SSSmokin'....

HOT!

Go Gareth!

Bravo Anthony!

...& to me even HOTTER because of the technical virtuosity of getting these to work on a body... and In movement!

WOW!

SSSmokin'....

The words and works of a Master

On the BOF (the Business of Fashion) site has posted an incredibly inspiring interview with Azzedine Alaïa.   Anyone who who is passionate about fashion, design,  quality,  craftsmanship & the integrity left remaining in this business  MUST read this interview.

His Fall 2011 show,  his first runway collection in 8 years was vintage Alaïa, of course,  in quality of cut, technique and hand.  The silhouettes are as curvaceous and sensual as ever.  And, none of it ever feels derivative of his past work, but rather its all a real evolution of his truly personal craft, techniques and powerful vision.

His conviction to his art shows in every single piece.

I have always admired & looked up to him as an artist,  and I worship his leather work.  I vividly remember how he was practically pilloried in the late 1980's / early 90's for not putting on regular fashion shows and for not following the industry's increasingly hectic and seemingly perverse scheduling.   What?  As if Alaïa should compete with large scale "luxury" lines?  (made increasingly in China, Slovakia or elsewhere?)  That Alaïa should compete with anybody for that matter!  The quote at the end of Style.com's review says it all...

"There's everyone else. Then there's Alaïa."

perfect!

The words and works of a Master

Blown Away by the Future of Fashion

I am just blown away by this video,  which came to my attention via BOF.   I truly agree &  really believe,  that this is the future of fashion.  In one fell swoop it renders the idea of showing on a runway obsolete.  And it raises the bar of the art tremendously.

Gareth Pugh S/S 2011 Collection - Director: Ruth Hogben from SHOWstudio on Vimeo.

As a designer, who has done several shows and one large Fashion week production -  I don't think it is optimal for showing the clothes,  communicating the concept or getting the audience.  You are subject to the vagaries of ...oh, the weather, the scheduling,  your PR,  your guests - which celebrity is going to show up...?  The press that shows up - or doesn't.  The models.  The shoes.

As Pugh notes in this story...if a model falls,  "that's an enduring moment".   There are a billion things completely out of your control!  Not good for a designer's temperament at all.

I think beautifully creative presentations like this along with still presentations,  still photography and showroom appointments are the next direction.  Besides "Zombie-faced models" in runway shows can't be gone soon enough for me.

I love the black and white sections and the op-art print and was astounded by the down filled op-art piece (brilliant!) which is, believe it or not,  the exact same cut as this:

  Fur-to-velvet reversible square

It's wonderful, the difference the volume makes.

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Blown Away by the Future of Fashion

Channeling H.R. Giger

 Wow, was I blown away when I finally got the chance to look at Alexander McQueen's show.  The prints are brilliant, the use of the prints is so out of this world.  They blew me away.

So....Um...Very...ALIEN...

 

photos: Style.com

So I am perfectly perplexed as to why all the review on Style.com could talk about was Lady Gaga and the accompanying hordes on twitter.  

It mentions the concept as being sort of an apocolyptic "Waterworld".  But,  it completely ignores the VERY  OBVIOUS and (I think) incredibly beautifully executed homage to the works of H.R. Giger.

H.R Giger,  I think is one of the most influential of our contemporary artists.   His work transformed  and completely re-invented & redefined what is "Alien",  threatening and unfathomable, both in us,  and in the futuristic universes that make up his realm.

 His painting are just that - paintings, not computer generated, but generated out of his imagination and made real in all of the various film and decor projects he has done over the years.

Case in point... check out the full splash page on the official HR Giger site -  it could be the breast plate of one of the dresses....

 The real deal at www.hrgiger.com

Not to mention the shoes and the hair, both of which are incredible -  as both unbelievable edifices and pure works of art.  I am astounded that the girls could walk in these! (and I wonder how much they weigh - they are so purely dangerous! I like this. A lot!)

 

 

photos: style.com

I am such a sucker for prints,  having worked in leather for so long,  so I think this is my favorite McQueen collection of all time! 

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Channeling H.R. Giger

Rick Owens' Real Aesthetics

I had to post this, the first part a great interview with Rick Owens that I found here, On The Business of Fashion. Part two is on youtube.

I have known about Rick Owens since the late 80's. A roommate of mine was good friend of Michelle Lamy, who he lived with at the time, in LA. I was always hearing about the clothes he was designing. (We've probably been designing for the same amount of time.) So over the years I've always followed his work and have always held a great deal of admiration for it, especially as a fellow designer who works in leather. In this interview, I realize that we share a lot as far as our feelings about fashion, the industry and working in it. His POV, is both practical and realistic and he doesn't buy into all the BS that we are bombarded with constantly.



I love that he jettisoned his press office, and the reason why. I love, love, love his kind of aggravated comment on the cv's & "collages" he sees all the time.

"Everyone wants to be a designer, what I need is older people who know how to make the stuff"

I could not have said it better myself. Bravo!

(Case in point is a dear friend who gave up teaching her Senior's course in American Couture at FIT. Because FIT does not teach them enough construction to either make or differentiate between 4 types of buttonholes. How shameful of FIT.)

I love that Rick Owens has stayed so true to himself over the years and of course I love what he does with leather (& knits). We share an aesthetic about wearability and quality & I am thrilled that he is finally getting his due.

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Rick Owens' Real Aesthetics

The Lost Colony, recreated

Here's an interesting link to more on the re-building of the costumes for "the Lost Colony".

Yes the Queen's costume is like a car, not only in cost (a luxury model I would guess), but in it's dimensions! And I believe the actress wearing it is quite petite! Imagine a 5'1", 100 lb woman encased in a Smart car!

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----------------
Now playing: Gogol Bordello - Illumination
via FoxyTunes

The Lost Colony, recreated

"The Lost Colony" Costumes

I had meant to add to my couture and costume post over a week ago, so better late than never.
The costumes were for an incredibly long running production out of North Carolina called
"The Lost Colony" and are designed by William Ivey Long.

It's a very funny coincidence that I happened to have a program from The Lost Colony's second year in production. My Mom saw it as a child and loved it. She'd kept the program pristinely all these years! Here are some images from that program:

And here are some more photos of the new costumes which are replacing costumes lost in a fire last year:






Some finished Dresses:


I want to thank my friend Karin for these beautiful costume photos.

I am very behind on a ton of stuff, all of it computer related. Everything basically stops when I have projects. So only when I get a decent break or am waiting for an appointment and have stuff prepped, am I able to stay on top of this. I would love some help with this, so I'm putting it out there for any of you with ideas and/or suggestions.

I will be posting some more VERY amazing "Lost Colony" photos soon. Never, ever, before seen photos from the Amazon Jungle, circa 1947 or 1948. Some really gorgeous tribal life images.

----------------
Now playing: The Elysian Fields - Bayonne
via FoxyTunes

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"The Lost Colony" Costumes

Having an Alaia Moment

Azzedine Alaia is one of my favorite designers and I admire him as much for his attitude as his insane talent - he is well known to follow his own schedule and to hell with everyone else's.

I am prone to follow my own schedule too, sometimes due to materials (aka- I love it now!) sometimes just 'cause I feel like it. So here is my current Alaia moment(s):

purchase Jaguar Crested Bag

purchase Zebra Crested Bag

Yes, they are fur, but I wanted to get it over with. Fur is a real bitch to work with once it gets warm out and no, A/C doesn't cut is as then you get it flying.
And yes, I will be doing these bags to order after these initial pieces are sold.

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Having an Alaia Moment