Fashion156.com/Start Boutique Design Competition Entry

OK, so I've finally sent off my entry to the fashion156.com and Start London design competition, and here it is. I was dubious whether to post it or not, as it's quite personal (and there's the issue of plagiarism, but that's what you get with having the world wide web I suppose?). It's one thing to post and comment about someone else's work, but when it's your own it takes on a whole new level of importance. Anyways, it is loosely based around the Samurai amour you can see in my moodboard. Using this initial idea, I did a few basic sketches and then began draping on the stand. Let me know what you think...but don't be too harsh eh!?

I was a bit worried about the colours being too on trend, if you get what I mean. They have been all over the catwalk for SS09, but I had to think of something which would be wearable, commercial yet conceptual and would fit in with the upcoming spring/summer collections - the winner will be sold in Start boutique in Shoreditch and online. It took a lot of research and a lot of thinking, but I am happy with the final outcome, so let's just hope the judges agree!!

Dior Couture: SS09

I have died and gone to heaven! The images from Dior's SS09 couture show have just gone online, and I am (as always) in complete awe. I'm not one to post images from fashion shows, as you just as capable of going on style.com yourselves...but I wanted to share with you the details that have got my heart fluttering this morning.

Oh, the sculptural beauty of these dresses astounds me. The detail, intricacy and amazing skill which is required to make these dresses is quite simply amazing. They are complete perfection...why can't we all live in a world of couture?

What do you think?

Manjit Deu: London College of Fashion MA winner!!

If ever you want to spot new fashion talent, MA shows are the place to be. I wasn't at the LCF MA show this year, but the Collection of the Year was awarded to Manjit Deu with his beautifully draped, heavily embellished dresses. The sequins are hand-stitched in Bombay, apparently by the same embroiders' who work with Dior and McQueen, which has to say something! This guy is set for stardom, so keep your eyes peeled. via thefashionpack

On a completely separate note - I NEED YOUR HELP. I am completely desperate to join the fashion spot - do any of you beautiful fashion lovers have invitations you can send out? If you do, I'd be eternally grateful if you could send one my way. I love the site, and would really love to become a part of the forums and postings...and just think of the extended research I could do for this little blog!

Poladroid!

This is the perfect tool for those Polaroid lovers, who sadly don't actually own one. It turns your digital photos into pretend Polaroids...genius! Here's one I made, using an image of a skirt I made whilst on an internship a few summers ago...

Give it a go!

Li Xiaofeng

A lot of time recently has been taken up with various fashion projects (including the fashion156 competition - which is coming along nicely by the way - I will post details soon!), and for this I have had to take time out for 'me'. It gets rather hectic working full time in fashion, coming home and sketching/draping, keeping up with the blog, updating scrap/sketchbooks and trying to lead have some kind of social life away from this computer. That all sounds rather tragic now it's in type, but that's not my intention. Bla bla, shut it Carl.

Anyways...I have always had a fascination with the fashion/art divide and rules which lay between them. Li Xiaofeng is a Beijing artist who uses fashion as a platform to present his art, albeit in a very literal way. Using porcelain china from the song, ming, yuan and qing dynasties, he 'sews' segments onto a leather undergarment to create beautifully sculptural pieces of art. Incredibly these pieces can actually be worn, as illustrated below.

P.S. - i can't believe no-one liked the Prada video from the previous post!

via designboom

"Fallen Shadows" - Prada/James Lima

This is a little bit of a cop-out post as I've been working hard all weekend trying to perfect my design for the fashion156/start boutique competition, however I did take a few minutes out to watch this stunning video - Muiccia Prada and James Lima's latest collaborative project. It is a beautiful animation showcasing the Autumn/Winter 2008/09 collection, with music from Anthony and the Johnsons. The film is about a woman and her shadow, the shadow being more expressive than the woman - the shadow is her sub-concious. James Lima explains in the latest issue of Wound,

"She is the sub-concious, the dream, the soul, and it is the journey of self-discovery with the sensations of the city that confronts her...and us. The thing about the shadow is it's you but it's not. The shadow, your soul, your spirit is free. You leave part of it wherever you go, the idea of the embroidery unravelling represents that."

Dior Homme

The vintage sale was a complete disaster, I didn't even bother getting a bag, let alone filling it. So I'm sorry guys, no bargains to show you. Just out of interest though, quite a few of you said you were keen to see what I bought - do you want me to post about my personal style? This was never my intention with the blog, as I find it a tad narcissistic, but if that's what you want...?

Anyways, back to the post. If you haven't already noticed, there is one mighty fine man-model below. Although this is not what I want to share with you, he is a bit fit yeah? It's the trousers, oh the beautiful Dior Homme pleats. I have been drooling over these since I first saw them on the catwalk (AW08-09), and nothing in the shops seems to quite hit the button like these do. I've completely missed the boat with these as they probably aren't in the shops anymore - like I could afford them anyway - I'll just have to pray that one day some discerning gent is stupid enough to sell them to Bang Bang or something. In the meantime, I've put it on my ever growing list of DIY projects to do. These never get done, as I am a womenswear designer...so the ladies always come first and projects for myself get put on the back burner.

