[rachelannekay]

I came home this evening to a new copy of one of my favourite magazines proclaiming: 

“WE OWN THE NIGHT”

  It is not immediately clear who this “we” is, however given the sultry female model on the cover and predominantly female readership it would seem to be suggesting that this ‘we’ is women. Yet less than two hours earlier I heard a peer recount being assaulted by a hooded man, less than a block away from her house.

Slogans like this may seem like innocuous fun, empowering and liberating but they leave a sour taste in my mouth. We don’t own the night. Not even close.

[rachelannekay]

Celine F/W 2013

Celine F/W13 Source: Fashion Rouge

There is a lot to love about the latest Celine campaign. Shot by Juergen Teller the photos feauture the beautiful Daria Werbowy in everyone's favourite checked coat.

The edging detailing is very striking and provides a great sense of structure.

[rachelannekay]

How does she do it?

People keep saying: “How does she do it?” And the secret may lie in how she connects to the spirit of the age: she is a curious capitalist philosopher with a brilliant instinct for modern desire. She is a designer not afraid to reach into what makes people human, asking odd questions, then coming back with very elegant answers.

- Andrew O'Hagan, T Magazine   

  T Magazine's article on Miuccia Prada  is a fascinating read. Her approach to fashion resonated with my own personal struggles to reconcile the frivolity of fashion with the social and cultural context we find ourselves in. 

What I found most interesting was the way she has disregarded traditional notions of garments and the conventional approaches to fashion. Instead she asks complicated and abstract questions, which then result in her wonderful creations. I could most definitely learn from Prada's approach! 

It was also interesting and a bit sad to hear her talk about concerns she has in the industry, and the way she perceives her power (or lack of it) to change things. I thought it was disappointing that a woman who has such vision and intelligence feels the need to censor herself to comply with the "rules" of a commercial world.  

These are some of my favourite Prada photos fo all time. I love the encrusted work on these garments!!

Prada 2010 Fantasy Lookbook - Images from Trendland

  Sources

T Magazine, http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/27/power-of-one-miuccia-pradas-circle-of-influence/

[rachelannekay]

Platforms for promotion

As an emerging designer I have been trying to think of methods of promotion that will get my name out there and hopefully get me a job! I was directed to This Is Paper the other day and it struck me as a good base for profiling emerging designers. 

This Is Paper interests me as a platform for promotion for several reasons.

1) It fits beautifully into my aesthetic, which tends toward minimalism, light and structure. 

2) It has a mixture of fashion, architecture, photography, design, travel and more. I think this allows fashion to be positioned in a more culturally engaged way, appreciating how these disciplines interact. This quite directly relates to my collection which unites ideas of fashion, faith, the body, architecture and light. 

3) It balances visual information with text, giving a more holistic sense of the design work that is being profiled. 

Here is an example of a graduate designers work profiled on This Is Paper.

Images from This Is Paper

"This is A/W 2012 collection by Dido Liu who graduates from Central St Martins in 2012. Through the means of tailoring, layering,and intricate details, Dido Liu takes a modern twist on the traditional culture of her homeland China. This season in particular is inspired from the portraits taken in 200 years ago in China. The oversized shape and special proportion of the costumes wear by the people in the portraits has been reshaped by down coat to create a contemporary feel and oriental aesthetics. The 3D lenticular print depicts the dynamic movements of swimming goldfish and blossoming flower. Fabric is light and functional and also includes high-quality wool. The color tone is light blue, opal whites,and cream. In this collections, the heaviness of the traditional down coats is replaced by a feel of romance and lightness."

[rachelannekay]

Johnny Cocoa

The market research we have had to do in Professional Practice has at times felt disconnected to the practical work I am doing on my collection. I found it hard to connect market analysis to the practical outworking of my design, particularly with the lack of direction I have for my future. 

Reading an interview with Johnny Coca, the accessories designer at Celine provided a lot a clear outline of the importance of market research. It has really encouraged me to keep proactively analysing the market and being aware of the small details within design. 

When I started designing bags, I said to myself, ‘Okay, I want to know everything now – how to design, how to make it, the leathers, the fastenings, all the market, all the competitors, everything.

Only creativity isn’t enough. I meet so many designers that are very creative but don’t know the market or what the people want or how to adapt their style to a brand and the other way around.

There should be no question you cannot answer in your field. After that you can move to another category. For example after accessories, I knew everything on sunglasses and optical, then everything on shoes. You have to be able to explain to the team, to a CEO, to a factory worker. Learn everything.

After that is it quite easy and you can select who to work for.

 - Johnny Coca

Here are some of Coca's beautiful designs.

