Ana Locks stained glass dress

"An artist may spend time courting the muse, but a fashion designer seldom has the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. Accessing the creative mind is simple if one fuels the source on a regular basis. Designers must train themselves to collect tear sheets from magazines and printouts from websites, as well as swatches of colors and textiles, and to keep notebooks of written ideas and sketches. Whatever form they take, these resource files should be maintained and organized for easy retrieval when trying to stimulate the imagination. Beyond fashion images, they should include material drawn from art, technology, science, graphics, architecture, advertising – in other words, anything that triggers a response." -- from 'Form, Fit, & Fashion'

The following 'Inspiration File' explores stained glass as a theme, using a wide range of interpretations.

Alexander McQueen's stained glass dress from McQ collection

Erté stained glass window

Petra Storrs' Lady Gaga 'Born This Way' stained glass dress

Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' video: look closely in the opening sequence for Petra Storrs' stained glass dress

Jean Paul Gaultier stained glass gown

Jean Paul Gaultier stained glass dress

Carven cut velvet stained glass jacket

Carven Fall Winter 2012/2013 collection

Northern rose window of Chartres cathedral

Jeremy Scott stained glass mini dress

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac stained glass armor dress

Tom Fruin stained glass house

Charlotte Olympia stained glass pumps

Charlotte Olympia stained glass sandals

Factory900 stained glass shades

Anthropologie stained glass day dress