Posted to
Fashion on Oct 19, 2010 - 09:40
I am doing a few days at the studio/gallery of fashion designer Pierre Garroudi next week. He has a gallery on Crucifix Street under the arches of London Bridge and the minute you walk in you feel like you've entered a wonderland of imagination and creativity.
Rails of clothes adorn the walls everywhere, made from a variety of fabrics with trims, pleats and innovative shapes to look at for
ages. Pierre is a creative guy, he thinks outside
Pierre uses his gallery to showcase the works of other artists, photographers, product designers and creative people, which shows a real dedication to his industry.
I'll be helping out at the studio for a few afternoons after college, my task is to hand sew a pleated skirt structure, which should be fun, and the experience can't be a bad thing either!
Fashion! x
Posted to
Fashion on Oct 19, 2010 - 09:25
I am obsessed with Japanese fashion, particularly the styles and trends found on the streets of Tokyo, neighborhoods such as Harajuku fascinate me for being a hub of individual style and expression.
Many of the worlds most respected fashion designers hail from Japan. Known for their often avant guarde, artistic experimentation with fabric and form, many have gone on to reach international
acclaim as prominent names in the ever changing and creatively demanding fashion world.
The Barbican is joining in the appreciation of Japan's talents in a competitive industry by hosting the 30 Years of Japanese Fashion exhibition, running from the 15th October to the 6th February 2011. The exhibition explores avant guarde Japanese fashion over the last 30 years to help to illustrate why Japan has had such an influence on international fashion over the years.
I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition, I found it to be an inspiring look at the world of avant guarde fashion, and a great insight into artistic aesthetic expressed in garments. I am a firm believer in wearable fashion, and designing with true purpose, but I could respect many of the 'artworks' displayed on the human canvas for the creativity and experimentation of manipulated surface and cloth.
The exhibition is curated by the director and chief curator of the Kyoto Costume Institute, Akiko Fukai, who has written several books on the history of Japanese fashion, as well as guides relating to the collections of the Kyoto Costume Institute.
The works of Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake are looked at in detail, with videos and interviews with the designers, clips of past shows and a brief history of their rise in the fashion world. I found this to be a great insight into the mind of a designer, and it helped to reassure me that there whas a sense of purpose relating to clothing design in their work, and not just a need for producing outrageous masterpieces that in the real world could never be worn.
I recommend seeing this exhibition if you have a love for experimental and innovate fashion, a curious need to explore the possibilities of fabric and form, and push the boundaries of expression, style and culture.
Rei Kawakuba says in one of her interviews that she believes that women don't just buy her clothes because of one particular piece of detail, but because of the mood that comes with wearing the collection.
So is fashion really just about the clothes? Or is it 80% attitude?
Image 1 curtosy of http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/future-beauty-30-years-of-japanese-fashion
Image 2 curtosy of http://designblog.rietveldacademie.nl/?cat=35
Image 3 curtosy of http://www.fashion-forum.org/fashion-designers/yohji-yamamoto.html
Posted to
Fashion on Oct 3, 2010 - 12:16
I picked up this delight on my travels in Rome this summer, at the time I hadn't seen anything similar back home and got this one for half price at £150.00. I love it.
The time and effort spent on the detailing for something like this is comendable, I love the idea of spending hours making something unique and beautiful. Granted, this wasn't a one-off (curses), but it's still
glorious.
Imagine Audrey Hepburn at the Moulin Rouge. I dig it.
I've found these 'jacquard' jackets back in the UK recently, on my jaunts at Portobello market I saw quite a few, mostly short jackets styles, but the idea is there. I've yet to see them in the high street but give me time...I'll come across them no doubt. For now savour this and keep your eyes peeled for one near you :)
Posted to
Fashion on Oct 2, 2010 - 23:46
Baggy grunge tom-boy chic is what I like to call this look. Comfortable, co-ordinating and perfect for walking the streets of London.
Sometimes fashion doesn't have to be high-end :-)
Where: Lancaster Gate Station
Why: Walking to Notting Hill Gate to Portobello Market
What:
Print T-Shirt, Portobello Market, £10
Baggy roll up jeans, Topshop, £30.00
Posted to
Technology on Oct 2, 2010 - 23:42
I never could understand why they let Polaroid vanish. Capturing the moment and presenting it to you instantly. I have two in my archive, my original Polaroid 600, and my more recently purchased Fujifilm Instax 200.
Now it's back. The SX 70 Folding Polaroid. Portobello market I be off this week to get the little beauty I saw staring at me with it's shiny glass eyes.
Calling for me to
capture it's heart once again.
http://shop.the-impossible-project.com/shop/cameras/sx70/ca_sx70_kit
Posted to
Fashion on Sep 21, 2010 - 00:18
I love seeing a designer showing at Fashion Week that didn't actually study fashion design. Henry Holland graduated with a BA in journalism before launching his career as a designer with his signnature slogan t-shirts, sporting catchy one liners relating to stars such as Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, and his model BFF, Agyness Dean.
