fiona tran

drexel design journal

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Urban Outfitters Vintage Levi 550 Jeans

waist: 13” rise: 11 hips: 18” inseam: 28”

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Urban Outfitters Vintage Levi 550 Jeans.

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Calvin Klein High Waist Biker Shorts

waist: 12” rise: 10” inseam: 9” built in pocket 4 way stretch

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Calvin Klein High Waist Biker Shorts.

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Urban Outfitters Vintage Levi 550 Jeans

waist: 13” rise: 11 hips: 18” inseam: 28”

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Urban Outfitters Vintage Levi 550 Jeans.

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Pacsun 90’s Boyfriend High Rise Jeans

waist: 13” rise: 12” inseam: 32”

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Pacsun 90’s Boyfriend High Rise Jeans.

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Aerie Offline High Rise Ribbed Leggings

waist: 12” inseam: 22”

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Aerie Offline High Rise Ribbed Leggings.

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Victoria’s Secret Pink Lace Bustier Top

adjustable strapping bust: 34B length minus straps: 7”

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Victoria’s Secret Pink Lace Bustier Top.

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Champion Reverse Weave Shorts in Buttered Pop

waist: 14” rise: 10” length: 11.5”

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Champion Reverse Weave Shorts in Buttered Pop.

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Pink Victoria Secret Active High Waist Full Length Campus Jogger

waist:14” inseam: 28” rise: 12”

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Pink Victoria Secret Active High Waist Full Length Campus Jogger.

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PUMA Cheers Witches Halloween Active Wear T-Shirt

length: 25.5” bust: 16”

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: PUMA Cheers Witches Halloween Active Wear T-Shirt.

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For Love and Lemons Black Polka Dot Cropped Camisole

bust: 12.5” (stretches up to 21”) adjustable strapping buttons can be undone lace detailing on the bottom of top bundle this with the shorts as a set!

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: For Love and Lemons Black Polka Dot Cropped Camisole.

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For Love And Lemons Black Polka Dot Shorts

waist: 12” (stretches up to 19”) length: 12” bundle and pair with the top as a set!

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: For Love And Lemons Black Polka Dot Shorts.

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Photographer: Jessica Kobeissi

For this week’s assignment, I decided to choose ten images from a photographer named Jessica Kobeissi. I found her work through a Youtube recommendation where the video was about three photographers that shot the same model in the same location under five minutes. I was amazed by her work and still continue to follow her social media platforms as inspiration. I find all of these images appealing because I love street photography and portraits. She also loves to experiment with her photography. It’s interesting to see how a story can be interpreted just based on the model’s facial expression or pose . What I also enjoy from Kobeissi’s photography is her color palette. I enjoy her use of neutral/pastel tones. A majority of her works she uses natural lighting to really emphasize the beauty of each person she captures. She can also take an interesting approach to her color palette by using bolder colors and black and white.

Her photos also are dynamic in composition. She shoots mainly models and you can see how each of them are elegant and unique in their own way. Some of the images are symmetrical in composition, while others are dynamic which creates movement in the image. What I didn’t know while I was still new to her content was that she was the photographer for Felix’s (PewDiePie) and Marzia’s wedding. This black and white photo that I chose of them really emphasizes their happiness and how they're enjoying the moment that they are in. She captured a beautiful and sincere scene that lets the audience know that they’re happily married. 

Source: http://www.jessicakobeissi.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/jessicakphoto (I highly recommend watching her videos. She also includes tutorials/advice for beginner photographers)

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Fashion Design: Minju Kim

For this week's assignment, I wanted to focus primarily on the fashion designer, Minju Kim, and her amazing fashion pieces. I found her through the Netflix Original Next In Fashion show where designers are in a competition to create exquisite fashion in which the winner will win a cash prize and an opportunity to have their work sold on the luxury fashion e-commerce website, Net-a-Porter.  Using bold silhouettes and playful colors, Minju is able to create inspiring clothing with a hint of youthfulness.

Based on the images that I chose, Minju Kim incorporates a lot of ruffles, bright colors, and simple yet elegant silhouettes into her designs. The prints are typically represented as a detailed pattern and are very pleasing to look at. I really enjoy the use of texture with the ruffles because it gives off a youthful and playful look to the model that is wearing it. Since the current Design class that I’m taking focuses on light and color, I can apply that to the designer Minju Kim. Like any other designer, one must use and think about how color affects a person’s mood and their intended audience. Colors evoke emotions so it’s interesting to see how Minju Kim’s more bright and colorful works make me feel happy. On the other hand, the ones that incorporate more muted and simple colors give off a more calm and peaceful mood.

