Thursday 25 November 2010

Lily Donaldson's 'Fringed' by Nick Knight

Just a quick one to add here and the reason i chose this one was because i had no idea that these shoots were so kinetic and full of energy. You can just imagine there actually being that track playing in the background while he's shooting.

Fantasia by Nick Knight

I love this film. I remember seeing the shoot in Vogue last year and it was just incredible, one of his best i think. The fact that the shoots are filmed is an entirely logical step in the direction of fashion film, to have them streamed live on ShowStudio for the world to see is so liberating. You feel like your watching something private between model and photographer but they look like they're having so much fun. And your able to join in and be a part of it.

SHOWstudio: Gareth Pugh Autumn/Winter 2009 by Ruth Hogben

Without hesitation here is Gareth Pugh's AW 09 collection filmed by Ruth Hogben.

I'm not quite sure if i actually liked this film or not i think it went on a bit long when it's purpose was to show the whole collection i suppose it had to be long but the only thing was that you didn't really get enough chance to see the clothing.

I love the idea of the repetition and the Rorschach test effect of the models limbs on the black and white background, I have definitely decided that I prefer films done in photo studios.

Consumption by Warren du Preez & Nick Thornton Jones

I'm doing a film project at the moment and i have come across some really great fashion films. I'll be posting the rest up soon because i just want to have an archive of them all but i love the effects on this film, contrast and greyscale look fantastic and it gives a clear message that has real impact at the end but it still remains very innovative and well styled.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Lanvin for H&M

I know we've heard enough of it now but i am very happy that i did manage to bag the little thing that i wanted online this morning. So glad i didn't go to the store, was not that desperate.
But I am now the proud owner of this little bow tie. (It was menswear but i love it)

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Vogue Paris October 2010

Lara Stone, Freja Beha Erichsen & Mariacarla Boscono all shot by Mert & Marcus and styled by Carine Roitfeld, with decadent designs from Givenchy, Philip Treacy, Altuzarra and more.

Monday 8 November 2010

Holly Fulton for Smythson

This is definitely going on my Christmas list.

Ranging from £50 to £295 the collection includes Notecards, Diaries and Notebooks, the sad thing is that they are not reusable.

Available now at http://www.smythson.com/SmythsonSite/category/Holly+Fulton+Collection/

Next Press Office

I have done some work experience at Next Press Office in London over the past few weeks. I was surprised that i wasn't nervous but perhaps because i already work at Next it wasn't such a new thing for me.
When i got there everyone was really nice and they seemed just like me but in 2 years time. They seem like a close group of people and really care about what they are doing. I'm so glad i'm there because it's really the perfect place for me to get some bulk in my CV, learn how a press office works and the atmosphere that is always buzzing. I do genuinely care about Next as well, apparently on the 27th of November Oxford St is going to be completely pedestrianised for the day and the girls have some ideas cooking for a special treat for shoppers.
The time just seemed to fly by and i wanted to stay late to get everything finished. I think they liked me so fingers crossed there's a new contact there.
It wasn't a particularly creative atmosphere but there are always ideas bouncing around the office. Maybe I will be able to procure a bit of work experience in another, more creative department of Next in the future.

Saturday 6 November 2010

Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion

by Lauren Goldstein Crowe

(also the author of The Towering World of Jimmy Choo)

An extract from the book found on 'The Business of Fashion' website -

http://www.businessoffashion.com/2010/11/bof-exclusive-did-fashion-kill-isabella-blow-part-i.html

When I began the research for Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion, I was surprised to find that many in the fashion world viewed her suicide not as a tragedy but as a whodunit. Everyone had a theory. Some thought it was the fault of her employer Condé Nast or her husband Detmar for not supporting her enough when she became ill. Some thought it was the fault of Alexander McQueen for not giving her a job when he got posted at Givenchy. Some thought it was Sheikh Majed al-Sabah’s fault for disappointing her on a project he’d retained her to do. Many others blamed her mother, her step-mother or her father. As the daughter of a psychologist, all these theories seemed equally absurd to me.

