Rave Late: A Fashion Checklist

Recently at uni it was show selection for Level Three. This meant a panel of judges came in to decide who had made the cut to show at GFW this year. Alongside my own project I helped a third year finish her collection, a sort of tradition if you will at Rave.

A 'Rave Late' event was held and the judges gave a lecture elaborating on their experience in the fashion industry and what they thought where the most important qualities to make a successful designer. The speakers where Holly Fulton, Jean Pierre Braganza and Brooke Roberts so I thought I'd share the bits that jumped out at me the most, a sort of checklist for the young fashion designer. 

The talk opened with a heavy discussion on the importance of contacts in fashion. It was stressed that every designer should get out there and meet the people who would influence them the most.

Fulton expressed a like for hard copy portfolios.. apparently we are moving too far into a digital age now..?

Jean Pierre Braganza mentioned that from what he'd seen in the past, students needed to refine their technical skills from the word go and research construction techniques of luxury brands. I liked this, I liked the implication that you should be setting the bar as high as possible for yourself, pitting yourself against well-established brands in quality and technique.

All three agreed that the first initial presentation of both yourself and your work was vital. They wanted to get a clear snapshot of who you are as soon as they meet you. Personality is key: be bubbly, be expressive and be yourself. 

In addition they stressed that all designers need to find and hold onto their own unique vision, JPB stressed that as a creative you need to decide clearly what you want to say and say it well, pushing yourself to become the best at what you do. 

Roberts (who was my favourite speaker) also mentioned her past (and present) as a radiographer and how pulling inspirations from very diverse fields can make for very interesting work. She works over half her week at a hospital and the rest on putting pencil to paper and needle to cloth to bring her 'unique vision' to life. 

"It's a test of how much you want it and how dedicated you are" said Roberts. 

This lady does not take breaks.

 One of her anecdotes transported us to clinical surroundings, where Roberts said she had her 'eureka' moment studying the X-Rays of a brain. This moment, she said passionately, was pivotal to her career; she had found something she was truly fascinated and enthralled by. In my opinion I feel this is something we designers can't and shouldn't try to predict, it could ruin the surprise. One day you could be sewing and make a huge mistake, but instead of trying to fix it this could inspire something much more interesting. Who knows...

Art Wednesday, a lovely blog I read a lot did a great write up of her and her studio: http://artwednesday.com/2012/09/06/studio-visit-1-brooke-roberts/

The talk drew to a close with Roberts on her own attitude towards breaking into the fashion world:

"They don't think I can do it?.... I am gonna do it!"

A really great talk, and here is my outfit.

Wool blend jacket - Passed down from the Mother
Dress - Primark, 4 sizes too big
Tights - New Look
Earring - Topshop

JMB

It was my little sister's birthday last week and I headed home for over-eating and Hama beading. It was such a nice day all -round so thought i'd do an outfit post. These are one of my favourite pairs of tights and also my new T-shirt from my trip to the Uniqlo Pop-up store.

The design is inspired by the work of Jean Michel Basquiat, originally a graffiti artist his work is primitive and expressive. I like its erratic, confused, almost painful use of colour and thick crawling black lines and smears . The colours used remind me of the Fauvist paintings of Matisse and Derain. Feel like I'm going to end up wearing this one a lot!

Poison Oasis - Jean Michel Basquiat (1981)

The Joy of Life - Henri Matisse (1905-6)

Jacket - Levi
Hoodie (underneath jacket) - Nike
T-shirt - Uniqlo
Belt - Banana Republic
Nightie (worn as dress) - Charity shop, origin unknown
Boots - Dr Martins

Repairing the [un]broken

Recently I did an embellishment project called "repairing the [un]broken". 

I explored the journey of a woman trapped inside her inner child, forced to live life through both mentalities. Inspired by toys I saw at the Museum of Childhood I experimented with knit, print and embroidery, creating pyjama like garments which both comfort and smother the wearer. In my opinion these opposites create the emotional environment of a child growing up. I like to write so often I put down a story on paper that describes my concept so here is my design rationale, pages from my sketchbook and final line-up:

 “I want to repair something” said the Woman,

“Something that may not be broken yet. Or is it very broken? I think it’s broken, but you may disagree, you may think it’s perfectly fine”.

She nodded to herself.

“Is this empty space broken? Or perhaps this chair? I can never be sure.

What should be here and what should be removed?”

She paced.

“Yes, yes I’m sure this is broken” she said hastily to the nothingness. “But how should it be fixed?”

She continued, projecting now:

“And you Chair, you’re no good to anyone like that. No good at all, what will I do with you?”

She promptly turned the chair upside down, childishly and laughed as if they were deep in friendly conversation.

She filled the space with all she could find. Clutching, grasping, shaking. Up and down and everywhere.

Imposing space.

The woman sat down in a corner and cradled her toys like a child.

Alone, lonely.

“I wish I was a toy like you” said the Child.

“Life would be so much simpler”.

…

As a child we see life very differently from that of an adult, however what would happen if this line was blurry… or non existent. In which mental state would your mind and body reside? Are you playing dress up?

There is a strong sense of vulnerability as a child. Children lack inhibitions but are also naïve to the world around us; you want to run everywhere but your weak, feeble legs cause you to stumble.

Seen through the eyes of a woman, trapped inside her own mind, this capsule collection embodies her mentality: she knows she is a woman, yet she behaves like a child. She feels both smothered and liberated by this. It is her defense.

She fills rooms full of dolls and building blocks and bears and when someone says stop she stamps her foot. In some ways she refuses to come out of either realm. She has regressed. She is in denial. She is perfectly content.

Let us enter into this childlike state of mind:

I invite you to blur the line.

"The woman sat down in a corner and cradled her toys like a child."