Mood boards, an exercise in therapy to the driving force behind a designer's collection...

Tory Burch sp '13 “Remix”
Courtesy of Peter Schlesinger/
nymag

Mood board's have long transformed a designers eye swathed with a healthy dose of emotion that just might be the ingredients for a new Collection.  Truth be told, many use this open blank canvas to organize thoughts, emotions, next steps toward a project or maybe even to dream a travel board that carefully points out each place in the world that one might like to explore.  Mood boards for me are the ultimate expression of one's creative self.

There is something quite soothing about the mood board maybe because it marks the beginning of  something very exciting or perhaps it gives one a better sense of control and communication where they may have struggled in the past.

Amanda Harlech for
Chanel/Mood board

There are really no rules to Mood Boards.  I am always inspired by certain fashion designers boards before their collection is born.  One that recently caught my eye was that of Amanda Harlech's behind Chanel's S/S 13 collection.  Amanda is Karl Lagerfeld's creative collaborator. Her board evokes a lightness or as "Karl says, the bearable lightness of being". I came across this fresh little board in the February UK issue of Harper's Bazaar (page 61 entitled MY MOODBOARD). I personally see white mixed against Aegean blue, marks in plaid and window-framed in black.  The textures range from light and airy to a lovely tweedy symbolism we know about Chanel.  Hints of red, pink, fuchsia and purple let us know that Spring is really coming.

I've collected a myriad of mood boards and fashion designer's inspirations which I've placed on Pinterest boards devoted to the previous.  It is named "fashion mood boards & designer inspirations" subtitled: "A place of beauty, inspiration, vision and of course -- mood." (Chris).

Carolina Herrera SP 2013 "Timeless"
Courtesy of Carolina Herrera

These boards do not necessarily have to drive actual work, they can serve as an excellent way to work through one's emotions be that they could be joyful, sad or really confused.  I would encourage not setting too many boundaries otherwise you could lose sight of why you were doing the board to begin with.  Also, don't feel like you have to restrict yourself to singular mediums.  As you'll see in Harlech's, there is beautiful and different fabrics, magazine pictures, sketches, jewels, ribbons and so on.  The great thing is that it can be as minimalist or ornate as you desire,

J. Mendel, Joseph Altuzarra, and Bibhu Mohapatra)
Spring/Summer 2013 NYFW

I invite you to take a look at the boards I've saved through my Pinterest collection. And I challenge you to try one if you never have before.  It is incredibly cathartic and is almost always guaranteed to lift your spirits or maybe get you on track to something very special.  Either way I'd love to hear how you use your mood boards and what are some of your favorites!

Cheers!