1) Describe your final project/studies. What have you accomplished over the course of the semester?

In a lot of ways I feel that I’ve accomplished more in the past five months than I’ve been able to do my entire time in graduate school. The reason for this sudden influx in productivity? I stopped working for other people and really focused on what I wanted to do, and did it. My final project is my thesis exhibition, Horse Power. It is a multifaceted project that involved creating a collection of 22 garments, two leathers bags, two pairs of socks and one hat, for a total of nine complete looks. I directed a photo shoot that has been featured on thefashionisto.com, directed and produced 9 and a half minute video installation using two large scale projected videos running in sync, choreographed a live fashion show with a live music by a beat boxer, produced a 24 page look book, created a website, created a gallery installation with a 24′ reclaimed barn board wall. That on top of collaborating with Hybrid Salon on a costume for the Hair Affair fund raiser at MMoCA in late April, participating in the Graduate Student Showcase in the Ruth Davis Design Gallery, and helping to produce the 2015 Threads Fashion Show: PULSE.  I’ve done a lot.

2) Describe your overall feelings about the project/studies. Are you happy, content, frustrated, etc with the results?

It’s pretty safe to say that my hard work has paid off, or at least “is paying off”.  I’ve received tons of positive feedback on both the gallery installation and the live show. I’ve been featured in articles in both the

Cap Times PULSE

and thefashionisto.com Cory Allen goes Equestrian

I have lots of new contacts in the fashion industry from people who came up to talk to me after each show. I’m looking forward to talking with investors next week to see how I can continue to work on my brand and make Cory Allen a real name in the world!

3) What were some of the largest hurdles you encountered over the semester and how did you approach these challenges.

There were hurdles to jump at every turn, basically, but they never seemed insurmountable. One of the biggest challenges with the collection itself was the production of the two leather bags. I was working with a woman in Mineral Point who runs a saddle shop there. I didn’t do enough research on her work, and she ended up nearly destroying the bags, which are both made of Horween Leather, and horse tack. Luckily, after I got them back I found John and Kelly Fallon, through my shoe repair guy, and they were able to cut them apart and remake them. The final product is not a showroom sample, but they are much closer to what I designed. The big learning moment here was how to communicate and keep tabs on the manufacturing of your products. I trusted the saddle shop too much, and it almost cost me about $600.00 worth of leather. The great thing that came out of it was meeting Kelly and John. Now I know who to work with, and even have a list of manufacturers if I put the bags into production. I’m hoping to work on new prototypes with them this summer.

Technology is always a hurdle for me. I worked with video producer Aaron Granat, and while he does really nice work, it was very frustrating waiting for the videos to be done, we were way behind schedule, and there are definitely things that I would change if I could. Overall I think they turned out AMAZING. After my initial idea of four projections in the space-creating an imax experience- was found to be impossible, I decided to use only two projections, and the results are really beautiful. I think the video still creates the sense of atmosphere I wanted. Re-working my original idea for the video for two screens actually made the final film much more interesting, in my opinion. I kept the night arena scene, and it is breathtaking, but I also added a sort of “campaign video” and a fashion show video through the barn. With a little clever editing the fashion show walks right through the gallery, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing people experience that.

I also was going to work with a composer in the school of music on an original score, but that fell through, so I ended up finding music for each set of the video. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to use the video in the future, because I don’t own the rights to those songs.

The other challenge was trying to balance the creation of Horse Power with my other duties as TA, and the shows and collaborations I did in addition to this project. I didn’t sleep much, but I’m really excited about a future where all I have to do is work on my own thing, and not feel torn about that.

4) If you had more time, what would you do next on your project/studies?

This is one of the rare occurrences where I actually met and/or exceeded all my initial goals. The things I’m still working on now that the shows are over, are developing my website, creating line sheets and tech packs for all the garments and accessories, and marketing this collection and my brand out in the world. I’m riding a lot of momentum from the show, but I know that I need to follow up with all these new contacts, and keep this train rolling!

I can’t believe we are at this point in the semester. Everything is moving at mach speed and just as quickly my energy seems to be fleeting away from me! But it’s the last stretch, the final length, and I’m going to tap into my horse power to get me through.

What have I been up to. This past week has been a roller coaster really. Euphoric highs and devastating lows. After many trips back and forth to Beloit, WI (not a great town), I got the leather bags back and they are much closer to where I need them to be. Not by any means perfect prototypes, which I wanted, but they also won’t be an embarrassment on the runway, so that’s progress. I had a photo shoot with my model Oliver Whiting and photographer Elizabeth Wadium. I made three more looks for the collection (total of nine for those counting) and we got some really gorgeous product shots of the bags.

Met with my video producer to finalize the shots that will be in the video. Had several meeting with my graphic designer, Michael Doyle Olson, and am really happy about the progress of the look book. It’s completely gorgeous. Very happy.

