I know this blog is supposed to be about me, but I can't help but share what my fabulous friend Deborah is up to!
Today Debbie, Fiona and myself went on the hunt for a spot to shoot Debbie's poster. See! Sometimes fourth year can be fun! I ended up on top of a platform pulling weeds out of the ground and kicking dirt about to ensure Debbie's posters all lined up correctly.
Please visit her blog to see what she is up to, it's really quite interesting!
Do you love her backpack? We do...
Getting down with nature...
I know these are all of Debbie but I think it's up to her to share her work with you...I just wanted to document what us fourth years get up to!
Today we had the chance to meet the first year fashion students which I was quite nervous about! Showing people your work and trying to explain where you're going with things can be quite a daunting task but I guess they were nervous too!
To relieve the final collection stress, we are being paired with an intern who we will mentor for the rest of the year. They were all pretty enthusiastic and it was interesting to see what they were all doing, however as I am tucked away in the corner not so many people ventured past the cables and laptop power leads...but those who I did see were really great!
This shoot for Who's Jack Magazine really inspired me. In terms of location and overall aesthetic, this fashion shoot is exactly the aesthetic I am interested in creating.
My sister was a huge fan of Dirty Sexy Things on E4 and after doing a spot of research for relevant fashion shoots I stumbled upon Fashion Photographer Perou's website.
Although he didn't have any images which were relevant to my theme, I did really like his work. Here are a few of my favourite images;
Today I had a bit of a breakdown towards the end of the day. Fourth year is a difficult year for everyone and emotions are running high! I think the first few weeks are obviously the most difficult and I'm finding it difficult to get into things.
Photo Booth
A remedy for all problems!
So. Morgan was on the case as usual. I think it's really important to remember that you need to take a step back sometimes and re-evaluate the situation your in...and also remember to have a laugh!
Back to fashion in the next few days...I promise!!
My Final Collection stems from a module I studied last year. It was such an inspiring module, and the theme I chose was something I was interested in, this really helps the work flow!
Commercial Portfolio Module The brief : To design a collection that reflects "who you are" and to create a promotional vehicle to advertise it. Immediately I new the direction I wanted to go in and the subject which I felt reflected the current interests in my life.
Myra Hindley and Ian Brady : The Moors Murderers. Quite a horrific subject, but something that has captured my attention for the last few months. After reading a few books I catapaulted myself into the case and focusing on the evidence and trial of one of Britains worst crimes, I began to make links to fashion.
I was surprised how much I actually got from this subject in terms of design ideas, fabric choices, knitwear, knitting techniques and ways in which the collection could be advertised and promoted. The module required us to have a research book, story board, design development and the final outcome. I ended up with a bit more than that...
I made two films to coincide with my project See No Evil : Secrets In The Suitcases this is the final fashion film and some stills.
Filming/Editing : Amber Hunter
Location : The Law, North Berwick / The Whisky Bottle, North Berwick
This year, Debbie is designing a womenswear collection. She works in a very clean and graphic style, which is reflected in the execution of her garments. Here's what she had to say about her wall;
Amber : So Debbie, tell us about the imagery you have on your wall.
Debbie: "I have a very graphic style in working, very clean, muted and simple. On the wall I have links to British artists and design, which reflect the heritage of My menswear images are references for my womenswear graduate collection. I also have Commes Des Garcons and Paul Smith womenswear images which underpin my market research. "
Amber : You have text on the wall as well, what do these reflect?
Debbie : "I have been researching different typography and layouts and while going through some magazines there were several quotes that stood out to me, this in particular by Susan Corrigan;
"Don't forget we're all in this together"
I really like this quote and felt it summed up my feeling of our year as a group.
My space on the other hand, is currently a shrine to Ash Stymest, Frankie Cocozza and Pete Doherty...
...with a couple of nuns throwing snowballs for comedy value.
Although it may look like I've just filled a wall with attractive men, they are actually fashion images...apart from Frankie from The X-Factor. I wanted to surround myself with images that make me happy, inspire me and help me through the inevitable breakdowns. Let's see how much it changes over the next few weeks!