I always find his collections interesting and eye-catching, his
use of contrasting colour never fails to catch my eye, combining prints and interesting construction details to produce fun yet wearable fashion.
His latest S/S 11 show again managed to capture my interest, I'm like a kid in a candy store, always looking for the bright colours to turn my attention to. Although in terms of construction we find a standard level of tailoring, nothing compared to the wonders of the late saville-row trained Alexander McQueen for example, Holland still takes his collections to an appropriate level of appeal and freshness.
The collection combined eccenticity with smart spearates, producing a fresh and vibrant mix of dresses, shirts and trousers. There was the odd hint of casual jersey wear teamed with printed trousers that reminded me of Miu Miu's resort 2011 collection shown in Paris last June.
Fortunay pleats were featured consistently thorughout the collection, seen in many of the skirts which gave the collection a feminine, almost oceanic feel, and long tassles were added to the sides of the dress, and used as straps for a different kind of look. Prints were inspired by nature, again bold, stylistic patterns used on simple shift dress shapes.
Materials were varied, lightweight, semi-opaque fabrics formed the skirts allowing the pleats to be produced effortlessly, and shiny surface treatments used to produce eye-catching jackets. All in all a healthy range of styles and fabrics brought together a well rounded, cohesive collection that would appeal to any eccentric at heart.
This isn't the time to hide in the shadows.
Head on over to
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2011RTW-HHOLLAND/
to see the full collection.
Posted to
Technology on Aug 21, 2010 - 10:55
I've just ordered my new laptop that will hopefully see me through the next chapter of my life which is my studies at university :D
Now admittedly I am a sucker for all things hot pink, but I do have a desire for a good working maching that will perform well for me, so when I saw this little darling in my local technology store, I was dissapointed that it didn't come with a fantastic
processor, which for me is pretty important.
As a design student I reply heavily of the Adobe software, Photoshop, Illustrator, you name it, I use it, and I have had many problems in the past finding a computer that can run these programs without some kind of technology meltdown within a few hours. My MAC can handle then reasonably well, but PC's stuggle to open multiple prgrams together and I've lost many hours of work due to to mid-work crashes...NOT good.
So I opted to go straight to source which is the Sony website where you can customise your laptop to suit your needs. I upped the processor from the Pentium i3 to the i5, added some extra hard drive space and even had it engraved with a little signature to personalise it. The extra cost was fine considerng the improvements I made on it, and it comes with a 2 year warranty should I need it. It will arrive in a few weeks, just in time for my departure to university-ville, and I am confident I have picked a nice little machine that will give me the adequate performace I need to run my programs when I need them too.
And it's hot pink! Talk about having a Legally Blonde moment...x
Posted to
Fashion on Aug 20, 2010 - 11:05
I love trawling the centre rail in Topshop, you know the one, the mish-mash of vintage, unique designer and last-chance pieces that catch your eye among the sea of the latest on-trend ranges.
I found a nice pair of light denim harem pants with some functional zip details that I decided to try on, and naturally I loved. They were super soft against my skin and fit me just right. Interesting
stitch details along the back and sides give them a paneled effect, without being too busy. Of course 80% of the time when we find ourselves in situations like this we look for the elusive price tag and it ain't there, imagine my delighted surprise to find that they had been reduced to £18!
Posted to
Fashion on Aug 20, 2010 - 11:00
Beautiful scarf! I wanted a new light scarf to wear on those days where the weather can't decide if it wants to be kind or not, it's not raining but there's a light wind that requires something around the neck to protect our precious throats!
I picked up this scarf in River Island, £12, and I was attracted to it's Parisian inspired prints, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral and Sacre
Coeur are placed among sketches of people enjoying daily life. 100% Silk and luxurious on the skin...beautiful!
Posted to
Fashion on Aug 20, 2010 - 10:54
I am loving this jacket I picked up from Henry Holland on Monday for £45, it's a feminine yet robust piece of outwear to take you into the harsh winter that may be upon us!
It's often to hard to make that perfect compromise between 'practical' and 'fashionable', and believe me, Miss V knows all about suffering for your style...(9 inch heels, anyone?) This jacket has it all, it hangs nicely
at the hips to keep the entire upper body warm, and has a number of nice details to enhance it's appeal. A bi-swing back allows flexibility at the shoulders and a functional hood can be hidden inside a metal zipped component along the neckline.
I love the patches at the shoulder, I've always been one to add badges and beads to my bags and clothes. In the military it is common practice to have emblems of status, rank or regiment and these badges can hold quite a history for the men who adorn them. The badges on this coat may a be a million miles from holding the same amount of weight and resonance, but the inspiration is there. Inside seams are finished with contrasting colour bias binding, and an assortment of tabs, functional pockets and other military-esque detailing combine to make this a really nice winter staple.
I love it! Hope you do too!
Miss V
Image 1 and 2 = Miss V modeling new jacket ..x