Bit of a delay in the video progress, not sure why exactly, I’m guessing Aaron has a lot on his plate. My composer backed out, today, so as of this moment I have a silent film, very 1920s of me. So I’m trying to figure that one out.

I’ve been working on the costume for Hybrid Salon for the Hair Affair, should be able to drop that off tonight and be done with it. Thank goodness. Tea-dyed the straight jacket today. Will do a little more distressing on that and it should be good to go.

Ordered my prints for the install. Got barn wood from Holly Easland for the gallery, and need to go to Full Compass to get another media clamp, hook, thing. (I’m techy)

Yeah, lots going on. Lots and lots. Trying to keep my head above water.

Last week I took advantage of the “break” and did some initial troubleshooting of tech needs for the exhibition. The good news is there is plenty of throw distance for the projections, the less good news is that we don’t have high definition projectors available, so the image quality won’t be what it could be, but we can optimize the video for the projectors we have so it will be as good as we can make it.

I contacted Fleet Farm to see if I can make a casting of their fiberglass horse from their tack section. Haven’t heard back, but I’m not counting on this as possibility. There is a statuary place in Oshkosh that might be a better route to go. I have permission to use the statue outside the Shoe Box, but that horse is rearing up, and for the exhibit I really just wanted one standing.

Working with a graphic designer on postcards, posters, and the look book. Got a quote from Park Printing for the look book, and it’s expensive, but fair. I’m going to max out a couple credit cards and make it happen.

Shot a fashion story for Jon magazine last weekend in Minneapolis. Jon is a mens lifestyle magazine out of London, so it’s huge publicity for me and my brand. Mostly shot wrestling gear, but also shot the last sweater for the Horse Power collection because it has a vintage varsity sweater style. Very excited to have the chance to work with Taylor O’Brien again, and my model and muse, Connor Haugen.

Picked up the Horween leather bags yesterday from the saddle shop and they were a WRECK. Absolutely not what I envisioned, poorly constructed, “jacked up” as they say. Took them to my shoe repair guy who referred me to his brother-in-law who makes gun cases and other leather goods. He’s basically taking them apart and putting them back together…a little smaller, but finished to the level I expected. Will probably cost an arm and a leg, but they were not only ugly, but unusable before, so I had to do what needed to be done. Everyone is responding to the designs, which is good. Learned a valuable lesson working with the tack shop. (a very expensive lesson)

So I need to push my photo shoot back to this weekend, and then hopefully we can turn around the photos really quickly to get them in the book. I have a meeting with my graphics guy on Thursday, a meeting with Video on Friday, Photo shoot Saturday.

Also working on a project for the Hair Affair with Lauren Smychek, so that’s an added dose of stress (and fun) on top of everything else.

I’ll post a pic from the JON shoot, but SHHHHHHHH it’s top secret. The spread will be in issue 9, for those interested.

It has literally taken me three days to recover from the weekend, and not for any of the usual reasons. (haha) This past Saturday we shot the video for my thesis install of Horse Power. I couldn’t have asked for better weather, it was a bit chilly, but we had sun, and more importantly we had snow. Had I pushed the shoot back to this weekend, that would not have been the case. The shoot went amazingly well. The UW-Hoofers Riding Club was so accommodating. Whatever we needed they were right there to do.

“I think we need a gray horse for this shot.”

“Okay! I’ll be right back I just have to go run out in the pasture and catch one.”

“Could you take off all the blankets and halters and name plates from the stalls, we need less visual stimulation for this shot.”

“Sure, no problem!”

I don’t think I was too demanding, I’m not JLo, but they were so gracious, and sincerely happy to do whatever they could. I can’t say enough nice things about those girls.

I was able to collaborate with my friend Leah Lindsley, and amazing painter who I went to undergrad with, who now works in cosmetology. She did a beautiful job with hair and make up, not only for my two models, but also all five riders that we used for the night scene in the arena. The greatest thing about this collection continues to be the collaborations I’ve been able to set up. Aaron Granat, my videographer is a perfect example. Because he’s a lecturer he was able to borrow all of the equipment that we needed for the shoot from school. He rolled in with over 50k worth of lights, cameras, tripods, and rigs. It was incredible! He brought his own crew, and they were so amazing. Perfectionists, all three of them, which helped put my mind at ease so I could worry about the things that I needed to do, like creative direction, styling, catering, horse petting, etc.

We got tons of great footage outside in the morning, with the vistas up on the hill it looked like we were on top of the world. Absolutely incredible. After lunch we shot the fashion show through the barn. The lighting scenario in there was a little tricky because we had so much back light coming in from the barn door, but I ended up really liking how the models looked in silhouette, revealing the looks as they moved closer to camera. I think when we project them in the gallery and I turn my space into a never ending barn, the effect will be super cool.