Images Celine.

On a side note, Coca is also awesome because he rocks the kilt. Respect. 

Image from 1Granary.

  Sources

Celine, http://www.celine.com/en/home

1 Granary, http://1granary.com/central-saint-martins-fashion/students/oh-yeah-celines-johnny-coca-teaching-at-csm/

[rachelannekay]

Branding

It is tempting to think that the success of a brand is dependant only upon the quality of their design work. My growing awareness of the industry has made it clear to me that many other factors contribute to success, including financial backing, perseverance (lots of it!) and branding.

While we have already sought to identify our unique selling propositions, we are now faced with the challenge of infusing all aspects of our work (instagram, blog, portfolio, visual diaries, business cards, catalogue etc) with this streamlined aesthetic. 

We did get some helpful tips last week, keep it simple and refined, and make sure everything you put out there is something that you actually want people to see! I think Acne is a brand that really successfully manages to convey quality, simplicity and elegance through their branding. 

Image from Bench Li

It is also interesting to see how print media has been utilised by Acne to express the values and attitudes of their brand in a different way, connecting with a wider and potentially different audience. Acne Paper offers people a chance to buy into the brand without the financial restriction of actually buying a garment. I think this is a strategic and smart move on their behalf and allows for a much more complex and culturally engaging brand attitude as they can now express themselves through both clothing and a paper!  

Images from Inventory Magazine

[rachelannekay]

The state of Australian retail

I stumbled across a Business of Fashion article tonight that discusses the complicated situation facing Australian retail. It was an interesting read that provided a fresh perspective on a familiar situation. 

There were some aspects that resonated with my feelings about Australian retail, the general sad feel it has, the difficultly facing small brands and the ease at which online retailers have taken a stake in the marketplace. I was particularly blown away by the anecdote that two jumbo jets arrive each week with products from the online retailers in the US!

Some of his comments took me off guard but I think have an element of truth to them. I would not have thought about the impact of parking restrictions on retail in Paddington, however I think he provides an important observation.  It is naive not to consider the impact of such things on the fashion industry, on creating a culture and lifestyle that attracts people to a shopping district and encourages spending. As an emerging designer the state of the retail sector in Australia will play a part in how I promote myself. The move towards online shopping reinforces for me how important my online presence is to promote my product and access my customer. 

[rachelannekay]

Architecture - Space - Light

I have spoken previously about my knee-jerk reaction to designing, mainly that I revert back to pre existing garment types. As the end of semester looms closer I have been forced to consider what I am actually trying to say and to create within my work. 

The most helpful thing I have done for my collection in the past few weeks was returning back to my original diary and the inspiration that started this whole process. Alongside this I considered my personal branding and design philosophy. I probably shouldn't be surprised, but I never the less was, but I found a lot of common ground between these. 

Journal inspiration pages

  3D collages

Playing around with inspiration images in 3D collage created some really interesting design ideas and has re focused me on my unique design voice. I can't help but remember the five words I chose in my first project to describe my aesthetic, structure and discipline seem to be coming up again and again. 

[rachelannekay]

Insta-what?

Social media is something that has emerged as a prominent force in society in recent years. I am not sure that ten years ago we could have even imagined the time and energy we would devote to twitter, facebook and instagram, nor the power they wield in engaging and influencing social discourse.

  I think these social media tools can be very useful for fashion, in propagating information and building up brand identity. Even if people are unable to physically access the product or financially afford it, social media allows people to access the brand and feel like they are connected and involved in it. Seeing photos of a designers look book or lunch gives you a (very false) sense of personal connection and insider knowledge.

  Irman Ahmed of BOF recently did an interview with some Central Saint Martins students where he stated:

‘The fashion scape itself has seen a re-shuffling over the last few years, “The biggest thing that had changed since I started was the emergence of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter’

“The biggest change I’ve seen in students is how much more immersed they are in digital media and social media and the alternative technologies that are shaping the industry. I don’t feel I need to teach them about those tools anymore because everyone is using them, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter. They’re tools that have just become everyone’s life”.

This may be true of the majority of my generation but I don’t really identify with this. I feel quite behind on the social media front, I am not that keen on sharing myself online and my knowledge of how to use these various media is extremely limited. It was therefore with some uncertainty and a string of Google searches such as ‘how do you download instagram’ and ‘how do you add a profile picture to instagram’ that I began my adventures into the world of social media and got myself an instagram account. Follow me here to track my forays into this weird and wonderful world of sharing my design self online!

I want to finish up with this quote from Ahmed on the nature of fashion schools and the fashion industry. I think he so perfectly sums up the opportunities I have this year as a student deisnger, as well as the realities of what is to come!

