Fashion

You are currently browsing articles tagged Fashion.

Trend summary for winter 2009/10 (fashion)

November 25, 2008 in Conversational | 3 comments

I do not follow trends but I find them interesting and even more interesting how I subscribe to them subconsciously (although you could say that by reading them I am conscious of them). Either way, I find how they reflect economic situations, how they merge and develop and how they are adopted by people, fascinating. I also like to see if my gut/instinct towards shapes and colours is right. Often I feel a connection towards a colour and there it is, in the prediction. For all these reasons I enjoy reading them.

Colours: I do not see much change from winter 2008 and summer 2008/09 (for South Africa, that is now). The colours only seem to get a little bit darker and perhaps even dusty. For example, the deep but rich turquoise of summer 2008/09 seems to transcend into a deep and darker emerald for winter 2009. My only observation that sparks up some interest is the disappearance of orange. Walk through the shops now and you are surrounded by cool orange tones. In winter and summer 08/09 the trend sites could not stress the importance of ‘flaming orange’ and ‘utility orange’ … but I do not see it in these (the winter 09/10) palettes. They have become burnt sienna, ochre and naartjie.

Fabrics: Sensual is the word that comes to my mind when I see the chosen fabrics: silk for it’s matt shine, wool for it’s lightweight body (but in contrast there are heavy tweeds), sequenced chiffon, crepe, creased linen and satin.

Prints: Urban graphics, modern art, graffiti, hand-crafted techniques, high-tech surface finished …. ohlala … what a combination. This imagery together with the above mentioned fabrics creates an ultramodern performance (with a human touch). I find this extremely interesting and I would say - just go for it because it seems that as long as it is unexpected and full of interest, you are ‘IN’.

In conclusion I would say: The colours and fabrics are inspired by nature and the prints are the technological inspiration. Together it is a juxtaposition that makes a composition (if that even makes sense…but then again, is sense what we are looking for?).

Please note that this post is my thoughts on the trends reported on Infomat.com and Trendstop.com. They should not be taken as definite trends or as any researched matter. They are purely subjective and reflective.

Feel good by spending a little.

October 24, 2008 in Conversational | 5 comments

I once read that when times are tough women buy lipstick. It is a small item that (usually) costs next to nothing and can make the world of difference to how you look and subsequently how you feel.

My favourite example is during the war (both WWI and WWII) and money was short: Women replaced their stocking/pantyhose with eyeliner lines drawn down the back of their legs and wore lipstick to feel feminine, desirable and poised- both affordable make-up items. The same happened after the wars (especially after WWII) when the men returned and were unable to find jobs and again, budgets were tight: Christian Dior’s “New Look” (see images below) was introduced and bright red lipstick became the popular accessory owned by most women. I love how fashion is a mirror image of society and social economics.

Here are a few other things to do and buy that can make you feel like a million dollars for under very little:

  1. Underwear. It does not have to be fancy, just new.
  2. Bring ‘n Braai. Rather than throw a dinner party, ask your guests to all bring something.
  3. A nice soap or bath salts. There is nothing nicer than relaxing in a bath of luxury.
  4. Going to the movies on half price night. In all transparency, it is simple escapism and for one hour you can forget about your worries and for the small price, it is worth it.
  5. A new pair of earrings. A little bit of bling goes a long way.
  6. Buying a new nail polish (but again this is a cosmetic). It is cheaper (and more fun) to spoil yourself by asking you sister, daughter or best friend to give you a manicure with your new nail polish (and the deal usually means you have to do it back so you both feel great).
  7. Go for out for an ice-cream instead of a supper. The funny thing is, I have even done this unconsciously in the last two weeks. This could also be related us getting some summer weather finally though …. um
  8. An interesting one is getting your car cleaned. I had this discussion with a friend a few days ago and we concluded that whether it is a luxury is decided by your gender. He argued that he enjoys washing his car becuase he is proud of it, whereas if I had the extra money, I would (without a doubt) pay for somebody to clean my car. To me getting it cleaned is a luxury but to him, not.
  9. Buy a single rose instead of a bunch. …I’m going to head out and buy one right now becuase just the idea makes me smile and feel special…

The Art in Knitting

May 23, 2008 in Featured Artists, Inspiration, Interesting Finds | 2 comments

I am not much of a knitter - in fact, I don’t and can’t knit at all! However, that does not prevent me from admiring Sandra Backlund’s heavy wool collage kniting. She is unlike any other ‘knitter’ I have come across - she is an artist and sculptor whose medium is wool and whose paint brush is in the form of two knitting needles.

She has an amazing understanding of form and structure. When designing she starts with the human body - “I am really fascinated by all the ways you can highlight, distort and transform the natural silhouette with clothes and accessories.”

The thing she loves most about her knitting is “the freedom to make your own fabric while working. For me it is the absolute challenge. All the levels of skills you have to pass before you can even think about starting to improvise. It is the real thing and everything that the modern fashion industry is not.”

Her work is truly amazing!

