Germany plays an important role in the fashion industry, along with France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Spain, and Japan. German fashion is known for unconventional young designers and manufacturers of sports and outdoor clothing, ready-to-wear and custom-made creations.^[1]

Berlin, the country's capital city, is also a fashion capital of the world and the home of Berlin Fashion Week, the country's main event where young and creative German fashion designers showcase unique creations.^[2] Other important cities to the German fashion landscape are Munich,^[3] Hamburg and ^{Cologne. [4]} Smaller places such as Herford, Metzinger, Herzogenaurach, Schoendorf, Chemnitz, Alstadt and Detmold.^[5] are also important design and production hubs of the German fashion industry.

Economy

In around 1,300 companies with more than 130,000 employees, a revenue of 28 billion Euro is generated by the German textile industry. Almost 44 percent of the products are exported. The textile branch thus is the second largest producer of consumer goods in Germany, after food production.

Brands

Famous fashion brands include MCM, Hugo Boss, Adidas, PUMA, Escada, JOOP!, Bruno Banani, Jil Sander, Triumph, Schiesser, Closed, Reusch, Valisere, Jack Wolfskin, Ulla Popken, Buffalo, Rohde, Marc Opole, Tom Tailor, s.Oliver, Esprit, Wunderkind, Seidensticker, Windsor., Jaques Britt, Naketano.

There are also various agencies hosting multiple German brands and designers at once, such as zLabels Berlin.^[8] Also the big department stores like Kaufhof and Karstadt, retail chains like Peek & Cloppenburg, Ulla Popken and NewYorker or mail order and online shops like Otto and Zalando have various in-house fashion brands.

Eduardo Castro:

2/28/2014

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'Once Upon A Time's' Costume Designer: His visions are similar to mine in that he appreciates and respects the classic Fairy-Tale and even Disney customs but puts a very EDGY twist on everything he creates: These are his Designs and I have experimented using his style, because he has also created the character I am working on (Belle). His style is a useful tool to analyze and fuel my own experiments because he has ability to work quickly and efficiently to a brief. Emile De Ravin 'Belle OUAT' says his costumes are created in a matter of days' and he does all of his own drawings. I must learn a style that is quickly accomplish-able to further my development and so I can learn from his work.


I find a great parallel between his work and my own objectives:


Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz: Creators, producers, filmmakers


Eduardo takes Queue from his creators (above). In terms of content, they have created a show that pulls together modern and Fairy Tale elements. Not only does the show provide an alter ego per Fairy Tale persona, they have two worlds 'Modern' and Fairytale.' However, the twist is that the fairy-Tale world is also modern; it is it's 'own world' but is happening in the same time frame. So, in reality you have:


'Fairy Tale Land'
'The Earth'


And they are two different realms. In doing this, it gave Eduardo Castro the ability to create costumes that were off the wall and did not have to be typically 'medieval.' On the Contrary, is costume choices for Fairy Tale land boast many modern elements, paired with some typical medieval shapes and textures, with touch of French Renaissance and 80's mod-rock glamour. Castro describes Rumpelstiltskin's outfit as a 'rock-star's' costume. There is nothing historically correct about Rumpelstiltskin's costume, it is of its own world, but you can't escape the idea that it is also slightly medieval, reminiscent of Armour.


Castro uses signature colors (Red and Black for the Queen/White and Brown for Snow White). Belle is always dressed in blue, or gold (to show she belongs to Dark one). When she is cursed to believe she is alter ego 'Lacey' the Evils Queens colors are thrown in with her usual wardrobe colors. Reds, blacks and Royal blues as opposed to pastels. I have experimented with this below.

Style and Media:

Castro draws with pencil, something I never do, So I have tried it to see if it encourages my visual language. He then uses watercolor on top to suggest form and texture. The colors are always accurate and noted on the page. This is so the design can be furthered adhering to his specifications.

Belle
Alter egos are tackled a lot in ABC's Once Upon a Time. However, the character I'm interested in is my own. Castro Designed for Belle and alter ego Lacey. He still, however, maintained the core of the character, he used color and shape to express the change (and styling).

Experiment: In the Style of E. Castro

Pre-Dark Castle (i.e Good)


Using the blue tones popular with Castro to create the innocent character. Looked at the cuts he used and also styling. Soft lines and simple shapes for elegance and pastel tones for a calming non-imposing character.

Media:

The fluidity comes naturally with the pencil and watercolor and will further enhance my experiments because it is a quick but effective medium. It also succeeds in hinting to form but paying closer attention to the costume and color choices. 'The body is the hanger.'

Experiment Cont. Yellow and warm colors.


Pre-Dark Castle




The heart shape is in itself an icon you could attribute to innocence, somewhat childlike. The cut is again, simple to imply humility despite the grandeur of the gown and color. There is nothing imposing about this image nor particularly striking. I argue the composition did not fully do the design justice because it is not open, the form imposing the costume, and this is something I should further explore.

MODERN BELLE:

pre dark castle

Castro also sources clothes from other places and works them amongst his own designs.

Chanel
Dolce and Gabbana and
Jimmy Choo is amongst the designers they use on the show because they are all diverse lines, with signature styles. This is a very modern design, but the pattern could be paired with a historical costume, with a different shape and texture and still achieve the same characterization.







Below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAmvU60-43I

Brilliant feature on how Eduardo Castro puts together an outfit with character in mind from drawings to creation to tailoring to cut to accessorizing.

Best quote

'Every gown is essentially couture!'

This is what I am trying to achieve. part of my Objective was a couture line, stand along pieces that can be both modern and Historical, real life or Fairy Tale. It's an amalgamation of these things and their originality that makes them 'couture'.

Belle's alter Ego: (in Once she becomes 'Lacey')

Post Dark Castle-Modernism experiment.

RED:

Red as a color can be quite harsh and imposing but it symbolizes a lot. Danger, death, warning. At this point my character is used to danger (she is love with a beast) so her wardrobe will reflect that. She is also more dangerous and aware of this, so she is not holding back from giving out a message as to her change. This was easier implied in a modern language, so I used modern cuts and shapes to show a more daring personality. In once upon a time, the change happens in the modern world, so they can use modern styles as a harsh contrast to the Fairy-Tale Belle of before. I can't do that, as my character is in the same world when her change happens, so it has to be more subtle and the costume from the same 'world' if not the same wardrobe! In these images I continues my media experiment, watercolor and pencil to determine if this will continue to be a worthwhile way of working.

The angular costume elements here draw attention to the figure but also put up a guard. This something often found in antagonist costume-they are hiding behind their wardrobe.

Consider it an ARMOUR.

Lacey Cont.

Post Dark-Castle

Color: using the same color to different effect. If the blue was paired with pink the outfit would be less imposing. The black however sets if off. I also added red to the hair, suggesting a certain 'falseness' about her character which was not evident before