Lace in the form of ceramics – Janet Stahelin Edmondson

I’m in the midst of working with my tattoo artist on a design for my wrist and my creative brief includes key words such as delicate, intricate and very fine lines.  Ceramics artist Janet Stahelin Edmondson’s works fit my creative brief perfectly.  She magnifies the fine texture and translucency of porcelain in her craft, creating works that resembles lace in some ways.

Edmondson’s family is in the fashion and textile industry and her grandfather supplied the fabric for the dresses worn by the Queen and Queen Mother at Princess Margaret’s wedding.  For her new works, she used antique lace and fabrics she inherited as the source of patterns which she imprints into fine porcelain.

Edmondson was trained in Three Dimensional Design specializing in Ceramics and Silversmithing at the Manchester School of Art.  Her earlier works drew on influences she picked up from her visits to Japan, particularly to Kyoto.

Her pieces are functional, they come in forms of a jug, a vase, a candle stick, or a bowl.  I especially like the jug.  They are reasonably priced and available for sale at Miratis.

x Sybil

(Images from Matthew Booth Photography)

To shop and to support: BLUEPRINT

There are so many events this week we feel like we have to clone ourselves.  We’re going to miss ART HK and Singapore Arts Festival as we are focusing our energy on Asia Fashion Exchange and the highlight for local shoppers will be the BLUEPRINT.

If you are in the trade or a member of the press, BLUEPRINT is open today, showcasing Pre-Spring 2013 womenswear, menswear and accessories collections of asian and international emerging designers.  If you are not in trade but would like to update your wardrobe or support our local talents, BLUEPRINT is open to the public over the weekend.  Discover sample and sales merchandise and limited editions from 150 emerging designer labels and established and up-and-coming brands from around the world, most never before commercially available in Singapore.  There will be music, style workshops and beauty makeovers, ensuring that you stay occupied and entertained for a long time.

Here are two local labels that we like and support:

Local label poss-tilly-ty will be participating in this year’s BLUEPRINT and they are offering a 20% discount for their SS12 collection, as well as other surprises.

Our good friend, Sunny Lim, will also showcase his newly launched label Mils.  The silhouette is clean, contemporary and fresh and in every sense; deconstructed, reinvented and inspired.  For a very long time, we couldn’t find the middle ground for menswear but Mils has finally provided that for men.

Mils’ Cruise 13 collection explores the juxtaposition of translucent fabrics over paneled structures, the futuristic sensibility with performance fabrics and the identity of the modern man. It is Aldous Huxley‘s acclaimed novel, Brave New World that inspired these elements.

Other local brands who are participating are Carrie K, DEPRESSION, episene, evenodd, Ong Shunmugan and many more!

We will be there. Do drop by and show your support if you’re in Singapore!

x Sybil

(Images from possi-tilly-ty and BLUEPRINT)

Asia Fashion Summit starts tomorrow!

Over the next three days, Alex and I will be attending the Asia Fashion Summit.  The Asia Fashion Exchange has become a major event on our calendars every year and one of the four pillar events is the Asia Fashion Summit, a premier conference that will provide insights on fashion topics for industry professionals.  The remaining three pillar events are Blueprint, a trade show that connects emerging designers and international buyers; Audi Fashion Festival Singapore, a showcase of collections and dazzling runway shows by international established and emerging labels; and Star Creation, a regional fashion design competition to support budding fashion talents.  The Asia Fashion Exchange is a joint initiative by the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore, Mercury Marketing and Communications and government agencies, International Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board and SPRING Singapore.

This year, an exciting line-up of speakers are travelling here to speak on industry trends and best practices at the Asia Fashion Summit.  They include Christopher Burch, entrepreneur and co-founder of American fashion brand Tory Burch and CEO of C.Wonder; Ravi Thakran, Group President of South Asia, South East Asia and West Asia for French luxury giant LVMH; Daniel Saynt, Chief Marketing Consultant, Rebecca Minkoff; Andrea Bonardi, Asia Pacific Managing Director of Italian lingerie brand La Perla; trend analyst Angelia Teo of WGSN; Sarah Curran, CEO of MyWardrobe.com and Nobuyuki-Ota, Executive Managing Director of Japanese department store Matsuya.

In its third year, Asia Fashion Summit will be held at Singapore’s Raffles City Convention Centre from 15 to 17 May 2012.  The event is themed Engaging the Asian Fashion Consumer and will focus on lifestyle retailing, digital media and technology – areas that give the industry a strategic edge in the business.

Say hello if you see us there tomorrow!

