is an RMIT textile design graduate who adores kitsch, quirky, contemporary, beautiful designs, illustrations, stationery, homeware, animation and everything in between.
Images are all original unless otherwise stated and may not be downloaded, manipulated or reproduced for commercial uses without prior written consent from mei ying tan.
When I was over in Sweden last year, one of the most valuable experiences I had from the exchange was being able to print digitally on fabric.
This was a student project which allowed the students to have complete freedom and reign over what we wanted to experiment and achieve, as long as it is textile related. Some of my friends tried embroidery and knitting. I chose fashion illustration, something that I first did when I was 14 years old. The entire process was just soooo fun!! I loved every part of it!! Loved researching and reading blogs of illustrators and had much fun just drawing, experimenting and learnt that even a tiny stroke to the eyes or mouth (for example), could greatly alter the facial expression or look to the illustration.
This project was meant to spread out over a period of 2 months but I had to condense much of the experimenting and designing leading up to the final outcome to just 2 weeks...because I squeezed in half a week of traveling to Spain into it with a friend, which was fun :). The 2 weeks after the trip basically saw me being stuck in my room the entire time, playing and re-playing all my Pixar movies whilst frantically sketching. My friends were so nice to even cook for me during that time! Love them to bits. Too bad we're now all scattered at different parts of the world now :(
My desk in the midst of design- chaotic
I put together the illustrations into two patterns. Here's the final outcome!
Tedious project with lots of work involved, my design diary for this was thick as. But oh so worth it :)
Made a last trip to Gothenburg about five days before I left Sweden, for good. Yes, I'm back in Melbourne alright, at a city where I experienced a temperature difference of at least 30-40 degrees C overnight from Sweden.
So anyway, during my last two weeks in Sweden, I've indulged myself in fashion blogs reading, many which are not tagged here on my blog, and that was how I stumbled upon Monki and Weekday. As strange as it is, my friend, Kristin, actually did bring me to both shops when I first arrived at Stockholm. Maybe I was too caught up in exploring the city that I paid little attention to the items in store, apart from the obvious- H&M and Zara. With five days remaining in Sweden, I knew I had to check these shops out.
Weekday on Södra Larmgatan
Awesome nude coloured, asymmetrical sheer shirt I first saw on the other Weekday shop on Kungsgatan. On sale, it was reduced from about 300 or 400kr to 100kr = AUD15.
I tried. I loved. I bought. Got another one in black. Why not, since shirts like these would have cost maybe about AUD70.
On sale Cheap Monday jeans on a huge table. All jeans about 60kr, which is AUD9. A pair of full priced CM jeans is AUD90. I was really, really excited!
Tried on this leather (perhaps a faux) jeans. Looked hideous. Not fitting at all.
Yup, CM jeans that have gone on sale for at least 2 weeks and still a variety of sizes in stock.
Contemplated about the weight of my luggage I had to lug home to Australia. Thought about how I already had enough jeans. Saw that none of the jeans really quite appealed to me. Finally thought about what my friend Glenda said once, "You don't actually save money in a sale, no matter how cheap the item is, as you still have an outflow of cash from your account". So true I thought, and I'd spent enough. So...I walked away.
Yes, I walked away from 9bux Cheap Monday jeans. Ah, it was the right thing to do but still agonising a little over this decision. Still can't get over the price.
Exterior of the shop on Södra Larmgatan
Södra Larmgatan, Weekday on the left row and Monki on the right. Cool idea of the hanging jeans.
Monki rocks! Bought some really cool asymmetrical top and maroon, oversized boucle yarn. Both for about 60-100kr. Got a small black purse necklace here too. This is the shop to go to for affordable, cool and arty garments and accessories.
The other Weekday shop on Kungsgatan in Gothenburg
Ugh, I've been trying to post this post up for at least 4-5 times but my Firefox kept crashing.
I'm lazy to type now. And this post is missing a photo as the internet connection (as well) is crawling and freezing at the same time.