“They (fashion students) should explore the full boundaries of all the ideas they have because this is the only place you can really do this – there’s no commercial pressure. You need to discover your creative voice, your special language, and your point of view.  But, it’s also never too early to start learning and thinking about how the business of fashion works – the truth is that fashion is not an art, it’s a business”.

  Sources

1 Granary, http://1granary.com/interviews/getting-to-grips-with-the-business-of-fashion-an-interview-with-imran-amed/

[rachelannekay]

Hussein Chalayan

My work is about ideas. If I had to define my philosophy in just a few words, it would be about an exploration, a journey, storytelling – it is a combination of these things with suggestions and proposals at the same time. It is a quest into certain areas and proposing a way of looking at something.

 - Hussein Chalayan, Design Museum 

Last week I was challenged to consider how Hussein Chalayan would approach my concept. This quote gives useful insight into what he seeks to do in his work. I did not chose Chalayan as one of my design mentors originally  however my approach is becoming quite heavily influenced by his work, particularly in the way that I perceive the body and its interaction with light within religious spaces. 

And yes, I have an interest in architecture, although more theoretically than anything else. I think architecture tries to understand what the body wants to occupy, not the body itself.   - Hussein Chalayan, Interview Magazine

    Hussein Chalayan Spring/Summer 2008. Images from Dezeen.

Hussein Chalayan Autumn Winter 2009 Look book. Images from Frillr. 

I love these images from Chalayan's look book. I was initially confused as to why our assessments would ask for process work and images from our visual diary, however this look book shows the way that Chalayan's inspiration images have informed his garments, clearly demonstrating the value of having process work alongside completed garments. 

Sources

Interview, http://www.interviewmagazine.com/fashion/felix-burrichter-interviews-hussein-chalayan#page2

[rachelannekay]

Looking to the future

Discussing the topic of job applications - interviews, cover letters and CVs in class last week made me a little nervous. It seems absurd that in five months we will be out in the real world, applying for jobs and starting our working lives. My initial reaction was fear with a small dose of despair. I was certain that there was nothing I have done previously that I would be happy to use in a portfolio, no interesting or useful skills I had learnt in my previous work experience or internships, no stellar qualities about my personality of work skill set that would possibly make me a likely candidate to employ.

  I must say my penchants for melodrama easily gets the better of me, and this was a classic example. I have taken the past week to think over my past experiences and consider things I may want to draw attention to in my CV and interview.

  -       Experience working in retail, in highly commercial brands and small Australian designers. I think that working in retail gives you a really clear insight into the desires and needs of consumers, as well as trends in spending habits that should be considered during the design process.

-       Internship experiences that required initiative and enthusiasm. The length of internships demonstrates my work ethic and commitment. These internships provided me with increased knowledge of the industry, its fast paced schedule, design/production cycles and the importance of media.

-       India. I really would not have thought to include this, however it is a chance to demonstrate my commitment to collaboration and international networking, as well as personal challenges, cares for the preservation of unique skills and ethical textile production.

Embroidery samples from India trip. Personal photo.

-       Process material. Although not all of my assessment outcomes were up to a standard I would want to present, the process and thought behind them could be useful material to demonstrate my design methods and the issues I engage with and am inspired by.

Pages from major project process journal. Personal Photos. 

[rachelannekay]

Atifa Rasooli

I stumbled across Atifa Rasooli's work the other day and was struck by how refined and beautiful it was. She seems to approach clothing in a way that is more conceptual than practical.

 'I would love to do a collection where I only think scenario and atmosphere and not clothing.'

                 - Atifa Rasooli

I think this could be a very helpful way for me to think of my collection. I am very focused on the idea of garment types - I want everything to fit neatly into a box. I feel that this is limiting me. I think I could benefit from approaching my collection from a new point of view, focusing on the conceptual underpinnings and how that influences the atmosphere and sensations of the final product. 

'Everything imaginable and unimaginable is created from stillness. Stillness is where all creations begin. I am the messenger of stillness is about bringing back the strength of humble appearance with hidden nobility.'

                   - Atifa Rasooli 

Spring/Summer 2013 Collection. Images from Atifa Rasooli.

[rachelannekay]

Michael Lo Sordo

Michael Lo Sordo studied at East Sydney TAFE, graduating in 2006, before starting his own label in 2008.  Lo Sordo wasn’t really on my radar until I began looking at emerging designers for this assessment.   I seem to have missed his entrance onto the fashion scene. I only really began taking note after the announcement of the Qantas Spirit Of Youth Awards, which he won in 2012.

