On/Off Presents...

A couple of nights ago I was lucky enough to go to the 'On/Off Presents...' show at the Science Museum, courtsey of fashion156.com. They ran a competition recently for a pair of tickets, and VIP treatment (incluing goody bags worth £50), which I was lucky enough to win! I was waiting to tell you about this, as they wanted me to write a little piece about the experience, but it still hasn't gone onto their blog, so here it is...

As the blacked out private car pulled up outside my dingy little East-end flat, I knew this was going to be a night to remember. I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets to the ‘On/Off Presents…’ show last night, sponsored by Evian and provided by your very own fashion156 team. We arrived at the Science Museum in true VIP style, and found our way upstairs to the amazing location for On/Off this season. Being a humble competition winner, I was quite impressed with the celebrity turnout to an ‘emerging talent’ show - I spotted Heidi Sugarbabe and her boyfriend Dave Berry, Jodie Kidd, Jamie Winestone, Gok Wan and the DJ Jodie Harsh. After some inevitable queuing and hanging around (this is fashion after-all) my guest and I were ushered into the wonderful exhibition space, which showcased the work of designers such as Jasper Garvida, Manjit Deu, JSmith Esquire, Reem and Richard Sorger inside giant silver, inflatable ‘rooms’.

Sadly some PR confusion meant that we did not receive the On/Off goody bags and were seated towards the back, but we got seats at the show none-the-less (behind a snuggling Sugarbabe/Berry!). On/Off Presents is known for propelling designers into the limelight, with Alumni including Mark Fast and Alexander Koutny, and tonight’s designers are set for similar treatment. Menswear label Q.E.D. opened the show with a minimalistic take on menswear, and a very subdued colour palette allowed the eye to concentrate on the detailing and the clean, sophisticated cut of the garments. Cecilia Mary Robson and Rozalb de Mura followed, with very wearable collections (I believe Cecilia Mary Robson was even featured in the latest fashion156 issue) but it was the closing designer, Rachel Freire which really caught my attention. She has a background in styling and costume design, which was apparent in her sculptural, fringed bolero jackets and Minotaur inspired headpieces crafted from hair.

Rachel Freire

After the show everyone filtered back into the exhibition space where free cocktails flowed, but I may have had one too many as the tube journey home was a little more entertaining than it should have been. These are definitely names to watch, and it was a night to remember thanks to fashion156, Evian and On/Off.

Cecilia Mary Robson

Rozalb de Mura

Q.E.D

Now a little bit of honesty! There was quite a major mess-up with the PR company (no fault of fashion156) leaving me and my guest with no actual tickets, which meant we had to blag our way in, convincing people with clipboards that we were actually on the list for the show. This obviously meant that we were seated RIGHT at the back, with a poor view of the show and NO goody bags. After spending almost an hour in the queue trying to get in I was throroughly pissed off, only to learn that we were not getting this ominous goody bag. It was a good experience, however it was tainted by the aformentioned events. This is the onlyo show I went to this year, and I am extremely grateful of fashion156 for giving me the opportunity, however as Queen Michelle (and various others around the net) has mentioned LFW seemed to be tainted by poor treatment of guests/press at shows and a general lack of organisation. I do hope this hasn't been the case across the whole schedule, as this will give London an embarassingly bad name wto the worlds media.

He loves me...he loves me not.

I know it's rather late, but I've just found the photo of a little 'instalation' I did for Andrew on Valentines day. Isn't it beautiful? They are all still hanging above my bed, and I really don't want to take them down.

Appologies about the poor picture quality, it's taken with my phone!

ftape.com

I haven't been neglecting you recently, I have just been rather busy. Since I started blogging I have had a few offers of various things but recently recieved one I couldn't pass-up. I was contacted by the internationl fashion directory ftape to write for their blog. I jumped at the chance, and my first post is now live! You can view it here. Admittedly I don't know too about the site, but it looks pretty ace...check it out.

Don't worry guys, you are where my loyalty lays, but every now and then I may use posts I have used on ftape and visa-versa. It's all rather exciting, but this will always be my personal blog, and updated frequently. I hope you are enjoying it so far. I have more news about a fashion show I went to last night as part of London Fashion Week, with On/Off and fashion156.com - but more about that tomorrow.

Julian Roberts: Subtractive Pattern Cutting

I spend most days looking at pretty dresses, browsing shows on the Internet, checking out new designers and generally absorbing anything vaguely fashion related that I can. This being the case, occasionally I get bogged down with it all, and no matter how beautiful or revolutionary a garment is, they start to blend into one. You know when you're driving the same route home everyday and you sink into autopilot? It's kind of like that, but with fashion. The past couple of nights however, I have stayed up way past my bedtime to read about, watch videos of and experiment in complete awe of my new found inspiration - Julian Roberts.

If you don't know much about pattern cutting and the technical side of fashion, you may not fully understand his work (although he lectures to many disciplines, be it interior design, fashion, product design etc.) but it will still inspire you. You have to watch some of his videos and hear him speak about his craft...it has breathed some kind of new life into me, just when I was starting to feel like I was stuck in a creative rut (I generally get like this around fashion weeks - most other fashionistas are jetting off to some amazing shows, and I am stuck behind my desk as per).

With Julian's work it is all about the concept. His garments are beautiful and quite revolutionary (read Comme des Garcon), I feel there is something missing from them, almost lacking in design. As I said, it is all about the concept. His method of pattern cutting is called 'Subtractive Pattern Cutting', which basically means cutting fabric away from a LONG tube until you have taken enough away to create a dress. I shall not even begin to try and explain his methods, but I strongly advise you visit his website for yourselves.

