Resume

Ashley Samantha Bender

118 College Dr. # 6649　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 　 Cell:　 (601) 270-2674

Hattiesburg, MS　 39406　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　 　　　　　　　　 E-Mail: AshleySamantha.Bender@gmail.com

　

OBJECTIVE:

　　　　 To obtain position as an in-house fashion illustrator at a design firm

QUALIFICATIONS:

Strong skills in sketching and design

Proficient in French

Experience in runway show production

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s of Science in Fashion Merchandising August 2005– Present

The University of Southern Mississippi　　　　　　 　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Hattiesburg, MS

Active member of The Legacy Student Alumni Association

Picture Perfect Models – Stylists’ Committee

Fashion Merchandising Organization

Secretary 2008– 2009

Fashion Show Committee Chair, Models & Apparel

EMPLOYMENT:

Dillard’s　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　 Hattiesburg, MS

Sales Associate　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 　　June 2008–　Present

Assisted customers in the Men’s Department

Consistently met sales quota

Styled mannequins for customer perusal

Unique & Kabira Modeling Agency　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　 Hattiesburg, MS

Lead Stylist 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　 　　　　　 May 2008– November 2008

Guided models into developing signature looks

Developed professional wardrobe for models

Performed makeup artist duties for photo shoots

　

The University of Southern Mississippi’s Career Services

Hattiesburg, MS

Office Assistant August 2007 – December 2007

Aided staff members with filing and paper work

Helped developed public relations strategy for Career Fair 2007

Organized student resource center

　

　

FM 222 Portfolio Scorecard

The University of Southern Mississippi

FM 222 – Professional Presentation

Portfolio Evaluation Criteria

Name: Ashley Samantha Bender Date December 7, 2009

Portfolio type: Focused Portfolio

Explain the reason of choosing portfolio type: My portfolio is a focused digital portfolio displaying my skills in fashion illustration.

I chose to do a Fashion Illustration portfolio because of my strong skills in sketch and design. The designs are largely mixed media but special because they were all done by hand in a combination of charcoal, sketch pencils, color pencils, and water color paints.

Please choose the type of documentation of Skills/Evidence including in your

portfolio (select all that apply).

Academic

- Individual work

　

Self-Directed

- Student

- Professional

　

　

Polyvore

Polyvore is an online resource used by fashion industry insiders to assemble digital storyboards, referred to as "sets." I used it in the assemblage of my portfolio to create inspiration boards as well as to develop a theme and figure out the direction in which I wanted to take certain collections. All polyvore sets are a part of a bigger collection explained in the post "Introduction" and they are all labeled "Polyvore."

The Secret Garden

Polyvore set entitled "The Secret Garden" which helped inspire the collection "Blush Sophisticate."

Delicate Dresses

Prissy Little Dresses

Tea Time

Polyvore set/storyboard created to inspire what one would wear to a fancy tea!

Whimsical Wedding Dress

Life Inside a Champagne Bottle

A polyvore set I created as a storyboard for the "Blush Sophisticate" collection. It is inspired by the colors blush and champagne as well as the drink.

Blush Sophisticate

"Blush Sophisticate" is a collection I assembled based on pale, whimsy colors. It is a collection largely based in romanticism and frilly, feminine things. I drew inspiration from the city of Paris' and Versailles' architecture - especially the gold/beige hued buildings. I was influenced by Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" and the image of champagne bottles and champagne bubbles rising in a champagne flute.

Another Polyvore set I created to show the inspirations/themes behind "White.Hot.Summer"

Days & Nights in Bridgehampton

White.Hot.Summer: Inspirations

White.Hot.Summer draws inspiration from pin-up girls and 50's icons, like Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Dandridge. The influences are youth and playfulness.

White Heat

This is a polyvore set I created to represent the collection. White.Hot.Summer. is playful but most of all when I think of it I think of a young girl who works in public relations or fashion and is living in a metroolitan area - New York, Miami, or Los Angeles. She gets to escape on weekends in the summertime to places like the Hamptons, Star Island, or Malibu. White.Hot.Summer would be a representation of her wardrobe.

White.Hot.Summer is the most playful collection of the series. It is inspired by pin-up girls and Marilyn Monroe's character in "The Seven Year Itch." It is very young and vivacious, full of whites, hot pinks, turquoise, purple, and silver.

Quick Studies

Couture

Cocktail Dresses

A&R Groupie

A&R, standing for "Artist & Repertoire" is one of the most fun and fulfilling jobs in the entertainment industry. An A &R Rep is someone who is responsible for an artist's development, they are required to be there every step of the way. When I first created "Haute & Gritty" I felt like sketches that are inspired by the theme would be the type of things an A&R Rep in New York would wear so I started with a polyvore set storyboard and went from there.

Poison Ivy

This illustration is heavily influenced by the "Batman" villainess Poison Ivy as portrayed by actress Uma Thurman in 1997's "Batman & Robin" film. "Batman," of course is set in Gotham City - a parallel universe to New York City. The grittiness of the film inspired the look.

Studio 54 Glamazon

This illustration was done with charcoal and sketch pencil. It is inspired by Bianca Jagger. The broken pearls are meant to represent the frenetic energy of the theme "Haute & Gritty."

Alexis Carrington 2.0

This is a polyvore set I created as an ode to the Glam 80s. It is supposed to be a modernized version of one of the decade's signature looks. It is called Alexis Carrington 2.0 because it features the villainess Alexis Carrington, portrayed by Joan Collins, from the 80s primetime drama "Dynasty."

Haute & Gritty

Haute and Gritty is inspired by New York City in the 1980s, when the city was full of artists like Andy Warhol, designers like Halston, and socialites like Bianca Jagger. I took alot of imagery from Studio 54, a famous club in the city in the late 70s and 80s. The colors red & black are prevalent in this particular collection because they represent danger, excitement, and raw emotion.

Haute & Gritty draws inspiration from films set in New York City, like the updated version of the film "Thomas Crown Affair" and the Gothic architecture found in the city - represented here by the band My Chemical Romance's video for their song "Helena."

Introduction

This digital portfolio presents Ashley Samantha Bender's Fashion Illustrations. Navigation functions can be found on the sidebar. The portfolio has been split into three different collections: Blush Sophisticate, White.Hot.Summer, and Haute & Gritty. I used polyvore sets I created to form an image/theme for each one of the three. Each collection has its own navigation tag and includes an explanation about the inspirations for each.