Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore Exhibition

We went along to see the Isabella blow exhibition at Somerset House in December.

Here is what the website says about the exhibit

Somerset House, in partnership with the Isabella Blow Foundation and Central Saint Martins, is proud to present Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!, a major fashion exhibition celebrating the extraordinary life and wardrobe of the late British patron of fashion and art.

Born into the rarefied world of British aristocracy, Isabella’s thirty year career began in the early 80s as Anna Wintour’s assistant at US Vogue. On her return to London in 1986 she worked at Tatler followed by British Vogue. In 1997 she became the Fashion Director of the Sunday Times Style after which she returned to Tatler as Fashion Director. Driven by a passion for creativity, Isabella is credited for having nurtured and inspired numerous artists and designers.

The exhibition showcases over a hundred pieces from her incredibly rich collection, one of the most important private collections of late 20th Century/early 21st Century British fashion design, now owned by Daphne Guinness. This includes garments from the many designer talents she discovered and launched, such as Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan and Julien Macdonald amongst others.

Isabella is also known for discovering models Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant, and for her collaborations with major photographers such as Steven Meisel, David LaChapelle and Sean Ellis, which pushed the boundaries of convention in her increasingly provocative fashion spreads and establishing herself as a legendary figure within the international fashion and contemporary art worlds.

Curated by Alistair O’Neill with Shonagh Marshall and designed by award-winning architectural firm Carmody Groarke, with installations by celebrated set designer Shona Heath, the exhibition displays thematically the breadth of Isabella’s collection, a life lived through clothes.

It was a really interesting exhibit. So many things to look at and take in. I feel we could of spent a few days there and still have stuff to see. It was great to see some famous designers work straight off the university catwalks that they attended. We saw some pieces that Isabella bought from Galliano when he was at Central St Martins. I couldn't help but notice that one item have really wonky hem. Its good to know even the greats were not perfect at everything!

Making a "3D Thing"

For our contextual studies class we were tasked with making a 3D item of our choosing to help better understand our choice of designers for our essay.

My designers were Christopher Kane and Jean Paul Gaultier.

I chose various garments from my designers collections from different season. I wanted to make something fashion based but not a garment. I decided to make some jewelry. 

I was very pleased with the outcome. I made it from fimo clay which you bake until it goes hard and all the jewelry parts are made from old bit of jewelry I had lying around. 

Here is what I wrote about the piece for my essay. 

In an attempt to understand my two fashion designers I made a 3d thing.  I decided that I wanted to make something fashion based but explore it through something else other than a garment. I decided in the end  to make a piece of fashion jewellry.  

The rectangles of the upper part represent the silhouettes that is seen on Kanes dresses. They are either fitted to the body or a bodycon silhouette. The see through plastic rectangles also serve to show Kanes love of see through and sheer fabric.  The triangles then placed upside down and right side up on the bottom piece serve as  Gaultier's way he is playful with silhouette. The bright colours embody Kanes use of bright and neons. Where the triangles are still colourful but dulled like Gaultier's garments. Although he uses colour they are muted when compared to Kanes.

The necklace is printed all over which is exploring both designers love of prints. As at this time I had not researched what radical fashion meant I took the meaning from the dictionary “characterized by departure from tradition; innovative or progressive”  So I used the backs of badges and used them in a non traditional way and used them as decoration. This also represents layers that Gaultier's uses when presenting his garments on the runway.

Giles Deacon at The WIlliam Morris Gallery

In October we visited the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow to see a Giles Deacon exhibition. We went to get an idea of how to take an idea and research and turn it into a garment.

It was great to see how a garment or collection has it own story and how this story came about. 

If you want to check it out for yourself the exhibit is free to see and on until 15th December.

Open Wed to Sun 10am-5pm

Clothes Show Live Competition

First week and also our first outside assignment. As part of our course we are encouraged to take part in competitions outside of the college this means we can get practice working to different briefs. The first one comes from the Clothes Show Live.We were tasked with making  party dress for the 25th Anniversary of the Clothes Show Live. Our brief was 

"Design the perfect party outfit to celebrate the Clothes Show Lives' 25th Birthday. Create and ensemble that epitomises the ultimate Clothes Show Live gal and incorporates a real fun factor."

I focused on the party aspect. Thinking about when you are a child going to a birthday party is a really exciting experience. I was born in the same year clothes show live was founded so I looked back at my childhood the toys of the time . I put together a moodboard also including some images of Katy Perry who I always feel has a real fun factor in the way she dresses.  

Moodboard for Clothes Show Live Comp

After my initial sketches I came up with my final idea. The bows would be made of iridescent film so each one would reflect and change colour in the light. The yellow is taken from inspiration of the toys of the time. A bright pastel. The silhouette is a prom dress. A classic party dress silhouette. 

This was my first ever full fashion design, I really enjoyed the whole experience., I especially love my dress and hope at somepoint I get to make it. 

  

First Week and Assignment at WFC!

On our first day we visited the V&A Club To Catwalk Exhibition.  I was really looking forward to this as I had hoped to see this is at some point before the exhibit ended. It showed how club culture influenced and translated onto the catwalk in the 1980's. If you thought 80's was just legwarmers and bangles think again! It was really interesting and this was also really good way of getting to know fellow classmates in a more relaxed atmosphere than at the college.