Oh man I've left this blog unattended for super long!
I was meant to upload many of the works and trips that I've done and taken. However didn't manage to squeeze in the time to. I've travelled quite a bit therefore much of my final assignments were only done after the travels, ie) 3 weeks before end of my study period. In another words, no time for blogging!
There should be quite a few posts that I could do regarding my travels and work, including my trip to Spain, Kiruna, my knitting project and my student directed project (digitally printed fabric). These would s.l.o.w.l.y be updated here coz editing is a pain in the backside, even if editing was minimal.
The photos in this post were taken on 25th November 2010, when Sophie (French), Nina (German) and I took a train up to Uddevalla, a small town that one of our teachers is living in.
Before going to her house, we drove to a small island off Uddevalla. Though it was only -10 degrees it felt like -18 deg coz it was by the sea. I've taken loads of photos there as well. But here are only those that were taken at Elisabeth's home. It's so cosy and cute. Loved everything about her little home and they actually renovated most of the interior themselves, including the bathroom!
Pink Marimekko wall hanging for winter. She changes the cushions and the wallhanging to green one for spring!
Elisabeth with one of the books from her white, gridded shelves
Loooove the colours! Instantly brightening up any gloomy winter day
Cool stairs leading to the bedrooms, wasn't invited up of course
Cool old school stove that she leaves on when she's out so the house would be warmed up
Bulbous plant that you could find very commonly in winter
Sophie! And typical Swedish food...cheese, ham, cucumber, peprika and bread/ crisp. Can you imagine having this everyday? Not me, thanks, though it wasn't bad. A guy in my student accommodation has this every single day, that's excluding the ham and peprika. Just bread, butter, cheese, cucumber, salt and pepper to taste.Omg.
Motherly :)
Super tasty soup!!!!! I had two servings yet wanted more :( And it's made out of...
...this!! Its texture is like potato...but I'm not sure what it's called.
Saffrony dessert with raspberries :)
Actually the photo looks yummier than it really was. The texture of the pudding was like...white carrot cake, for those Malaysians/ Singaporeans who know what I'm talking about, but with a hint of saffron and sugar. Not used to it but it looked so appealing. Anyway, shall not destroy the pic. So I'll say that it's still.....YUMMMM! Hahah.
Sophie (French) and Nina (German)
Courtyard, with Elisabeth's car at the background
Frozen apples still hanging on the tree
Exterior of Elisabeth's house! Many of the Swedish houses are small and often square/ rectangular in plan
After the lunch, we went to Uddevalla's Art Museum. Didn't take many photos. It wasn't that blog worthy.
Heading home on the regional SJ train. The kid at the background breathed really heavily, borderlined snoring. Quite distracting.
Anyway, still had a good trip, though it was super cold and I actually slipped and fell as I was walking to Elisabeth's house from her car :)!!
Currently I've got a student directed project that allows me to do just about anything I want for the project, so long as it is fashion/ textile related, of course.
I've always been fascinated with fashion illustrations. I love drawing girls with beautiful dresses. My best friend from high school used to think I might study fashion instead of architorture (which was SO not for me, hence I fired my bosses... JK!! Reno, Jenny and Tim are great people) coz of those drawings. Neither am I in fashion as well, btw, but in textile design :) Anyway, a decade or more after my first attempt in my extremely primitive sketches of girls with pretty dresses on, I'm now given an opportunity to fully control the direction of my project.
Here are really simple boards that I've come up with after diong some research. Illustrations are all by other super talented artists. Kelly Smith, Bec Winnel, Brittany Lee, Yulia Brodskaya and Catherine Campbell are amongst those whose works I've used to convey what the illustration style/ technique/ materials that I'd like to explore in this project.
Laura Laine is exceptionally noteworthy. Her illustrations are simply amazing. I'd wish to develop my own style of illustration too and this project would defo be a great stepping stone towards that.
Hopefully they'll turn out as great as I imagined them to be.