  Trying to determine his style has been quite difficult. Looking at a  few of his collection there seems to be quite a bit of diversity.

  Spring Summer 2011/2012 Look book. Images from The Lilac Mannequin.

Spring Summer 2013 Collection. Images from Russh.

The work of Lo Sordo is romantic, refined and luxurious, however the design language isn’t too focused. There is tailoring, floaty dresses, prints, unusual and tough fabrications and a lot more. Clare Alston summarises this well stating ‘This was all very lovely but left you feeling as though there's still some time to go before we can define Lo Sordo, and to truly know what he loves and what we love about him.’ (Russh). 

  Amidst all this variety within Lo Sordo’s work what I do think is consistent is the commerciality and wearability of his designs. I see this clearly reflected in the price point of his garments (you can get a t shirt for only $120 and a silk dress from $300). A strong background in the commercial side of fashion, as a stylist for SBS and as a visual merchandising manager for Giorgio Armani may have influenced this part of his design. The more commercial side of Lo Sordo’s work is also evident with his link to celebrity clientele such as Kim Kardashian and Jessica Mauboy , which brings his brand to a wider audience. 

  Sources

http://www.michaellosordo.com/

Rag trader, http://www.ragtrader.com.au/news/rafw-2011-preview-day-three

Russh, http://www.russhmagazine.com/blogs/at-large/2012/05/02/mbfwa-michael-lo-sordo-ss-13/

Vogue, http://www.vogue.com.au/people/designers/michael+lo+sordo,333

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, http://australia.mbfashionweek.com/designers/michael_lo_sordo

[rachelannekay]

Christopher Esber

"How does this collection make me feel? Weird."

Christopher Esber, 2013, Russh

  There is something so endearing about Christopher Esber. He seems endlessly charming and sincere, plus he makes some gorgeous fashion! 

His garments have a very contemporary feel to them, simple, elegant and sophisticated. Esber seems to have achieved that fine balance between refinement and youthfulness.

Esber's textiles are one of his defining features. My Chameleon states that Esber is ' working with textile weaving specialists to create unique fabrics that are exclusive to the brand each season. '.

Looking over his latest collection there is a myriad of interesting fabrics, visually and (from what I have seen in person), tactually as well.  James Nelson from Russh notes that this collection had  'A new austerity which felt somewhat futuristic with new textures, including: silk that looked linen, asymmetric wrapped leather and stiff mesh.' Looking back over the photos of the collection  the textiles really do stand out.

Image from Russh. 

I had to include this photo. It so perfectly embodies the mayhem that seems to be backstage at a fashion show - three people sewing, cutting and pinning all at the same time!

Images from Oyster.

Sources

My Chameleon, https://www.mychameleon.com.au/designersdetails.php?id=42

Russh,  http://www.russhmagazine.com/blogs/fashion-week/mbfwa/ss-14/mbfwa-christopher-esber-ss-14/

Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/harder-better-faster-stronger-20120523-1z52t.html

[rachelannekay]

Line Up

We had a fantastic lecture last week from Stefanos Stafanou, discussing some of the more practical elements of the fashion business. Something that I found really interesting was the thought given to the composition of a range. Designers, particularly those for more commercial brands, are given quite clear guidelines for their collections, based on what the retailers require. 

I have never given a lot of thought to the composition of my range, my collections always form quite organically rather than being clearly planned out. While this may have worked in the past, I think it is important that I consider the composition of my final collection. I need to take into consideration the balance between show stopping pieces and more restrained garments, the suitability of the garments to the season and concept of the collection, the outcomes of this year for competitions and potential publicity opportunities. 

Dion Lee looking at the range line up in his Sydney Studio. Images from Broadsheet. 

I have been able to see several different design studios and their unique methods of planning their collections and time. Dion Lee is one of my favourites - he has large grey boards against a wall, with each garment profiled on its own page with DDS, production dates, fabric samples and technical information. It is fantastic to be able to see the whole collection at once, broken down into small sections.   

It is time to transform my room into a planning center of productivity! I am beginning to assemble pages, photos and post it notes to try and bring together my collection and form a plan of attack for the rest of semester and the year (can you believe it is only six months till we're out of here?!?). This will need to be constantly revised but it is helpful to have a visible plan to look at, lists to tick off and calendars to scrutinise, instead of trying to hold this information all in my head. I'm thinking of it as ordered chaos! 

[rachelannekay]

Emerging vs. Student Designers

It is interesting to notice the differences (broadly speaking) between emerging designers and graduating student designers. Profiling emerging designers has made me realise that there is a significant shift between the design work of students and those who are a few years ahead in their fashion careers. On the whole I think there is a shift from experimentation and huge statements, to something more refined and wearable.

