Last minute fitting before the show to make styling decisions...
Notes typed for the dressers...
SHOW TIME!
Thursday, 22 May 2014
SHOW DAY: Middlesex University 01/05/2014
As a dresser I was given the responsibility of model Harry Uzoka who had 12 different menswear looks.
Working as a team and being able to cope under pressure were really important here and I was able to stay organised with the help of one of my peers. One of the key focuses was not only dressing Harry in the correct order and on time, but to stick to the styling directions that we were given by the designers. This was quite nerve-racking because I knew how crucial the show was to each student and the presentation of all their hard work rested on our shoulders!
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Internal Work Placement- Hanna Vestin
A simple start, I pressed her final fabric for a shirt and after laying the pieces as economically as I could, I cut the fabric.
Wednesday 2nd April: Cut more fabric pieces and learnt how to use the fusing machine to apply bondaweb to fabric to stiffen it. Was sent on an errand to Shepherd's Bush to buy fabric. When I returned did some fiddly hand tacking for the teeth detailing on the shirt.
Thursday 3rd April: cut interfacing for collars and button stands and adjusted the pattern for the button stand to make it slimmer. Unpicked trouser facing.
Sat in on the 3rd year FORUM meeting about the details for the show.
Stitched plastic pockets onto garment bags.
Pattern cut a pocket inside of a pocket for the jumpsuit which was quite confusing but I managed to do.
Finished off by pinning more teeth onto the front yoke of the shirt.
Friday 4th April: pinned more teeth, this time into the collar. Cut interfacing for shirt button stand, pinned teeth into back yoke and unpicked trousers.
Asked Hanna for work to do over the weekend but she is going to focus on her dissertation so I have 2 days off...
Monday 7th April: Cut and fused collar facing and hand stitched the back neckline of the dress to stop it from rolling.
Worked with cutting silk fabric for the first time. Using extra pins and weights, I cut the pieces for the skirt.
Cut and fused 1cm strips to strengthen the edges of the pockets.
Started to make large teeth for the glittery jumper by fusing, pressing and sewing tubes of fabric.
Tuesday 8th April: had th hand stitch the collar again because Hanna had to take it off. Then made up more teeth for the jumper and started to sew them on with the machine.
Wednesday 9th April: Cut facings for the jumper. Added hems onto trouser pattern pieces for the jumpsuit. Then laid out and cut pieces in crepe fabric.
Hand stitched teeth up on trousers and jumper to hold in place.
Thursday 10th April: replaced the pocket on the shirt because Hanna wanted it in a different fabric. Had to sew in teeth again...Also learned how to make bias binding.
My list of tasks for Friday 11th April:
EASTER BREAK!!!
Kept in touch with Hanna over the break to see how she's been getting on...
Wednesday 23th April: Modelled Hanna's skirts and trousers so that she could level off the hemlines.
Took another trip to Shepherd's bush for extra bits of fabric and went to the haberdashery stall on the market for the first time- glad I know where it is now!
When I got back I had some unpicking of the jumpsuit to do because the side panel had puckered.
Thursday 24th April: 1 week to the show!!! Hanna is well on track with the collection now so we have been tidying up bits and bobs.
Started on the headpieces today- strengthening the boxes with extra card.
Cut fabric pieces to make shoe bags with...
Been in the print studio all afternoon with Hanna, helping her to screen print labels etc. This was really useful to watch (although I have done it in the past, it was refreshing)
Sunday, 30 March 2014
Thursday, 20 February 2014
"I
was born in Salford and grew up in Northwich, Cheshire. I always loved
my music and thought Manchester was the place where I fitted in, but I
wanted to prove people from the suburbs weren't idiots, so I always made
it clear the Charlatans were from Northwich, although that meant
nothing to anyone outside the north-west"-
Lead singer, Charlatans
Friday, 14 February 2014
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Faris Badwan- The Horrors
A former illustration student of Central Saint Martins, Faris
Badwan now fronts indie rock band The Horrors, who have performed with the
likes of Florence Welch and won an NME award for Best Album.
Although mostly recognised for his music career, Faris
expresses himself also through the use of art. His work displays his perception
of the world; his particular style uses repetition and transformation to create
hectic, hypnotic illustrations. His intuitive monochromatic mark making works have
been displayed in 2 exhibitions, at the Bondhi Gallery and The Book Club in
London. Inspired by artist Paul Klee and his tendency to become frantically
obsessed with things, his work presents as meticulous yet chaotic.
Creatures in Colour
was Faris’ most current exhibition and took place at The Strand Gallery, London
September 2012. As the title suggests, this was Badwan’s first time of
presenting colour in his work. In an interview with Dazed Digital, Faris says, “Watercolours
can be extremely vivid and transporting. I like the enthusiasm that comes with
enjoying new things.” Most of the drawings are done in a “hypnotic states of
consciousness” which interests the audience because “they want to observe the
world of the drawings and discover the secrets.”- http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/gallery/14594/1/faris-badwan-creatures-in-colour
Personally, I find Faris’ monochrome work more interesting
because the style is more expressive and seems more natural to the artist. The
use of colour in his most recent work makes it blend into the art scene,
sitting in with the likes of Paul Klee and Gustav Klimt. Being in an indie guy
himself, it suits more for him to stand out with his work and so some of my favourites
of his illustrations are from the Dark Arts at Shoreditch's The Book Club.