Deborah Morgan and myself felt our studio was looking a bit bare, so we have come up with a genious plan to make it a more positive workspace, and what better way to do this than plaster it with fashion *cough* related images.
Morgan is currently still in the library printing and scanning...lets see if we can change this place and make it more interesting...
So the highlight of the day was visiting Joel and Sons. After spending a lot of time on Goldhawk Road (an experience in itself) I headed to Church Street in Edgware.
Walking along the street, I started to wonder if I had made a huge mistake...and then I entered the shop.
OH.MY.GOD.
I am pretty positive that there is absolutely EVERYTHING in this shop that you could ever want or need for a collection. Althought it's quite pricy, there are some reasonably priced fabrics and all of the fabrics in there are extremely high quality. I was showed around my Mr Joel himself, who literally knows every fashion house and the fabrics they use. He also informed me he's been getting his suits tailored for him since he was 14 years old - instantly fallen in love with this man!
As you can see I came out with quite a selection. Most of which are references to find fabrics elsewhere that are perhaps slightly cheaper! I have a very expensive taste in fabrics...but sometimes I get a bit carried away with myself. As if I can afford to spend £130 a meter on fabric! It really gave me a great starting point for the kinds for fabrics I want to use and will definitely be back to see what else I can find.
They do free samples and write down all information for you, so its a great shop to go to and the staff are so helpful. I think I'd get some fabric for a really special show piece, if I was feeling flush.
I went to The Fashion and Textiles Museum which I heard about when I visited Newham College in East Ham.
Tommy Nutter : Rebel On The Row
Literally one of the most exciting experiences of my life! This exhibition was like a dream land for me, with so many Savile Row suits! The exhibition really helped me with design ideas as tailoring is a big part of my collection. The era was bang on for my research also, so a really great exhibition to go and see.
There were also documents on show, such as customer records, photographs and sketches. The exhibition is on until the 22nd of October, so I would definitely recommend checking it out! The museum also has several talks, evening classes and discussions on throughout the year.
This was a very busy day for me! I headed to Bond Street, Savile Row and Berwick Street. I felt it important to mix high end well known designers so Bond Street was the best choice for this. I also went to Dover Street Market which was an experience in itself. I could have stayed there all day, definitely worth a look if you're in that neck of the woods.
Fabrics.
I spent quite a bit of time on the shops looking at all of the different fabrics on offer. I must admit, this place is expensive...but the quality is great! The first fabrics were from the Cloth house, second and third from the Cloth Shop.
Trimmings.
MacCulloch and Wallis
I spent a long time in here also, a treasure trove of trimmings! I cam away with a few fastenings but could have come back with a lot more had I had the money. Another successful stop!
As part of my research I was required to go to London and do some fabric sourcing and market research. As we were allowed to take up to a week off, I of course decided to go for the full week! I'm not going to write too much about it, but here's a runthrough of the highlights of my time there.
Day 1
I visited Harrods, Harvey Nichols, The V&A, The Library and Tate Britain. Harrods was a great place for market research, the menswear floor is packed full of great designers and really gave me a lot of inspiration in terms of silhouette, fabrics and detailing.
The Library
This is a small Menswear boutique in Knightsbridge, packed full of designers that I wasn't even aware of! There were so many stand out pieces and interesting use of fabrics with a great and coherent colour palette from each designer.
Incarnation
Isaac Sellem Experience
Lost and Found
The V&A
I went to "The Power of Making" while at the V&A, which I must say, I was a little disappointed with. Although there were quite a lot of interesting pieces on show, it wasn't quite what I was expecting, however I liked the emphasis on the importance of the skills we posses as designers/artists and how these skills can be utilised to shape the world that we live in for better and for always.
Sandra Backlund
I love this knitwear, Sandra Backlund is one of my favourite knitwear designers, not just for the garments she designs, but for the textiles themselves. The volume and dimensions of this piece is fantastic.