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Summary of my experience: The Free Library - Parkway Central Branch

Traveling to this unfamiliar location in Philadelphia was a pleasant experience for me. When I first arrived, I noticed how big the building was. I couldn’t imagine how many books are kept inside of this library. It was definitely bigger than the other ones that I have seen. Entering the building, I was amazed by the marble flooring and the airy opening of the interior. We were then guided to meet up with a graphic designer working for The Free Library.

The graphic designer introduced a brief summary to us of their job and the current event that they designed and curated called “Voyages by Road and Sea.” I enjoyed the theme that the graphic designer kept between the legacies of American authors, Walt Whitman and Herman Melville, through contemporary art and historical information. I personally liked the color scheme and how it kept earthy fresh greens for Walt Whitman and deep-sea blues for Herman Melville. Walt Whitman wrote a lot about landscape, nature, and The West and Herman Melville wrote about whales and the sea. I also enjoyed how the graphic designer made the theme overall fun and exciting for their audience (which I believe are for a younger audience). I have never read any writings from these authors, but this gallery gave me a small idea of their history and passions. 

What surprised me the most during this trip was how long it took for this graphic designer to create this gallery as a whole. They started around March/April of 2019 and had to work with many fields like art history and local artists to help create this. It took roughly about a year and it’s hard to believe how long it was to be finished. I didn’t expect how much time and effort a graphic designer must take to create something as interesting as this. Overall, I had fun visiting and exploring The Free Library. Traveling here didn’t take too long, so I hope to visit again!

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Tourism Site: New York City

While I was researching destination websites, I found this New York City one and find it well-designed and interesting. When I first clicked on the website, it brought me to their front page which displays a list of topics that attract the interest of people planning to visit New York City. I enjoyed looking at the small slideshow and how each topic had a different image to coordinate the theme. I enjoy simple line vectors that are displayed under topics such as the seasons (which provide information about what to do for each season). They are simple, yet unique and colorful. 

Another element of the website that I like is the use of white bold lettering because it helps viewers navigate the page easily. This also adds a modern touch. I think a feature that could improve the website are the photos. Although I know that the images featured are popular places in New York City, I think they can be a bit more colorful and unique. Perhaps using freelance photographers’ photos on the website can be a more interesting approach. These images can make the website more interactive and can attract viewers to visit the city while also giving credit to small based photographers.


website: https://www.nycgo.com/

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Designer Spotlight Assignment: Kate Moross & Seb Lester

Two designers that I was drawn to learn more about is Kate Moross and Seb Lester. Both of them have a unique sense of style and their work has been used in many established well-known companies.

The first designer is Kate Moross and their design firm is called Studio Moross. I was immediately intrigued by their work once I looked at the website and the work that they have created. Based on the works that I’ve seen from the website, I noticed how their style composes mainly of retro 80s vibes which include: neon colors, vaporwave effects, and retro illustrations. Their work is shown in the first five images and I particularly like the last one with the colorful illustrations because the design takes retro into a modernistic approach. I enjoy looking at designers who take inspiration from the past and create designs towards a modern approach and the 80s is definitely one of the decades that I enjoy looking at. Also, what I like about this designer is that they touch all areas that involve graphic design such as music videos, murals, products, branding & logos, fashion & textiles, and more! Overall, Kate Moross' work is very interesting and I enjoy how they brought a diverse range of graphic design into their work. I hope to see more of their work in the future! The second designer is Seb Lester, who has a smaller studio but still produces incredible work. The designer is a lettering artist, so their works are mostly based on typography and typeface. I was immediately drawn to the crisp gold lettering of “Home Sweet Home” (6th image displayed from above) when I first went onto their website. I always enjoyed looking at typography specifically calligraphy from designers that took their time creating something as amazing as this. Incorporating gold into their calligraphy really emphasizes the words that are present and I enjoy artists who uses gold in their works because it’s different and stands out a lot. I also was intrigued by some of the illustrations that they made. The image of the woman is very detailed and I could tell by looking at the complex intricate designs on her clothing and the background. Overall, Seb Lester’s work is appealing to look at and I hope to see more of their work in the future!

Designer’s websites:

https://www.seblester.com/

https://www.studiomoross.com/

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Color Combinations

The first four photos are ones I took over the past few years with color combinations that I enjoy. These images reveal some of the colors that I like which vary from muted colors to bright and colorful ones. Out of the four pictures that I took, I really like the first one of a woman in black and white patterned clothing the most because of how large and vivid the image is displayed on top of a Target store. I find this image interesting because of the contrast between the bright yellow of the hat and the intense blue-green background which balances the full picture by adding black and white into it. I honestly wouldn’t have thought to place the two colors and the two shades together because they don’t seem as eye-catching, but after seeing them in an image, I do believe that they look good together. 

The rest of the images are ones I found online and mostly contain pastel and bright colors. Because these images are placed in composition with colors that I enjoy looking at, I lean towards liking them more than other pictures. Color palettes are served to change moods and create reactions and I made sure to find ones that make me either happy or calm.