Amalgamating art and music, Faris designed
the illustrations for the lyric sleeve of the band’s debut album Strange House. The album artwork for
their most popular album Skying was
produced by Neil Krug, who founded Pulp Art Book and has also worked for Tame
Impala and My Chemical Romance. With The Horror’s music being classified as
garage rock, gothic rock, shoegazing and post-punk revival it lends itself
suitably to the indie culture due to the originality of its sound. The overall
appearance of the band is set aside from mainstream music culture, seen in the
way they dress, the gigs they put on and the artwork used for their albums.Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Burberry Acoustic
Burberry suffered a brand crisis in 2000 when the trademark
check began being related to the ‘chav’ phenomenon. The pattern was being
counterfeited and even dogs were seen wearing it. In an attempt to fight back
Burberry banned production on baseball caps etc and removed the print from most
products. May 2001 enters Yorkshire born designer Christopher Bailey, whose
vision for the brand went on to change it to what we know today.
Using actors and musicians that the younger generation can
relate to is what is used in Burberry campaigns. Emma Watson being the face in
2010 and actor Sam Riley (who played Ian
Curtis in the 2007 film Control) was the face in 2008. This is where I feel
the ‘Indie’ subculture comes in…Christopher Bailey’s passion for music and the
way he entangles it into the world of fashion. Used in the brand’s advertising,
musicians such as Bryan Ferry, Patrick Wolf and Jack Bevan from Foals have all
been featured. This entwining of art forms has now become so strong is the
brand that it has its own team- Burberry Acoustic. Showcasing young British
bands that they believe in, this project aims to engage customers in the wider
culture of the brand. Burberry Acoustic has its own YouTube channel which posts
videos filmed exclusively for the site by UK indie bands. This is a great platform
for them as they are being supported by such a respected brand.
Bringing this part of the brand further in the limelight, Christopher
Bailey decided to collaborate with up and coming artist of the time Tom Odell
for the Burberry AW13 show. Recalling how he gave the musician tactile
instructions, "I said this is a fashion show, and you've got, you know,
girls walking up and down, but I want people to feel the music – I want them to
have that feeling where the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Because
that's how I feel when I listen to music." http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2013/sep/04/christopher-bailey-music-burberry-fashion
The link between the Burberry brand and music can be seen
just by the young musicians it attracts to their front row. They have staged
private gigs with the likes of Jake Bugg and have invested in British musicians
such as Sam Beeton who you would recognise from their ad campaigns. Going one
step further, the flagship store opened its doors up to the public on 23rd
April 2013 for a large scale gig ‘Live at 121 Regent Street’ by indie band the
Kaiser Chiefs.
Personally I really appreciate the brands efforts to collaborate
with the music industry of today, especially as if it wasn’t for them I would
never myself have discovered my love for Tom Odell
.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Alasdair McLellan is one of fashion’s most fore most
photographers. This may seem irrelevant to a blog based on the ‘Indie’ subculture,
however, born in Doncaster 1974, it is McLellan’s northern roots that he
reflects in most of his work that I find lends itself well to being referred to
as indie.
After studying photography at Nottingham Trent University,
McLellan has gone on to shoot numerous covers for Vogue and i-D and also campaigns
for Margaret Howell and Topshop.
Always
referring back to his past, his work reflects upon the gritty, blue atmosphere
of the north. Sharing a similar belief in ‘English Realism’ with fellow northerner
Morrissey, whom of which he includes as one of his influences, it is reflected
in his work through use of dull colour, industrial locations and a general
depressed mood. American photographer Bruce Weber also has influence on
McLellan’s work as they share similar industrial, working class heritage. “He believes that photography should be personal and
loves the possibility of creating any kind of world through its medium.”- https://i-donline.com/en_gb/topics/28/alasdair-mclellan
One of the strongest parts of the Indie subculture is its
reference to music, this of which Alasdair also relates to in his work.
Bringing the arts of fashion and music together, McLellan has done shoots with artists
such as Arctic Monkeys singer Alex Turner and of Morrissey for an interview in
i-D magazine in 2004. He was also a member of the group that produced ‘Fashion DJs’-
an event held at Abbey Road studios in an attempt to ‘celebrate the
inextricable link between musical performance and fashion exhibitionism.’- http://showstudio.com/project/fashion_djs
I came across Alasdair’s work on my visit to Salford Lad’s
club when I saw an image on their notice board of fashion model Cara Delevingne
shot outside the same building. This editorial, titled ‘Manchester Division’
was shot for fashion magazine Purple, using typically ‘Indie’ locations for
this shoot such as record stores and some back street alleys. The contrast
between the modernity of the Stella McCartney and Mary Katrantzou pieces used
against the cold and dull setting that is Manchester works well. I also like
the juxtaposition of the look of the male model Tom Middlehurst, whose hair is
deliberately styled in an Ian Curtis way, against the fresh face of Delevingne.
In a way this reflects what ‘Indie’ is today. It’s going against what you think
it should be, it’s rebellious and goes against the curve.
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