London Calling - voting time!

Hey guys, so voting has begun on the fashion156 competition dress on their blog. I'm not sure what relevance this voting has on the final outcome, but I could do with the support.

If I'm honest I don't think that the way they've hung and presented my dress really does it justice, however if you look at earlier posts on my blog you will see it on a mannequinn and in it's true form. The fashion156 image lacks the structure and form that is required for a bodycon dress, but the team are doing an exciting video shoot which should bring the garment to life.

Anyhow, vote here and check out the other designers' work - the competition is fierce - but remember where your loyalties lie ;)

Odeur

The Scandinavian design duo Petter Hollstrom and Anna Lidstrom launched their menswear label Odeur in 2006, and ever since have been creating classic garments with creative cuts. Their sporty, androgynous aesthetic is not my usual cup of tea, however I NEED that grey oversized hoody. Their collection this summer is in pastel colours and re-works the basics of sportswear, transforming tshirts and sweaters into modern classics, which may just make me renew my gym membership!

Their lookbook is also really interesting (see the bottom three images). Such a simple idea which works extremely well, for these simple garments. It's something I am considering for my own Etsy store, however I am not sure it would suit more elaborate garments which need a body to show their full potential.

via Indie magazine

Please read...

Thanks so much to everyone for their kind words about my competition dress. I submitted it on Friday and Guy really loved it - let's just hope that Brix feels the same!

However, with such good news comes some equally bad. The company which I work for during the day full time is in a very bad way, and are on the brink of going under (it is out of our hands, and if a certain high street retailer goes down, it is going to drag us down with it). I was pulled into the office only yesterday and told I need to cut back my days and go 'part-time'. I now do not work Fridays. I am a soft seperates Junior Womenswear Designer, on a relatively low wage, and this is not something I can afford to do. I actually CAN'T. I do not want to move out of London and back to the parentals, so my only other option is to try to make back the money I am losing on that one day per week. I am now going to start making things to sell in an Esty store (which I am a annoyed about as I wanted to create a brilliantly perfect store in my own time, as a hobby and experiment, but I am now doing it out of necessity), which for you guys is great news!

Basically, the reason for me writing this post is I am asking for your help. I really need to find a new job, as I can barely afford to stay in my current company and the financial stability of the company is too much of a risk for me to take. I am sure you are all perfectly aware of the situation within the fashion trade at the moment, but if ANYONE knows of any design related jobs going (preferably in London) please do not hesitate to get in touch. If you are at all interested in hiring me, or know of available positions please drop me an email (inspirethestarling@googlemail.com) and I will forward on my CV or answer any questions you may have. I have been working for this company for nearly two years and you can see some of my portfolio work on the Coroflot link to the right.

I hope I don't come across too desperate, but times are getting tough now so it is time to put the feelers out there.

The dress is ready!!!!

My fashion156/start competition dress is finally finished. I've had many problems along the way, mainly because I was trying to be too clever with the construction, but after many hours of slaving away it is completed. One of the main problems was the bright pink top half - it is 100% silk chiffon, which is a bitch to work with, it's see through (I decided to make a tiny little racer-backed jersey cami to go underneath, if required) so everything had to be faced and french seamed, and I decided to make things harder by making it all one piece so that the front and back are all cut from one pattern piece. I am ecstatic with the result, and even managed to mould the pleats around the waist without them creasing or folding. There are of course things I would change on it as I am a bit of a perfectionist, but you have to know when to stop (and I need to hand it in on Friday!). I have decided to style it with the beautiful Celine shoes above, and armfuls of chunky bangles, all kindly on loan from Bang.

 

Now I cannot wait to see what the brilliant team at f156 do with the photoshoot - exciting stuff!!

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Just a quick note to say that I've finally jumped on the Bloglovin' bandwagon, so you can now follow me easier and get updates whenever I post. The icon is on the right, designed by the brilliantly talented Danny Roberts. 

Go on, be a sheep...follow me! ;)

Apologies for yet another minuscule post, but I have exciting news coming your way tomorrow.

Connected: Ignacio Lozano

Being a bank holiday I have successfully managed to do as little as possible, but I have thoroughly enjoyed browsing the web for most of the afternoon. I have found so many new and inspiring sites/photographers and creative people in general. One of them being artist and photographer Ignacio Lozano. He completed a degree in Arts, Fashion Design and Communication in Barcelona before concentrating on photography full time. He now test shoots for Ford Models, Basic Models and New York Management and contributes to various magazines. Some of his work has a rather homoerotic feel to it, which seems a little indulgent (no harm in that though is there?), but there are some images which are very fashion related and would work really well in editorials, especially this series entitles 'Connected' for Spiral. One to watch!

Bless Sunscreen Sunglasses

I have just found the most amazing visor sunglasses. They are by Bless and are available at farfetch.com. Unfortunately they are all sold out...I can't believe I missed the boat on this one. I've been saying all spring that I'm actually going to invest in a pair of decent sunglasses this summer, rather than spending a measly £15 on a pair from Topshop that I will probably sit on, chew or lose! These are only £188, which I know sounds a lot, but in the grand scheme of life it's not that big a deal (I am starting to loosen the purse-strings a little recently, well in theory at least).

They are a little avant-garde and wouldn't look out of place on Jean Paul Paula, but if I was feeling brave enough I could get away with them;) .

Added features

By the way I've been getting a bit technical, and added a new little feature to the blog. Under each post you will find picture links to three of my previous posts, which are supposed to be related. I'm not sure how relevant they are yet, or how useful they will be for you guys...only time will tell. Let me know your thoughts. See below, but do not worry - they are NOT ads!

Nice Cave: Soundsuits

Every morning I grab the gratuitous morning paper as I'm running for the tube, and attempt to flick through the pages with an elbow in my face and someones heel digging into my foot. Usually I skim without paying much attention to the scare mongering and celebrity hype, but today threw up a visual feast for me to gorge on. 

An artist by the name of Nick Cave creates these colourful, exciting and ultimately wearable sculptures from whatever objects he can find. The costumes are a combination of his love for contemporary dance and textiles and are aptly named 'soundsuits', which make deliberate noises when the wearer moves. Imagine entering a room wearing these to a fancy dress party?!

When he began creating these costumes, he never imagined actually being able to get into them - he saw them as sculptural pieces, however Cave now choreographs a special dance for each piece which he films. His work is on show in San Fransisco now.

You really MUST watch this video. It gets really interesting about half way through. this guy is seriously talented - I can't even begin to imagine how he would contruct such creations. Amazing!

Festival Flag

I'm not really one for celeb gazing - I don't really give a hoot what they eat/drink/smell like/who they're dating/where they're partying, but I was browsing through the latest issue of Grazia magazine and I came across this image of Agy Deyn in a beautifully washed out American flag dress from the Cochella festival. Does anyone know anything about the dress in question, or who it's by? I think its a great take on the boho trends of seasons past, with a brilliantly modern and relaxed festival feel. Thumbs up Ms Deyn....but do tell me your serect.