By far the most chills-down-your-back/I-can’t-believe-this-is-real moment came at night when we moved into the indoor arena. The lighting in here was a real nightmare, they basically blew out the light they wanted to use because we didn’t have enough juice. We had planned to plug into the overhead arena lights, the only problem was in order to do that we needed to unplug all of them, which meant taking a very tall ladder around to each one and that just wasn’t going to happen. We ended up running an extension cord out to the center of the arena and covering it with a pvc pipe that the horses were used to running over in lessons and shows. (thank god) In the end we used two lights, and the effect was nothing short of magical. The scene is breathtakingly gorgeous with five mounted riders walking around the perimeter as model slowly emerges from darkness, once the model is passed their trail they break into a canter filling the frame with so much actual horse power it’s impossible not to get caught up in the moment. I’m so excited for this video to be edited and see how it looks projected large scale!

I’ve been waiting, for basically five years to work with my friend Taylor O’Brien. He and I went to Stout together and he has since become one of the most talented fashion photographers I know, and I’m putting him in the company of people like Steve Meisel and Terry Richardson. He is just so incredibly talented and the photos are better than I could ever have imagined. I will share one on here, which isn’t even edited, but the rest are top secret until I release them as the show approaches. I was so lucky to find two models not signed to an agency. I paid them in boots (Dr. Martin’s) that I am getting at wholesale price from The Shoe Box in Black Earth, WI. They made everything look good, but if I do say so myself, the clothes are pretty great. I’m very proud of this collection.

Okay, I have to go teach.

This week I’ve been working on construction of the garments for the collection. I’m having fun figuring out how to make a motorcycle jacket. I’ve looked at some commercial patterns to get me started but ended up having to completely draft it from measurements. Not 100% satisfied with the results so far, but I’m getting there. I cranked through most of the pants/shorts for the collection, working on some drop crotch joggers which have also proven to be trickier than originally anticipated.

Went out to riding center with my videographer to see where we’re going to shoot, and what equipment we’ll need. It’s nice working with someone who knows what they’re doing because I was very distracted by cats and horses. I’m looking forward to creative directing the shoot and letting my collaborators do what they do. Waiting to hear back from hair and make-up people. It would be really nice to have someone out there both days, so I don’t have to worry about it. I met one horse I’ll be working with, Kobi, he’s black-bay Thoroughbred. Everyone at the Hoofers is really excited about the project, so it makes it fun.

I took on a side project with Hybrid Salon, doing the costume for the Hair Affair at MMoCA in April. I’m teaming up with Lauren Smyczek, an undergrad in our program to create the Houdini-inspired look. I’m hoping to have a little more time to work on that after the photo shoot on the 8th.

One of the sweaters is done. I’m very happy with it. The other is in production now, I won’t be knitting much, if any, of that one, but I feel like knitting the first one was enough of my hand in the process to feel good about them. The Alpaca yarn is incredibly warm and soft; the two things I like most about sweaters.

Still worried about the projections but figure I can make the video first and then decide how it needs to live in the gallery.

That’s been my week.

Last week I met with my videographer Aaron Granat, to talk about different uses of video since the original idea of projecting on all four walls of the gallery space was found to be impossible after my meeting in the gallery with Shuxing and Kevin.
My thinking now is to do two rear projected screens at the front and back of the space and create three short videos that will run on a loop. This of course is assuming I can find two short-throw projectors to use for the duration of the show.
I’m going to attempt the original idea of horses running around with just two screens.
The second video will be a “runway show” through the barn. So the models will walk through the door toward the camera, and then exit the other side. One screen will be the front the other will be the back.The third will be a campaign video shot on the grounds in the style of this video: http://www.zara.com/us/en/campaign/man-c566147.html           I’ve been knitting the first of two sweaters in Spring Green with Dennis at Alfred’s Art to Wear knit shop. It’s been a great experience and I’m making good progress.
This week has been CRAZY BUSY. First, on Monday I went to meet Terri Kinsman at Goodweiler’s Leatherworks in Mineral Point. She is going to be producing the two bags for the collection. After my meeting with her I drove over to Spring Green and continued working on the cream sweater. Tuesday I did my dye samples of the camel hair. They turned out GORGEOUS and I’m excited to get started on the jackets. Yesterday I made an appointment with Shelley Hubbard at Horween Tannery and picked up my two hides…to the tune of more money than I care to think about, but they’re gorgeous. Today I went to several shoe and leather repair places looking for zippers for the bags. Ken Gusner at Monona Shoe Repair, is going to order them for me, so I can get the wholesale price. Those should be in, in a couple weeks. This afternoon I have to spec the bags so I can drop off sketches and measurements and leather to Terri tomorrow, and then I’ll spend the majority of Friday knitting.