11.12.11
I want to explore the idea of shedding one’s skin, pulling away an abundance of dead layers similar to that of a reptiles’. I want to play with the idea of putting a man into another’s skin. To be wrapped in a membrane, stretched and warped into a functional garment and cut with multiple layers, peeling away and exposing – a garment that is blown out and oversized in comparison to the human skin. In order to manipulate a form and to create a skin within a skin, a body of contrasted forms could be layered and joined to create a Reptile-Human Hybrid. A body conscious garment cut in such a way that forces the male to move with the garment, rather than of his own accord. A piece that is skin-tight and shrunken, whilst simultaneously being stretchable, so that it clings to the flesh. I want to morph oversized scaled and reptilian panels with the male form, to become a garment in its own right.
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12.11.11
The Hollow man
The Hollow Man:
FENCING/Mental health project
White Jersey dress
Woven Mohair Vest
Oversized Blanket Jacket
Photographed by: Gordon Mills Continue reading »
2.11.11
The Hollow Man
THE HOLLOW MAN:
Sportswear inspired design brief
overlapping layers of protection.
FENCING: noun 1.the art, practice, or sport in which an épée, foil, or saber is used for defense and attack.
PURE, WHITE, PROTECTIVE and minimal-functional uniform.
clean & cold & controlled.
noun:
a garment made of strong material and designed to bind the arms, as of a violently disoriented person. restrictions and constraints.
mental illness:
any of the various forms of psychosis or severe neurosis.
White: fragility
Blank & Hollow.
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6.8.11
And so i've not long completed a 3 week internship at Religion clothing. I worked within the menswear team of charlotte wiseman (head of menswear) and Tahsin, this was in preparation for the AW12 season. They spend most of their year out in religions factory in Bali. i was asked to come into their head office for 2 days a week during July/August whilst they were in the UK where i was put to researching a whole lot of different things. This included gothic hawaiian shirts, biblical names, SS12 shows, jersey designs, just to name a few. I even was asked to draw out some designs for a hoodie for the next season, which was great because i love religions style so much. The research was so relevant to me and helped me to focus my own ideas for my signature and design style, looking into that of dark macabre, religion, gothic victorian ideas to again name just a few.
I also had the chance to work with sadie who is the buying, selling and merchandising machine. I got to see an overview of the brand and the whole design-to-customer process. I'd never really thought of all the buying, business and selling of fashion, its always been creative for me and made you realise just how vital it is to fashion business and to fashion itself. I worked with Sadie deciding on which pieces to stock at their new store opening in Australia. This also made me think more about target marketing and for who you are selling to. Australian fashion is so very different to that of London's and therefore had to be thought about very differently. (Think 5 years behind London)
I've learn so much seeing as this placement was very different to others i have completed. The religion team is more of an office-based work environment than a creative team. Yeah you have people occasionally working on mannequin or toiling but the whole atmosphere is more business than art. The majority of the day is spent on PC which i suppose is concurrent with a high street, retail based design team but which showed me just how different an approach to fashion design can be.
Anyway, if you haven't seen any of religion's designs then they have two stores in the UK:
Shoreditch: 128 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JE
0207 6130 606
Spitalfields: 154 Brick Lane, London E1 6RU
0207 092 9802
religionclothing.co.uk Continue reading »
1.6.11
and so i've began an internship at Braille Menswear and im having so much fun. I first saw their styles when i interned with Crystal Deroche at the fashionisto magazine shoot where some of their pieces were modelled by korrel kennedy. I'd never seen any of their designs until then and they were by far my one of my favourite designers. I particularly loved their use of innovative materials and especially the wax cotton capes.
my first day on wednesday was pretty easy going. The boys have been alternately working abroad and therefore made it hard knowing what each had completed. Though i was put to work sourcing perferated leather from leather merchants for a cropped biker jacket that was to be made.
well anyway before i bore you with my ramblings id just like to tell you how great Braille is. The lads ben and sam are such lovely guys and so down to earth which is refreshing when it comes to fashion.
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19.4.11
Fashionisto Magazine photoshoot
So i today i was Crystal Deroche's assistant on The Fashionisto menswear photoshoot. The setup was focused on the model Korrel Kennedy and is to be featured in the launch issue of The Fashionisto's printed magazine. The photographer was Juan Trujillo who was so good, he was amazing at directing the model and knew exactly what he wanted when it came down to it.
The model Korrel Kennedy who i had previously seen walk at the Christopher Shannon show turned up late which meant for a bad start to the morning but the clothes looked oh so good on his tiny model frame and he had some good looks.
The chosen garments from asos were meant to delivered to the studio in Archway but didn't arrive until 3 which meant i had to dash into central to Bryan Morel and Surgery PR Agents to pick up some clothes to shoot. The PR agencies were great, having only been asked for the garments that day they were ready and waiting and ever so helpful.
Braille, a menswear label which had yet to enter my life made a spectacular appearance today. Some of their clothes were featured in the shoot and they were by far my favourite. They were more statement pieces, standing out amongst which was by now a mass of styling material. I particularly loved their use of innovative materials of silk and cotton wax fabrics's and especially the wax cotton capes and coats.
Though i am now utterly exhausted so i am going to crash. I had such a great day working with some fabulous people which i would like to thank, especially Crystal Deroche who has been so amazing, giving me all the help she possibly can.
Bonne nuit a toi.
1.4.11
PRINT COLLECTIVE:
Our first year end of year fashion show
Jersey Print project
Dresses
Print project: Islamic dress, religious cults and symbolism.
Modelled by: Alex Muto
28.3.11
CHRISTIAAN BASTIAANS:
Something i had forgotten about:
CHRISTIAAN BASTIANNS
OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT
KROLLER-MULLER MUSEUM
AMSTERDAM
I visited the Kroller-Miller museum when in Amsterdam last year and saw the club mama gemutlich exhibition of Christiann Bastianns. Based on the use of obsolete equipment it featured thrown away cut-out images collaged with mixed media, giant sized coats hung from the ceiling, an odd film of a woman in a bathroom and a collection of garments fashioned, again from un-used and obsolete materials. Ever so haunting i thought it fit in beautifully with my current themes.
Drawings:
10.3.11
9.2.11
23.1.11
| Beauty in Decay | Urban Exploration
"I find beauty in decay. I like to see nature conquering what man has left. I believe that old buildings have a soul. And when i photograph these places i try to capture a piece of that soul"
Julie Sheil
Now i read about this book a long time ago and as soon as i had my loan i went and bought myself a copy. This quote just sums up the book so nicely. i feel inspired.
buy here: amazon
urbexforums, urban exploration forum.
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20.1.11
| Buried & Decayed | Samples.
Inspired by a skip. I went on a rampage yesterday looking for some kind of dirty and preferably mouldy wooden crate in which i could present my samples. Now this was a good skip, found at the back of a fine art department at the university of westminster. Some Interesting finds. I didn't find a crate in the end but managed to fashion a terribly crude box from some rotten charred wood. Banging nails in with a rolling pin the night before a deadline. Beautiful.
Knit Sample:
Hugely inspired by this. attempt at knitting some really bad, spider-web like chaining. Now i'm obsessing over knit. Im thinking this will feed into the print project well.
Final sample Presentation.