If your jaw is not on the floor, because of a) the beautiful trousers or b) the model, there is something actually wrong with you. Please visit your doctor.

If you can, look at the detailing at the waistband of this pair. Satin ribbon sewn into the pleats? Whatever next...They need to adorn my waist, that's what!

Sigh. The folds of fabric have me well and truly sucked in. These trousers are so hot that I've even stopped looking at the model wearing them. The deconstructed jacket (also Dior Homme) is brilliant and something else I shall give a go, if I learn the art of tailoring one day!

The shoot is taken from a wonderful magazine called 'Nico. Fashion & Interviews' - my new favourite mag - which was styled by Kris Van Assche himself. Although most of it's in French (with a few translations at the back) the imagery and content is by far the best I've seen in a long time. Without wearing the heavy and restrictive chains (read: advertising bribes from the big-gun fashion houses) that larger magazines do, this mag is free to do pretty much what it likes. All Hail Nico!

2006 Toile

This is another piece from my graduate collection, but at the toiling (practice) stage. The final piece didn't actually turn out like this, but it's still one of my favourite creations, ever! Obviously it's very rough around the edges, but it was only a little experiment.

I'm going to a vintage 'pick 'n' mix' on Brick Lane today...the exact same concept as the Angel's sale that Susie Bubble went to recently, but on a smaller scale (you buy a bag for £10 or £20 and fill it with clothes). I hope to find some brilliant pieces, and share them with you.

2006

Talking briefly about my graduate collection the other day got me thinking and reminiscing. I thought I'd share the photos with you...

...and one from the catwalk.

Toga - Yasuko Furuta

I have never before been so pleased with myself! I stumbled upon this brilliant Japanese brand completely by accident - I was so mesmerised by her collection that I forgot what I was originally searching for. As the title says, the label is Toga designed by Yasuko Furyta. I have always had a not-so-secret obsession with Japanese designers, but recently this has been wilting (my interest in Comme, Miyake and co. has been over shadowed by fresh, young Scandinavian designers). When I was at University I wrote my dissertation on the 'Japanese Invasion' of the 1980s, and even based my graduate collection around the idea of malformation (inspired by the abstract body shapes created by many Japanese designers around that time), so when I found - and fell in love with - Toga, I was delighted to revisit my Japanese fling.

The balance between conceptual silhouettes/lines and beautiful wearable garments is just perfect. A narrowed waist, exaggerated hips and plenty of frills and chiffon to keep even the most dainty girls happy! I mean just look at the use of fabrics, the combination of muted neutrals and midnight blues and the juxtaposition of fluid drapes with angular panelling - and all in perfect symmetry.

I cannot express how much I love this collection, but I wish they stocked in the UK. I've done a little Internet 'research' and as far as I can tell, they only sell in Japan. Maybe one day if I ever get to that side of the globe I'll get to see these beautiful creations in the flesh, as I imagine these 2D images do them no justice.

Flower Power

These images are not unlike the amazing 'feature' posts from Jill Sherman's Trend de la creme, but I found these in the latest 125 magazine. Both use comparison as their narrative, but personally I prefer Jill Sherman's as she chooses a collection, showing a 'look' next to the comparative subject (her latest being Gucci and Pysanka, which are traditional hand-painted Ukrainian Easter eggs, for those of you who were wondering). So yeah, what I'm trying to say is that these 125 images are beautiful, but on an intellectual level Jill Sherman wins hands-down.

(Click for bigger images)

I don't know what I 'm drawn to more, the model or the flowers (it's definitely not the clothes!)?

"On Fridays we get together to do everything that was not allowed during the week"

So the holidays are officially over and tomorrow sees my perilous return to work - let's just hope the bosses have had a good break! Like I'm sure most of you have, I stupidly made many little resolutions this New Year (one of which is to quit smoking....hmmm) but my most important one has been to throw myself well and truly into my work - on all levels - and this means updating this blog regularly, keeping it a true place of personal inspiration.

Lucy McRae and Bart Hess (collectively known as Lucy & Bart) have the best working relationship I have read about for a long time, and they have fun with it. They are both designers - in the broadest sense of the word, not restricting themselves to one genre of design - doing freelance commercial work from Monday to Thursday, then every Friday they meet up to create work using the ideas which overflow from their commercial work. They essentially create images of themselves in unusual poses against a neutral background, with 'weird material' stuck on their bodies. This abstract from their blog talks roughly about what their intentions are -

"...an instinctual stalking of fashion, architecture, performance and the body. They share a fascination with genetic manipulation and beauty expression. Unconsciously their work touches upon these themes, however it is not their intention to communicate this. They work in a primitive and limitless way creating future human shapes, blindly discovering low – tech prosthetic ways for human enhancement."

"Dripping Colour"

"Grown on You 2" "Evolution" "Exploded View"

I can't even begin to imagine how much fun these two must have creating these brilliant images - it's like going back to my student days, but on a whole different (and more professional) level! Fun is apparently the key to their success, and they use this to help inspire their freelance work. Maybe I should spend a few less hours with a beer in my hand, and get the post-it notes, some ping-pong balls and a whole load of glue out?