Imagine some of these techniques on a sleeve, or a beautiful skirt, the back of a jacket? The possibilities are endless. His website features a FREE online school, with pages of explanations which you can print out and keep forever. This is only for a limited period though, as it is soon to be pay-per-view.

Pattern Magic: the book

I've been a bit naughty and ordered myself TWO new books, even though I am practically penniless at the moment. I could not help myself, and I am in no doubt that you will agree with me. They are volume 1 and volume 2 of 'Pattern Magic', a Japanese pattern cutting book. It talks you through different techniques and methods of creating the most beautiful shapes within clothing.

There is a Flickr group with the same title, and below are some images from the talented people who have already tried and tested this book. I'll be posting my attempts when it arrives, but until then, feast your eyes...

(source)

A/W09/10: Peter Som

I'm not that keen on posting about fashion weeks - as I've said before, people can just as easily browse style.com as I can - but I guess this blog is a place for me to share what I like and what really inspires me. If I'm honest, I shamefully don't usually even pay much attention to NY Fashion Week, but today I had a little search and Peter Som's latest collection jumped out at me.

It's rare that I see clothes that I can imagine both Queen Michelle and Susie Bubble wearing, but this collection would suit both of the blogging Queens down to the ground. I love the bright, almost acidic colours, the beautifully blurred floral prints and the relatively simple cut of the dresses; allowing the prints room to breathe. I know some of you may be offended by the fur, but I am not going to comment, for fear of being harpooned! Do let me know your thoughts though...

Black is back!

altamira

Browsing some street style blogs the other day at work, I came across some extreme examples of my own winter style. If I could chose anyones personal style as inspiration, it would be these guys.

facehunter

fadtony

styleclicker

Which are your favourites? The last one, with the shoulder-padded cape and asymmetrical collar is definitely my favourite. Whether I would ever pluck up the courage to wear it out is another story...maybe slightly toned down.

Silouette: Mattew Ames

sil⋅hou⋅ette    noun, verb, -et⋅ted, -et⋅ting. –noun

1. a two-dimensional representation of the outline of an object, as a cutout or configurational drawing, uniformly filled in with black, esp. a black-paper, miniature cutout of the outlines of a famous person's face. 2. the outline or general shape of something: the slim silhouette of a skyscraper. 3. a dark image outlined against a lighter background. –verb (used with object)

4. to show in or as if in a silhouette.

form –noun 1. external appearance of a clearly defined area, as distinguished from color or material; configuration: a triangular form. 2. the shape of a thing or person. 3. a body, esp. that of a human being. 4. a dummy having the same measurements as a human body, used for fitting or displaying clothing: a dressmaker's form. 5. something that gives or determines shape; a mold. 6. a particular condition, character, or mode in which something appears: water in the form of ice. 7. the manner or style of arranging and coordinating parts for a pleasing or effective result, as in literary or musical composition: a unique form for the novel. 8. Fine Arts. a. the organization, placement, or relationship of basic elements, as lines and colors in a painting or volumes and voids in a sculpture, so as to produce a coherent image; the formal structure of a work of art. b. three-dimensional quality or volume, as of a represented object or anatomical part. c. an object, person, or part of the human body or the appearance of any of these, esp. as seen in nature: His work is characterized by the radical distortion of the human form.

line –noun 1. a mark or stroke long in proportion to its breadth, made with a pen, pencil, tool, etc., on a surface: a line down the middle of the page.

2. lines, the outer form or proportions of a garment, building, etc.

3. Fine Arts. a. a mark made by a pencil, brush, or the like, that defines the contour of a shape, forms hatching, etc. b. the edge of a shape.

(Dictionary.com)

Matthew Ames is a Brooklyn based designer, whose collections are lessons in silhouette, form and line to us all. His initial design aesthetic was inspired by the Bauhaus design principles of geometric shapes, but for the past two seasons he has explored blanket silhouettes and cocoon forms.

You know I have a love of drapery and the experimental nature of fabric wrapped on the body. Ames demonstrates these modern ideas perfectly with a cut and technical ability which allows his simple shapes to compliment the body beautifully. I agree with Refinery29, who defined him brilliantly as 'Sophisticated and avant-garde yet profoundly unfussy'.

To me his collections are reminiscent of Lanvin, something quite Grecian and hints of the great Comme des Garcons and Westwood. I'm certainly feeling inspired now!

SHOWstudio: Synaesthesia

First off, I just want to thank EVERYone for their kind comments about my fashion156 competition entry/design. It means a lot, but I don't want to 'jinx' myself - apparently the results will be announced in a week or so...

I've been browsing through the archives of SHOWstudio; some of their past (and present) work is simply amazing, but one project I remember using for research at university was The sound of Clothes: Synaesthesia. Although it's a very interesting concept, it is admittedly a little beyond me:

'Over the Spring '06 season, SHOWstudio is embarking upon a series of projects devoted to exploring 'The Sound of Clothes'. Continuing our commitment to re-thinking mainstream fashion editorial, we believe fashion audio to be a genuinely new frontier. Beyond overlaying imagery with non-specific sound - such as favourite songs or ambient music - the aim of The Sound of Clothes series is to explore a range of audio possibilities, such as discovering the actual sound a garment makes.'

The clothes in question are from the SS06 collection of Nicolas Ghesquiere, for Balenciaga. They photographed the delicately layered clothes on a lit-up mannequin, displaying the immense technical skill which goes into making such garments. What makes this even more astonishing is that, apparently, the below images are Polaroids!