But as strange as those theories were, the one that came from outside fashion was even stranger. Many members of the press decided another group was to blame: the fashion industry. That’s right, all of us. Here, in a BoF exclusive two-part excerpt from the Afterword of my book, I do the unconscionable. I defend fashion.

Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow | Photo: David LaChapelle for Vanity Fair

Friday 5 November 2010

Harrods Christmas

The Harrods Christmas Magazine arrived today. It's an absolute book.

A few things caught my eye -

Exhibition - Drawing Fashion

The exhibition is at the Design Museum from 3rd Nov to 6th March showcasing fashion illustrations from Chanel, Dior, Comme des Garçons and Poiret as well as Viktor & Rolf, Lacroix and McQueen.

Bouché. Portrait of Mona Bismarck, Vogue US.

Antonio. Joanne Landis Carnegie Hall Studio, New York Times Magazine. 1967

Book - Graphic Design for Fashion by Jay Hess and Simone Pasztorek £26

The book is split neatly into four chapters outlining branding, invitations, lookbooks and packaging, the ideal guide through the mid ground where fashion and Graphics meet.

Dance - Matthew Bourne's Cinderella.

I have actually already got my tickets and am going with my Mum and Grandmother over Christmas. I have seen his Swan Lake and was absolutely mesmerised by it so i will be posting a review ofter i see it in December. Then I will start looking to see his Edward Scissorhands as well.

He was recently interviewed by Claudia WInkleman on BBC Radio 2 where he came across as very modest, not at all 'showbizzy' as some might think. I'd love to have a class with him some day.

Thursday 4 November 2010

Check out these Pamela Mann tights

Available at http://www.uktights.com/section/56/pamela-mann-tights

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Dior Illustrated

NEW EXHIBITION
DIOR ILLUSTRATED:René Gruau and the Line of Beauty
http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/fashion/dior/default.asp

This looks like its going to be one of the best exhibitions of the year, with group talks and a film screening of 'Dior: The man behind the myth, Saturday 27 November, 13.30–14.30

Screening Room, South Wing.

10th November - 9th January Somerset House Trust - Strand London WC2R 1LA - Tel: +44 (0)20 7845 4600

Dior Illustrated Talk: From Gruau to Now - Thursday 18 November, 18.30–19.30 Screening Room, South Wing £6.00 with Cally Blackman, author of 100 Years of Fashion Illustration, Daisy Fletcher & Jasper Goodhall, Contemporary Fashion Illustrators and contributors to the exhibition and Sonnet Stanfill, Curator, 20th Century and Contemporary Fashion at the V&A.

Fashion Illustration in Advertising - Dior talkThursday 2 December, 18.30–19.30 - Screening Room, South Wing £6.00 with Alistair O’Neill (Chair), Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins and runs the Fashion History and Theory pathway at St Martins, Greg Burne, Director of Big Active, a creative consultancy who represents leading contemporary illustrators and graphic designers, based in London and Erin Petson, artist and illustrator, she is one of the contemporary illustrators commissioned to produce a design for the Dior exhibition.

Mock Interview

Today was the day for my mock interview at Uni and I couldn't have been more pleased with how it went.

It was set out like a real interview and they taped it as well (which I didn't notice until after) thank goodness.

We were told to act as if this was the interview for the work placement that we are going to be doing in April so I went for the Nicole Farhi position in London that I have been looking at. I updated my CV and created a covering letter and a quick mock up of the placement advertisement.

I was the only person to have done this an the covering letter for the application, so felt quite chuffed about that.

I haven't had a lot of interview experienced and was quite nervous but I had don loads of research and really felt well prepared and was able to answer all of the questions with good answers. I definitely think that i would have got the job, but apparently if it was decided weather or not I got an interview based on my CV, then I might not have made it that far. Such a shame my CV let me down. I want it to look more like the covering letter so I will be experimenting further with the layout. I am pleased with the font and content though.

After the interview I found a ballet shop that stocked my brand of pointé shoes, which I have been in need of for ages, so i treated myself to a new pair of these.