I hope you like my debut!
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TREND WATCH - I compared and contrasted three brands incorporating the trend "Cacti Desert", think succulents, cacti and fauna, chuck the chintzy peonies.
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Saturday, 26 July 2014
ELEANOR KIRBY | 1GRANARY DEBUT!
I can't stop writing - here is my first article for 1Granary, the magazine founded by students of Central Saint Martins. While being by and about the students, 1Granary is for anyone interested in fashion and the new wave of ideas that come with the university.
Friday, 25 July 2014
Tinder Trends
We
didn’t think dating could get any faster than speed dating, but with the
introduction of apps like Grindr and Tinder, being single (and ready to
mingle) was never so easy. For those of you who are unenthused by the notion of
a dating app, or think you have no need for them, read on. They are more
interesting than you think.
Self-described
as a “location-based social
discovery app that facilitates communication between mutually interested users”,
Tinder is envisioned as being used by
giggling girls huddled together in an office, or for men bored on their morning
commute to work (and vice-versa). No one ever announced during the toasts at
their wedding that they met through Tinder.
We, power hungry and judgmental, just want to “like” or “lump” consciously
posed profile pictures to pass the time spent sandwiched between the armpits of
two sweaty businessmen on the way home.
As
we all know, the internet is often slightly misleading, and we can all admit to
honing the craft of taking a picture that advertises all of our (sometimes
amplified) charms. As the saying goes ‘no one looks as bad as their passport
photo, or as good as their profile picture’.
From
quickly scrolling through Tinder there definitely seems to be a few popular
trends amongst the sea of faces (there isn’t any other way to do it other than
flicking frivolously through the swarm of men and women until someone catches
your eye). It is hard to imagine that anyone could think a perfectly positioned
mirror shot in ones toilet is alluring, but no judgment of course; it is the
internet after all.
The
first trend to be seen (probably first in welcoming you to the app) is the
holiday snap; seen online as the modern equivalent to getting your friends over
for a slideshow, yet similarly painfully executed. As with any online persona,
we have the urge to show only the best of ourselves, who knows who might see
it; a future partner or competitive colleague, perchance. It’s only too
tempting to post pictures of you sunning it up while everyone else is wearing
thermals and cradling a cuppa soup at work. Two words: show off. ‘Single male
looking for female with beachy hair, slag tag or belly button piercing (both,
preferred) and a desire to sleep with someone who takes any opportunity to
flash their abs at a party’, the lonely hearts ad would read, if the art of
putting pen to paper was more commonplace than using a block of electricity to
convey ones utmost thoughts.
The
second most noticeable trend is inextricably associated with the first, as the
two are almost always interlinked. There is no point in going on holiday if you
don’t have a hot bod to show in your skimpy swimwear. It completes the whole
look. Never have we ever seen a holiday snap of someone sweltering in a ski
jumpsuit to hide all their lumps and bumps, unless, like Nigella you don the
burkini in an effort to preserve your porcelain skin, or modesty.
Think of the pain, hard work and discipline of
going to a legs, bums and tums class, as you mutter “strong not skinny!” to
yourself. They have earned the right to show off, surely? No, these are the sort
of people who shoot daggers at you across the road from Wholefoods as you sip
on a full fat Frappuccino. Someone definitely in need of another “guilt tripper”
to complete their circle of trust.
Bound
to attract ardent approval on Tinder is
the added prop of a
If you continue to seek
approval, pictures of you in a dark nightclub clutching an oversized bottle of
Belvedere on “Mahiki Monday” are surely going to make you the most eligible
bachelor in all of Mayfair, if not London. This trend is reserved only for the
very elite (or friends of whomever can afford a terribly undrinkable ten pints
of vodka). Candidates who proudly sport a cleavage aided with a pair of chicken
fillets, a foundation stripe across their jaw and own a wardrobe full of
body-con dresses need only apply.
Sound appealing? Yes
siree! Anyone willing to meet the dating requirements need only sign up. I am
on tenterhooks awaiting the arrival of the first Tinder wedding invitations.
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Mile High Fashion
Ever since man has been able to
travel, the secrets of the world have been unraveled, expressed commonly
through design as foreign influences have satiated our inquisitive nature for
centuries. Iconic design movements such as Rococo
(of the 18th Century) and Japonisme
(which reached the height of popularity in the late 19th Century) highlight
the continuous authority of travel on discerning British works of art.