From the Past, For the Future

March 19, 2008 in Featured Artists | No comments

I am passionate about recycling, re-using, re-creating, organic fabrics and natural dyes. I love the magic that is either gained or restored to a product or design. Recently I have come across several young designers who have used the ‘old’ and created the ‘new’.

untitled-1.jpgNicole Rae Styer is a young fashion designer who has turned her passion into something truly amazing. She takes old clothes and fabrics and using vintage school craftsmanship creates a “custom vision for the present” in her colourful studio that was recently visited by blogger Flygirl. Her garments are one-of-a-kind, each with its own unique voice, a voice first spoken on the spinning wheels of the early seamstresses and loud enough to make themselves heard in today’s fashion assembly line. Her goal is to draw from the past and create something fashionable for the future. She certainly has done this and recently showed at New York Fashion week.

nr1.jpgnr3.jpg

The CPUT 3rd year Surface Design Students recently did a project where they had to take items of old clothing and created a new and desirable garment from. Their concept was quite in-depth but once unraveled into logical layers it can be understood.

The project deals with recycling old clothes and at the same time incorporates the theme of ‘Extreme Democracy’ developed by Steven Johnson which I would explain as the cohesiveness of organisms working together. This theory was applied to clothing: They asked if you are what you wear or if you wear what you are? An interesting question…and even more interesting is the different ways in which the students interpreted the brief and applied it.

Here are some examples of the students work:

t21.jpgt11.jpg

Weyers Marias’s (above) garment is absolutely amazing (and his concept board filled with morphing images of his clothing is beautiful too). What I like most about his garment is the adaptability of it. Hidden underneath are a web of ribbons that gather at the neck. These are colour-coded and for example, if you pull the red one the left part of the outfit rises and the shape of the garment undergoes a complete metamorphosis.

18.jpg19.jpg

Miriam Haynes (above) has created quite a stir with her garment that “superficially covers the female figure.” The garment highlights the issue of sexuality, sexual abuse and female liberation. She asks why can women not wear anything they want to? You might say that we can…but if you think about it, this garment would be a no-no because of how it exposes the body and could be said as asking to be to sexually assaulted. Very interesting.

t31.jpgt41.jpgt52.jpg
Hesere Gildenhuys and Monita Rademan (above) discovered, right at the end, that their garments compliment each other and work well together. Gildenhuys has reworked stocking to create a network of intertwining fabric that hints to a stifling lack of communication and Rademan’s piece tells the story of time. I love the layers in Rademan’s piece: The fabric underneath is so busy, the fabric on top so clean and calm but because it has been gathered, pulled and twisted….it creates a conflict - the same conflict of too many things to do but not enough time!

17.jpgInge van der Post (left) used her dad’s old dressing gown. Her theme was comfort, saftey and protection. “My clothes must be my armour, my courage, my energy, my talisman, my secret weapon against the forces of this world that will try (and fail) to conform me to their ideals and into the many mass-produced clone-drones.”

All these amazing creations have a future and I think that is the most exciting thing about recycling or recreating. I love what Chantal Clarys said in her report on the above project: “Mass production is a clustering system, it is great at conjuring up crowds, but lousy at coping. The producers of mass production can manipulate us/the crowds, but you realise there is something missing, something true”. I think she is right….we need heart, soul and meaning in our clothing…because I am a person with heart, soul and meaning.

Inspired Lingerie

March 10, 2008 in Interesting Finds | No comments

I have a bit of a thing for really good underwear, or if you wish, lingerie. My Btech Surface Design thesis was a combination of undergarments, organic fabrics, rich natural dyes and feminism. It might seem strange that I now design bags…but in a way they are similar. They are both accessories, they act to beautify oneself and like good underwear can make you feel more confident, so can having a beautiful bag slung over your shoulder. If you have a bag you do not really like, or is old and grubby you kind of hide it away under the table or under your jacket….if you are wearing old underwear, well like my mom has always said: “You better wear good underwear just in case something happens and you land up in hospital and everybody gets to see it”. :)

Anyway, I came across this post titled ‘Competitive undies’ in Style Bubble the other day and just have to share it with you. Although the lingerie, (a term I am never quite comfortable with, as it implies black lace and suspenders…but underwear is such a dull term…), is completely unpractical I love the way it has made ‘lingerie’ artworks. They are not showing off the female figure as advertising today does but celebrates the items of clothing as art.

The ‘Triumph Inspiration Award’ competition challenges talented young design students from 60 design schools in 31 countries to bring their very own inspiration to the most personal of garments. The Gala Finale is in Beijing in July where the winner will receive 15,000 Euro and her/his bra and brief set will be manufactured and sold as a limited run of 10,000 sets.

Here are some of the my favourite finalists:

underwear-2.jpg

From left to right: Guo Jian Aloysius Liew’s design called ‘Curious’ inspired by childhood and toys; Arnold with ‘Sir Hoodie’ inspired by underwear in motion; and Amy Drumm with ‘Le Bateau’ inspired by oil tankers.

And the three winning designs in the UK were:

underwear.jpg

From left to right: 1st place went to Valerie Cn Kittlitz’s design called ‘Velocity’ based upon the notion of speed with a ‘road map’ leotard and leggings; 2nd place went to Rachel Hewitt, who based her ‘Botticelli” design on an updating of the couture techniques used in making crinolines and corsets; and 3rd prize went to Gregory Lewis’s ‘Staci’, who used a women’s 5-a-side football team as inspiration.

I’m quite a naturalist at heart and for this reason I have to say that I have two FAVOURITE’s. I absolutely love the structure and texture created by Rachel Hewit’s Boticelli. It is feminine without being overpowering. Arnold’s ‘Sir Hoodie’ is a favourite because the way in which he has represented motion using twists in the fabric and exaggerated lines and shapes has brought out a really strong feeling of flow that I just love.