  It would seem logical that this change is a result of the practical commercial restraints of the industry. There is a bottom line to meet, and if you do not sell garments then you won’t be around for long. This would definitely motivate designers to create wearable pieces that will sell. The development of a USP often seems to reflect the shift of designers into the commercial domain, as they take their skillset and creativity and tailor it to providing a popular commercial product.

Michael Lo Sordo's Spring/Summer 2013 collection. Images from Brands Exclusive blog. 

Christopher Esber's Spring/Summer 2013 collection. Images from What Would Karl Do. 

This issue works in the opposite way for student graduates who are not constrained to the commercial market, aiming instead to gain media and industry attention. This provides students with great freedom to experiment and work with one off, show pieces. Gemma Anastasiou  a 2012 UTS graduate was an interesting example of this, as she utilised fresh flowers within her collection, creating exquisite but very uncommercial garments. Another example is Kathleen Choo, whose collection had beautiful structural details, however the nature of the structures and the man hours required to construct such pieces make it commercially challenging.

Kathleen Choo's Dimensionality collection. Images from Thread. 

Details of Gemma Anastasiou's graduate collection. Images from Thread. 

So what does this mean for me?

As we begin to form silhouettes and garments for our final collection I can already feel a tendency to slip into comfortable, safe garments that I could envisage people wearing. While there is nothing wrong with practical garments, I need to remember the purpose of this year and this collection and really push myself in my creativity.  This is particularly true if I am planning to participate in competitions. I need my work to be engaging, interesting and memorable.

If I am go into the industry I will have the rest of my career to create safe, practical garments. I need to take this opportunity to explore my ideas to the fullest and most outrageous extremes rather than holding it in.

Sources

Brands Exclusive blog, http://blog.brandsexclusive.com.au/2013/04/mbfwa-2013-part-4/ 

Thread, http://www.thread.co.nz/news/7058/62/Highlights-of-iD-Awards 

What Would Karl Do, http://whatwouldkarldo.com/features/2013/christopher-esber-spring-summer-20132014-mbfwa/

[rachelannekay]

What are you saying?

Profiling emerging designers has allowed me to see how important it is to have a clear design aesthetic. Many articles that talk about a designer – their latest collection, the release of a look book, a new ad campaign or success in a competition, will provide a single sentence (or sometimes only half of one) outlining the designer’s aesthetic.

  ‘The sports luxe vibe of Kym's last few collections carried over with a few of her signature structured dresses in the mix.’ – Oyster, 2013

‘Esber's minimalist designs, with their inner complexity, outward calm and sober elegance, impressed the judges’ – Sydney Morning Herald, 2012

‘The look was deceptively simple, yet wondrously detailed, exhibiting the designer’s (Velevska's) fondness for fluid dresses and subtle detailing.’ – Daily Life, 2012

  Christopher Esber with some of his designs. Image by John Woudstra, from Sydney Morning Herald.

    In my experience, this sentence along with the images shown are the most likely to make me take interest in a designer and read on. It has the ability to capture the attention of a reader, to intrigue and allure, or equally, to bore or fade away.

  If I am treating myself as an emerging designer rather than just a design student, I think it is important that I have a clear idea of what my aesthetic is. Particularly if I am applying for competitions, I need to be able to succinctly express my aesthetic and design intentions. Having to write a design profile has definitely made me consider this more carefully.

  For many designers the summary sentence of their work will draw on their ‘unique selling point’ or USP. Discerning what a designer’s USP is can be difficult while in other cases it seems quite clear. Ellery’s USP seems to be her strong design aesthetic that is both romantic and tough. In contrast Esber and Velevska’s USP are more niche. Esber is renowned for his interesting textiles and fabrications, while Velevska provides contemporary embellishment detailing.

The USP for Michael Lo Sordo seems unclear. Most articles that discuss his work focus on his celebrity clientele, treating this as his USP rather than his technical or design skill. I find this indicative of an absence of unique design vision, it seems Lo Sordo is driven more by media reception than innovation.

  If I am to be successful as an emerging designer I need to determine what my USP is and focus on developing this, rather than focusing on too many things. I don’t think I have refined my USP yet, however I think it would be a combination of sharp, structured and minimalist silhouettes with unusual textiles. 

Sources

Daily Life, http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-fashion/fashion-week/runway-review-magdalena-velevska-20120502-1xyh5.html

Oyster, http://oystermag.com/mbfwa-2013-review-ellery  

Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/all-eyes-on-esber-20120316-1v9x8.html