Globally
speaking, fashion is an art form that no one is exempt from, whether you believe
you follow the trends or not, you are liaising with the fashion industry every
time you engage in buying constructed pieces of fabric to cover your modesty
(to put it plainly). Unless you choose to run around naked, which would result
you in undoubtedly being arrested and therefore forced to wear a ravishing
orange jumpsuit (orange is the new black as we all know) or the old fashioned
bold black and white stripes (Chanel was slightly late on the uptake with the Breton), heavily accessorised with the old ball and chain. Both equally chic
and more fashionable than most.
The
fact that it is becoming easier to travel year by year has only fuelled our
quest to search for the unknown; the adventurer gene is brought out from within
us as designers alike look to other cultures for inspiration. The introduction
of mainstream air travel in the 1960s meant that people began to travel with
great speed and the juxtaposition of fashions from other cultures, with
references from our homeland, was conducted with ease.
Historical tourists echo modern equivalents:
designers, students and those looking for something to fill a “gap-yah”, are no
longer content with travelling to one country alone and so instead choose to
globe-trot. The evolution of travel has out grown itself from necessity to
emigration to frivolity and our perpetual need for new stimulation.
The easy-jet generation,
a term coined by it’s namesake (who else?), were deemed as ‘the early riser for the morning cab, last minute packing, full of
excitement generation’, manipulating us into thinking that travelling
economy-class is something to celebrate. And it is, inexpensive equals freedom,
especially when it comes to travel, the world is your oyster (or jellied eel, the
poundland equivalent). With the cheapest flight out of the country being under
a tenner, London is providing more low-cost travel than anywhere else, making it
ever more tempting to pull information, first hand, from all corners of the
globe – with no better cause than to serve fashion.
The media offers us various mutations in reference
to ways of imagining identities and groups, causing material effects on how
people experience the world. There is a process of construction in terms of
building up an image of national culture. As the diverse nature of the media
grows rapidly alongside technological advances, more and more sources are providing
us with their own thoughts on a culture or trend, which are being driven to
extremities. This increasing “interconnectedness” influences us socially,
culturally and economically; three main topics constantly interfacing with
fashion. The total antithesis to how trends travelled country to country in the
18th Century where dolls were dressed in French and English royal
houses, globally distributed, thus igniting a new style. Evidently more gourmet
than our modern day fast food fashion binges, (literally represented by Moschino
and their parodied romance with Macdonalds or Kaiser Karl’s throwaway Chanel
supermarket).
Travel influences not only what we buy, but also
what we are told to buy as voices are given to anyone and everyone with access
to a computer and internet connection. Assaulting us with trends from all
corners of the globe. Talking to fellow Womenswear students at LCF, it is clear
that the juxtaposition of culture and concept assists the ability not only to
consume, but to produce fashions that are inventive and progressive in terms of
how we view popular culture. First year Ryan Sng commented that, as designers “we are attracted by things that are different because
they are new and exciting. I do think it's a problem though, when designers are
lazy and don't go beyond the surface of things”.
While we see fashion as an ever-changing
presence within the modern world, facile representations of the domains of
others are constantly manufactured as costumes from other cultures, barely
reinvented, producing superficial pseudo-stylistic designs. Most recently, Karl
Lagerfeld lazily added only a few tweaks to his collection in Dallas, symptomatic
of the common Cowboys vs. Indians stereotype. Hardly availing his creative
license to convey the world as he sees it. Taking qualm with the quantity of
cowboy inspired garments would be a crude undertaking, however, the depth and
variety of changes within stereotypes cause them to become just that, stale
stereotypes. Are designers utilising the world in which we live (and travelling
to the capacity their wallets will allow) to the best of their abilities?
Globalisation
can have a more positive dynamic on fashion (despite the clichés in circulation),
creating a renewed sense of “local”, in particular, local craft. Dame Vivienne
Westwood, who has previously voiced many outspoken opinions on globalisation
and propaganda, was quoted in saying, ‘the one thing that globalisation has taught us, is we are all on this
planet together and we can’t get off it, so we do have to have some shared
values’. We are not appropriating enough praise to the countries that fuel our
design. References should be made to these cultures, providing recognition
worthy of their mastery. Promoting, not only the designer (belonging to a
dominant society), but also the craft behind the costume.