X Sybil

(Image from Asia Fashion Summit)

Balenciaga & Commes Des Garcon at Les Docks Paris

I love how globalization has shrunk the world for the mere purpose of having art exhibitions that become so accessible. No doubt nothing beats being right there in the museum, experiencing the stillness of time and lapping up beautiful pieces of art works, and in this case, garments.

How often then are two masters exhibited at the same museum?  Be sure to catch both exhibitions if you are in Paris right now.

 

Cristóbal Balenciaga, collectionneur de modes

In remembrance of the 40th anniversary of Balenciaga’s death, the exhibition showcases a collection of more than seventy costumes from the 18th to 20th century.  Expect to see accessories, pictures, sketches and books on art and costume on top of ‘light satin dress, velvet boleros, capes and cloaks, dresses Turnings, cashmere stoles, lace mantillas, samples of embroidery and trimmings.’

COMME des GARÇONS White Drama

Collection with a wash of white which magnifies the major stages of life: birth, marriage, death and transcendence.  Almost ceremonial like, the garments seem to be taken from different ceremonies that we encounter through the course of life.

The two exhibitions are on show now till 7th October 2012 at The Docks – City of Fashion and Design, located at 34 quai d’Austerlitz, 75013 Paris.

 

X Alex

(All images from PARIS)

PARSONS 2012 FESTIVAL

Parsons The New School for Design is celebrating their second annual Parsons Festival from now till 20th May 2012.  Featuring exhibitions, symposia, panel discussions, critiques and special projects that celebrate the next generation of artists and designers working in a range of disciplines, the event has become a highlight in our fashion calendar.

“During the festival, we open our doors to the public to experience the breadth and depth of contemporary art and design practice, and to preview critically engaged and transformative work,” said Parsons Executive Dean Joel Towers.  Through this series of art and design events, Parsons is able to showcase creative and cutting-edge works by their students and hence, allow the community to preview works by the next generation of leaders in art and design.

As part of the festival, the School of Fashion at Parsons presents an exhibition of thesis work from across the fashion disciplines including menswear, women’s wear, children’s wear, accessories, and multimedia installations.  Titled Five Sixty 7th Ave: School of Fashion Exhibition, the exhibition is on show till 20^th May 2012 at the David M. Schwartz Fashion Education Center, 560 7th Avenue, Second floor.

Parsons also held its annual Fashion Benefit on 1^st May 2012, will honouring Donna Karan and Sheila C. Johnson for their contributions to Parsons, business, and philanthropy.  On the same day, a fashion show, hosted by Parsons alumnae Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs of Cushnie et Ochs, provided a preview of the evening benefit runway and static presentations.  You can see the videos of the Fashion Benefit and runway show here.

x Sybil

(Image from Parsons facebook)

Out on a limb: Contemporary wood jewelry

I was thinking of using wood in my next collection and was researching on artists who specialise in this medium when I came across this exhibition that is on show at Racine Art Museum in the States.  It features artists who used wood as a main medium for creating jewellery and accessories.  Some of the artists exhibiting include Gustav Reyes, Sharon Church, Edgar Mosa, Christine Brandt, Sukyo Jang and Tina Rath.  I love it when fashion pieces earn their place as art pieces in a museum.

Here are some of the designers I like:

Gustav Reyes

There is a quiet sense of peacefulness about Reyes’ works.  Everything feels very organic and harmonious.  Most of the pieces look like strokes of a calligraphy chinese ink painting.

Flora Vagli

According to Vagli, materials get a “return ticket” back to the world through her creations.  Using wood, paper and other materials, Vagli creates pieces that are truly beautiful.  Using a bold mix of colours, the pieces she create are clearly reinvented into an accessory that adorns the body.  I love what she did with paper, but since this post is about wood, you might want to check  them out here.

Julia Harrison

Her pieces can almost be viewed alongside surrealism paintings. Fun and interesting, her works focus on the human body. I’m sure, any of her pieces would make a great conversation starter.

Out On A Limb: Contemporary Wood Jewellery is now on show till June 17, 2012.  Racine Art Museum is located on 441 Main Street
Racine, Wisconsin 53403.

 

X Alex

(Images from Gustav Reyes, Flora Vagli and Julia Harrison blog)

L.V.M.J. exhibition at Les Arts Decoratifs

I am always intrigued by how designers and their brands develop and evolve. I love to find out what these designers went through even before they launched their first collections because that is usually when their label begins to take shape.

Everyone has heard of Louis Vuitton, but not everyone knows the story behind the brand and the person.  The current exhibition at Les Arts Decoratifs brings the past and the present together with the exhibition Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs.  The exhibition explores the creativity of two designers for Louis Vuitton; Marc Jacobs who has been designing for the brand since 1997 and founder Louis Vuitton.

