garment to show as an example of what you can do. You'll need to take at least one step in the direction of starting a business by taking classes, reading relevant trade publications, and finding ways to develop some tangible version of what you would like to sell. You'll need someone with the technical skill to pull it out of your head, and into 3-dimensions. Then, you will have a garment to take to potential business associates, show to prospective customers, patternmakers, etc. to help determine what is feasible, and whether there is a market for it.

Before you invest (and possibly lose) a huge stack of cash, please take the time to educate yourself as thoroughly as possible. While I cannot significantly shorten your lurning curve, I
can help straighten the path a bit.

This book will help you much more than any other publication I've seen... Don't take my word for it - Read the Amazon reviews!

I firmly believe in being honest and fair with my clients, helping them reach the next level. While I can't take you all the way there, I can point you toward the elevator!





Think you'd like to collaborate with me?

For more about my business, visit http://www.mimijackson.com/#Top .

What I'm working on now...

I'm working on a reproduction of this dress. It is such a specific look, but truly lovely. White boots or black ballerina flats would really make the look!

Isaac Mizrahi - Disappointment

Well, I had "tickets" to a taping of the Isaac Mizrahi show today. I arrived at the studio on West 36th Street this morning (a bit earlier than suggested, 10:10), and was told, after about 1/2 hour of waiting in below freezing weather, that they always overbook the show, and many of us would not be allowed in. Well, it was a shame, since I was asked to reconfirm not once, but TWICE that I would indeed be attending. No, I was not one of the TWO people from the general pool who actually got in...

This was the text of the email sent to me the day before...

"This email is just to remind you to please show up for your Isaac taping at 10:30AM. Our studio is located at...

(I removed address)

Because of building rules we will not be lining up until 10:30AM. If you choose to show up earlier, there are coffee shops around the area to duck into, but the ropes will not be set up until 10:30AM.

Your name will be on a guest list, actual tickets have not been sent out. If your guests arrive late, we are sorry to say that we can not hold tickets if other audience members have arrived on time.

I have some people confirmed and others I do not. If you have not confirmed, it is NOT too late to confirm. All I need is an email saying, "Yes I still plan on attending the taping on 12/8 at 10:30AM."

I hope to see you all there. Have a great day!!!


Thanks,

(I removed name and phone)
Audience Department
ISAAC
E! Style Network"


What a dirty trick.

Note: Not only were the "tickets" not confirmed - whether or not this is standard for TV audiences, I don't know - the consolation prize was bogus as well. VIP tickets to a taping next season (if there is one...doubtful), or tickets to "The Daily Show", which are not a sure bet, either. Think I'm done with this talk show audience thing.

I feel silly for ranting about this - even sillier that I cared so much about seeing a taping of the show - it is FREE and on Cable TV for goodness sakes... okay, I'm over it...

The moral of the story is "Don't try to get into a taping of a talk show unles you've got plenty of time on your hands." The work I could have gotten done instead of standing in the cold... (sigh)

The guest was Kimora Lee Simmons, apparently (show airing Feb 14th).

Back to work now.

Finished the bag...

I would say this bag has a very handmade quality --which was actually what I was going for. I am very happy with the results. My bigger point is, because this is completely custom, this item is the manifestation of exactly what I want and appreciate in a bag. Assymetry, pockets sized for my stuff, can carry over my shoulder, but behind my arm, backpack-style... Because it is not mass produced, and will never be sold on a store shelf, it responds to no one else's requirements but my own. Here are pictures, if you're interested...

Sewing for the Masses

What I do is specifically not fashion. By that, I mean that what is "in style" is irrelevant when I am working with an individual client. Even people who think they have no fashion sense have very specific and unique tastes.

Is everyone a potential customer? No - nor should they be. A custom item is about a very specific item at a very specific point in your life. Not that we should assign it too much importance - clothing is semi-disposable after all, but it is a real experience, a process, a project... Having a garment or accessory custom made is a unique and specific experience better saved for your life's special moments.

I am passionate about personal expression through clothing. It really is a form of communication.