Lets
not forget our fashion capital, the
rest of the world travels to London too of course. With the glitterati gravitating
to London Fashion Week twice per annum, the works of 58 designers are showcased
to over 5,000 people visiting England’s capital each season, amalgamating in
the generation of at least £100m in sales, a vast cum indeed. The crème de la
crème of journalists, stylists and celebrities travel to rub shoulders with one
another to discuss and gaze upon what fashion has to offer this time around,
only to circulate other fashion capitals the very next week.
With LFW being an opportunity (and an honour)
to represent ones country and boost the economy, why have designers like
Victoria Beckham chosen to frequent other fashion weeks? I debated this topic
with LCF student and ready-made designer in his own right, Christian
Cowan-Sanluis, as he showed his level of understanding by discussing that
although representing the country is necessary to boost economy, ‘designers are
constantly aware of their business and can be swayed by more money or greater
opportunities’. So perhaps their drive to progress is advantageous in
representing Britain overseas, fuelling interest in the products of our small
yet playfully creative island. Contrasting vaguely with the self-affirming high
brow Paris fashion week, for example.
Aside
from the cognitive advantages of modern air-travel towards fashion design, the
postmodernist aspects of globalisation cause us to focus on our own thought
processes. Being well travelled is one of the main ways in which people
subconsciously learn new things. As I previously touched upon the notion of juxtaposition,
the postmodern view on this is that by combining images from all over the
globe, we create pastiches. Alluding to the fact that we may create fashions to
parody and challenge garments of yester-year for comedic or profound effect.
For example, garments for summer, inspired by a colder climate may challenge
the value we put upon the four seasons.
The
catalyst of changing seasons is the amalgamation of postmodernism and
globalisation as we start to see the already ephemeral fashion industry speed
up and morph into fast food fashion, a literal rendition of heroin chic as
consumers the world over pine for their fashion fix. A glimpse of this can be
seen with the introduction of “pre” and “resort” collections, to suppress our
cravings just a little while longer; fashion pushers of the world teasing stylists,
bloggers and purchasers alike. An inflation of this would be seasons to
represent a spectrum of the world’s climate. If technology has allowed us to
travel with ease, fashion must evolve alongside it by collapsing the confines
of seasonal fashion. Travelling to warmer countries, avoiding the inevitable
hibernation period brought by the British winter creates a need for clothing
that corresponds with the forecast; particularly prevalent with those of us who
make it their mission in life to out-trend everyone.
Opinions
on postmodern fashion stretch far beyond trend, towards the ease of judgment
when creating fashion to shock and mesmerise. Atypically,
we are not meant to understand fully the meaning behind a collection, iconic
representations of a culture, such as combining a kimono with your Prada pencil
skirt, are all very well, but influences are often mistakable; as voiced by
fashion critic, Rebecca Lowthorpe, “we are not meant to understand. We are
meant to feel. Like great art – ancient or modern – the pieces [presented to
us] are charged with feeling, sometimes confrontationally”. Dissecting banal global
uniforms in favour of challenging the conventional image. Postmodernism down to
a “T”.
Assimilating
ourselves with the themes discussed does not make globalisation seem any less perplexing.
It is rife with polarising opinions as to whether travel really is beneficial
to everyone or lucidly uses global commodity to permit ongoing homogeneity. We
are no longer confined to the restrictions of class, country or traditions, yet
neither is anyone else.
“Everything has been done before”, a phrase
often muttered at the design table, to which I highly disagree. If we continue
to marry and challenge diverse cultures we surely can’t have exhausted all
sources of stimulus issued to us. The allure of fashion is multi-faceted and
thrives on freedom and fantasy.
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Digital Revolution: Lost in the Pipeline
‘Digital
Revolution’, the words have been passed back and forth from mouth to mouth in
many different formats. It seems as though technology is on the brink of promise,
especially when it comes to integrating it with fashion. Brands such as Apple
have enlisted figures from the fashion industry to make the technology seem
even more needed. But it seems like technological fashion is going backwards
instead of forwards.