The two-storey exhibition space is created such that the first floor examines the life of founder Louis Vuitton and the second floor runs through the growth of Louis Vuitton in Marc Jacob’s hands.

Life of Louis Vuitton:

1821- Born in the village of Anchay as a son of a carpenter.
1835- At 14, Louis Vuitton left his native Jura in the East of France, to travel on foot to Paris.
When in Paris, Vuitton became an apprentice packer, box and trunk-maker with the firm of Maréchal in the rue Saint Honoré in the first district of the capital.
Vuitton was employed to pack clothes for wealthy ladies before they embarked on long journeys. Within ten years he had become such a master in the art of packing that he would regularly accompany his master Romain Maréchal to the Tuileries Palace where they worked as exclusive packers to the Empress Eugénie and her ladies-in-waiting.

One section of the exhibition explores the themes of Volume and Invention; seven mannequins showed just how much clothing an affluent lady had to pack, with a need for undergarments and four outfits (morning, afternoon, visiting and evening ball).  In those days when skirts can be created out of seven metres of material, a single trip may require 20 to 30 trunks.  After learning about this portion of Louis Vuitton’s history, it sure makes sense that he delved into trunks for travelling.

Known for his innovativeness, Vuitton introduced lighter trunks made of poplar or pinewood with an elegant grey-painted canvas that was waterproof when varnished.  As counterfeits grew in numbers, designs became focused on the goal of thwarting imitations.

His predecessor, Marc Jacobs, has a strong focus on contemporary artists. Some of the collaborations include:

2001- Collaboration with artist and fashion designer, Stephen Sprouse to rework the traditional L.V. monogram into a graffiti line for Spring Summer 2001

2002- Collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to create an artwork that was used in the series of handbags. (Remember the Cherry Blossom, Cherry and Eye Love monograms?)

2008- Collaboration with American Photographer, Richard Prince. Inspired by Princes, ‘Nurse Painting’, Marc Jacobs uses nurses in masks to potray the one ‘Vuitton Woman’. He created the Monogram Jokes series and the Monogram Pulp collection.

The exhibition ends with a “Peepshow’ where visitors are invited to watch a fashion show (of Marc Jacob’s works) through a peephole.

If you happen to be in Paris, do visit the exhibition.  It is on show now till 16th Sept 2012.

Les Arts Décoratifs
107, rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris

 

Read more about the exhibition here!

X Alex

(All images from wwd)

Zeng Fanzhi: Painting feels just like meditation

One of my favourite sites, NOWNESS, has launched their Chinese language site.  In conjunction, NOWNESS CN did an intimate interview with China’s powerhouse artist Zeng Fanzhi.  I met the artist in 2007 when his solo exhibition was held in Singapore.  He is a quiet man but his works speak volumes.

Filmed by Hong Kong-based filmmaker Ringo Tang, Zeng explains his obsession with calligraphy and lines.  Chaotic lines is the title of the series he has been working on since 2005 and this interview offers a brief explanation on his inspiration and motivation behind his works and his craft.  Catch a rare glimpse of the artist here.

X Sybil

Fashion Photography: Richard Avedon

It had been a busy season.  My brand has officially launched and it’s been fun in the midst of hectic planning and mad production rush.  Definitely a rollercoaster ride of emotions.  Just want to thank Sybil for keeping this space updated.

We’ve finally finished our photo shoot a couple of days back.  Truth be told, I haven’t done a fashion shoot for years and as usual, in fashion, all things turned out differently from plan.  The model was late, the weather got wet, so instead of an outdoor shoot, we had to rent a studio.  Maybe a blessing in disguise with the campaign and lookbook shots.

Anyway, while looking for inspiring photography and I came across Richard Avedon.  Sybil wrote about him previously here.

He may have already passed on but his photography caught my attention with portraits of movement and moments.  When I told my photographer that I wanted to ‘capture a movement when time stopped’, she said, “Isn’t that what photography is about?”.

Perhaps indeed photography captures a moment in time and imprints it onto a sheet of paper, but what I love is capturing a movement.  Maybe that’s why I love underwater photography.  Everything looks so fluid and so surreal.  You know they must be moving to maintain their position under water, but the gracefulness is just breath-taking.

Richard Avedon was known for showing models full of expressions and movements in a time when the norm was having models stand still and without emotion.  His work experience involves Harpers Bazaar, Vogue & The New Yorker.

I’ll just let his photos speak for themselves.

Dovima with Elephants, Evening dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, August 1955

Homage to Muncaksi, Carmen, coat by Cardin, Place Francois-Premier, Paris, August 1957.

Renee, “The New Look of Dior,” Place de la Concorde, Paris, 1947.