Ashish X Topshop
Ashish
X Topshop, another collaboration for the popular clothing brand, now an empire
of clothing, accessories and make up, reduced to a gimmick with one fell swoop
of the Ashish collection. Led lights lined shoes and nestled themselves within
the seams of PVC backpacks, dragging me back kicking and screaming to the days
when see-through rucksacks had pockets of vibrantly coloured liquid and my
trainers lit up when I ran, pressing down with extra force to make sure they
definitely did work. I’m all for a 90s revival, don’t get me wrong, but when
something is hailed as revolutionary, I expect something a little more up to
date.
iWatch
Trying
to compete with the Google Glass, Apple is retracing their footsteps and
poaching yet another fashion executive, enlisted to make sure we reach for the
plastic come release. Less than a year after it announced the appointment of
former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, Apple got greedy and lured LVMH executive
Patrick Pruniaux (Vice President of sales at Tag Heuer) into their lair lined
with convergence boards and floating pixels. Strapping a phone to your arm is
hardly high fashion though (gym fanatics have been doing that since the
noughties, purely functional). Can we expect an Apple Resort collection anytime
soon? Perhaps not, but that would be an idea if anyone is going to take this
digital uprising seriously, it’s hardly comparable to any historical
revolution, unless the Queen gets a bit over-zealous with iPad accessories and
pulls a Marie Antoinette.
"Digital Revolution" @ the Barbican
The
future of tech fashion has to go beyond LED lights, transcending the
desirability of catwalks and couture, and coalesce with our ever-evolving need
to be so current that the fashions of
yesterday are already ancient. A jejune representation of this could be taking
pictures or screen grabbing an image from a catwalk and hooking it up to fibre
thin screens woven into fabrics. But with this loss of texture, the designs
would seem flat and lifeless – much like a sad fake handbag. With this element
of literally lifting from the runway and copying designs, snobbery could be
taken to the extreme. The real garment, hand crafted, versus the cyberspace
equivalent.
This
flat electronic fashion, much like the Paper Op Art dresses of the 60s would be
an elementary way of customising, the elitist equivalent of iron on diamante or
patches of appliqué. Contemporary fashion has surpassed plain textures and
silhouettes, so how could this digital structure really contend with today’s
treadmill of maturing designs? A malleable material perhaps? This is what’s
holding the revolution back. Photoshop creations will never be as good as
impasto art, just as a digital representation of intricate embroidery and
heavily structured silhouette could never contend with the textures and
negative space of the real thing. We may just be too impatient to find the
golden combination of wearable tech.
the Twitter dress
With
no sign of wearable tech found in the collections at Central Saint Martins, the
students at one of the most forward thinking universities around have ditched
modernism in favour of referencing historical movements and hand crafting
couture collections, regressing back to the days of intricate textiles. Why
this incessant need to electrify one of the most luxurious analogue art forms
we have left?
Friday, 18 July 2014
THIS WEEK | Rooms Magazine | 14/07/2014
Catch up with all my articles from this past week ~
Calling all hoarders! The first law of Kipple is to donate, care of Dan Tobin Smith, who is collating a chromatic display of our junk as a comment on how humans use, store and waste resources.
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Sunday, 13 July 2014
THIS WEEK | Rooms Magazine | 07/07/2014
A week of interviews and articles for me with Rooms Magazine! Catch up below ~
I spoke to Shroomstudio’s co-founder, Christos Hatjoullis, about the creative process and the future of animation.
Is animation more than simply an art form encased by a computer screen? I spoke to Richard Barnett of Trunk Animation to discuss the multi-faceted industry.
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Monday, 7 July 2014
Made in Mexico @ Fashion and Textile Museum / GUISE Magazine
Check out my latest article for GUISE!
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Sunday, 6 July 2014
THIS WEEK | Rooms Magazine | 30/06/2014
Catch up on all the articles I wrote for Rooms Magazine this week ~
Scaled by surrounding mountains, the Manfredas produced a track with snippets of post-punk influences - The Doors' "This is the End" comes to mind
As the tennis season is in full swing, I wrote a short comedic piece on Ralph Lauren X Wimbledon
I interviewed Nikoline Liv Andersen, a Fashion designer who toys with the idea of beauty, contrasting her elegant garments with a twist of the grotesque, eerie romanticism.
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