Tilly Tizzani, raincoat by March and Mendl, New York, July 1964.

Passante du Siecle portfolio; The 1990s, Stephanie Seymour, in Chanel, Paris, APril 1995.

Beautiful, isn’t it. He does colour shots, but somehow I’m more charmed by his black and white images.

 

“I speak through my photographs more intricately, more deeply than with words.”
~ Richard Avedon

 

X Alex

(Images from richardavedon)

Anna Kostina: Costume design and more…

Fashion covers a broad range and we’re glad to feature Anna Kostina this week.  A young graphic and costume designer currently based in London, Anna graduated with BA in Visual Communications at FH Mainz last year.  She is now a freelance costume designer who creates all her exclusive pieces by hand.

Tell us more about yourself and how you became a fashion designer.

I had a classical art education and an early aspiration for creating extravagant dresses and costumes.  As a girl, my mother took me regularly to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow to see ballet performances like Swan Lake and Nutcracker.  I remember being captured by the beauty and opulence of the stage sets and costumes.  I never wanted the performances to finish because it meant the end of my dream world.

My professional venture into fashion and costume design happened when the Cocoon night club opened and brought the Ibiza craziness to Frankfurt.  The dance performances and the costumes melted together with the music and the crowd in a surreal manner.  It was impressive and I wanted to dip into this world from head to toe so I started to work as a promoter.  Shortly after, I made costumes for the dancers of two very successful party events.

I studied Visual Communication in Mainz, Germany and in Plymouth, UK.  In this course I had the freedom to combine graphic design with art and fashion.  As an example, I have created typographical sweatshirts for couples which revealed terms about relationships according to different constellation of the bodies.  My final BA project was a fashion art magazine called Progressiv.

What inspires you?

19^th century art and modern art is a big source of inspiration for me, as well as art magazines and books.  I also follow contemporary illustrators and photographers.  London is incredibly inspiring; I moved here recently and I am in love with this city already.  I could walk around the markets on the weekends forever, looking at the antique and vintage stalls and the fancy crowd.  I do love going out and a night in a club with good electronic music gives me energy that I need for the rest of the week.  My work does refer to club kids like Michael Alig and Kash Point and epic clubs like Studio 54 and the Manumission parties in Ibiza.  They created worlds and special moments and their imperfect lives make them even more interesting to me.

Do you have any favourite designers? Who are they?

One of my favorite designers is Alexander McQueen, a master of extravagant couture.  Cassette Playa aka Carry Mundane from London did inspire me for the cartoon costumes I did for the Fake parties at Cocoon Club.  I also admire Gareth Pugh; his futuristic style is unique and powerful.  He took his aesthetics to a ballet performance I have seen recently at the Royal Opera House in London.  He designed costumes for the dancers and the music was composed by Mark Ronson.  The modern choreography gave ballet a new meaning.  Again, I did not want that performance to be over as I’ve enjoyed it very much.

Tell us more about your Progressiv collection.

The Progressiv collection was my final project at university.  I have designed and made glow-in-the-dark costumes for a black light party.  The look is quite futuristic, colourful and fun.  The dancers who are wearing the costumes do acrobatic performances with poys and wings to techno music.  With that, I have produced a fashion magazine which included a look book and different themed shoots.

I read that you are interning at The Rodnik Band. I love their works! How has it been working at The Rodnik Band?

I have worked at The Rodnik Band for a couple of months now and I like it a lot.  Philip, the head designer is a very fun and friendly person who is easy to work with. All of us in the studio work close together in a busy and creative atmosphere.  My work includes graphic sketching, layout and some sewing.  I designed three crown hats for his last collection which were shown at the London fashion week in February, as well as two bags in the shapes of an egg and a pigeon.  Recently, I worked on the design of the new website for The Rodnik Band.  The next challenge is to create a range of T-shirt prints with iconic designs of Rodnik.  Every day, there is a new challenge and it never gets boring.

What are your plans after the internship?

I’ve had my own label ANA for 5 years now, where I design and create commissioned costumes for parties, events, advertising and editorials as well as for artists from the burlesque or club scene.  I hope to develop it further in London, a city well known to be a creative melting pot.  London has a rich club scene, interesting performers and events where my costumes would be an enrichment.  In parallel, I would like to gain more experience working for other designers with a style similar to mine.  I am also open to collaborate with people from any artistic area.

We hope to see more of Anna in future and perhaps even in Asia!  Speaking of costume design, there is an upcoming Costume Design for Theatre 101 class by Anthony Tan.  The class is held on 10 June 2012, 2pm at the Rehearsal Studio in Esplanade.

 

X Sybil

(Images from Progressiv collection from Anna Kostina)